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2010-11-23T04:57:00.000-08:00

Question...

2010-10-08T19:00:00.000-07:00

What is the most hardcore/craziest/greatest life-altering thing you have ever done in your life? I was just wondering what is the answer to this question for me and I have definitely come up with my answer...

(Hint: Swinging in the tree is not it!) Yup, it's having a baby. Or in my situation a budding toddler who will not stop growing up, even though I asked her nicely not to; several times.

I've never bought a round-the-globe plane ticket, or gone skydiving, or dyed my hair a crazy color, or made an audition tape to be on a reality show. But I did become a parent and that is the most life-changing and important thing I've ever done in my life thus far. I can't believe that my little angel is almost one year old. To be honest, it's been the hardest year of my life too, and I will never forget that. I am impressed by moms who don't feel the same way. Never have I smiled so big and felt so tired all in the same moment, been so happy and so low. I have never been more proud of myself for rising to the occasion and following through with commitment. I've learned so much about myself through her; about patience and sacrifice. I am so blessed by this healthy child who fills my life so completely along with my awesome husband, family & friends.

What I did today, What I did Yesterday

2010-09-30T20:21:00.000-07:00

What I did today:

7am-heard baby rousing. Fed her and went back to sleep until 9am.

10am-coffee hour. picked rosemary & thyme from garden and made focaccia dough in the KitchenAid Stand mixer. (My fav kitchen appliance) Put it in the fridge to 'retard' overnight...like my bread lingo?

10:45am-Helped Yann clean and seal up his sea trout he caught while kayak fishing this morning. He's an early riser which makes for a good fisherman. Dinner for next week in the freezer.

noon-Took Cam to a local farm for her 11 month birthday with daddy! Saw and petted goats, sheep, pigs, and lamas for her first time. Took Rascal dog, who got freaked out by the squaking geese and picked green beans out in the U-Pick It field. Bought corn, watermelon, and a honeydew melon grown on the farm.

4pm-Mall with Yannou and Cam to buy a new down comforter for our new Pottery Barn duvet. Ready for cooler weather; check! Also, bought Cam some cute new pj's on sale. Opened a Macy's credit card account...uh oh.

7pm-Sarasota Art Center for the Moving Ethos Modern Dance Company. Amazing show starring my two beautiful friends, Jessica and Keely.

8:45pm-late night trip to craft store to buy some things for making Cam's 1st birthday invites...one month countdown!

9:15pm-dinner at mom and dad's.

10:00pm-put Cam to bed way too late and then wrote this blog.

midnight-put myself to bed way too late...bed time!!

Cam's first farm visit for her 11 month b-day:

What I did yesterday:

9:30 am- hung out in bed drinking coffee with Yann, Cami and Rascal. Had a giggle fest and pet the dog.

10:00am-Got out of bed and checked garden. Mixed micro greens popping their cute little heads up. Radishes kicking butt, cilantro has begun to come up. Did a worm compost bin check and things look creepy, crawly in there. This is good.

10:15am-cooked eggs and apple cinnamon oatmeal for breakfast. Fed Cami and then took a shower and got dressed.

11am-Cami's down for her nap and Yann and I attack our filthy house and clean it top to bottom. Laundry, laundry, laundry, fold. Vacuum/mop/dust/do dishes!

1pm-running errands. Grocery shopping at Whole Foods and chatting with friends we bump into out front. Yann buys a case of wine from the wine shop. I buy a baby proofing/lock device that keeps curious babies out of the toliet because Cami now likes to splash around in the toliet bowl when we're not looking.

4pm-Push Cami in her swing that is hanging from the ceiling in our living room. Yes, we do have a playground swing installed inside our home.

5pm-Cami's sleeping again so Yann & I play ball in the yard with Rascal. We chase around Mopsy the cat and note how well our basil is growing.

8pm-Spaghetti Dinner over at my parents and singing and dancing with Cami. Dessert is leftovers of my mom's Coconut Birthday Cake I baked her. Happy 61st Birthday, Mom!

10pm-Baby's up way too late, in my bed crawling all over us and laughing as she drinks her last bottle of the day

11pm-I'm now up way too late typing this blog, wondering how it's possible that my baby turns 11 months tomorrow. All I can say is that time does fly when you're having fun and also that I love this little mamasita more than ever. I am so proud to be her momma; she's my tiny angel. Well, not so tiny anymore...

Happy Fall!

Current Events

2010-09-11T15:14:00.000-07:00

Well, here is my update, peeps: Things are good; baby is not so much a baby anymore, but sprouting into quite the little toddler girl. She has had lots and lots of "firsts" lately. Bike ride on her baby seat with Papa (and the helmet makes her head look gigantic and adorable). Taking her first steps via a baby walker device. (Thank you plastic toys made in China)! And what else....hmmm...she really has got some beat. Anytime you sing anything, she goes nuts with the dancing and swaying. Then if you put some actual music on she really rocks it out. So, we've signed her up for a music class. Speaking of classes, this girl has a busier social life than me! She has her Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, & Thursday classes, and in between we find time to chill out in the backyard by sitting on a shower curtain with the hose and toys. We started a small raised garden and also a worm bin (type of compost pile) that we are in the process of painting and making cute. Hope it doesn't turn into a 'cock-a-roach' infested science experiment! So, we hope to learn some basics about Florida gardening while also growing a little bit of herbs and lettuces for the kitchen.

I have been working part-time and I wish I could work a little more, but the economy is so darn slow right now! Come on FL tourist season! I used to hate all the visor wearing tourists, but now I realize how much our local economy needs them. So, all in all, although we don't blog much anymore, we are doing well. Waiting for this hot, hot summer to pass so I can rollerblade, while pushing the jogging stroller, with my dog running full speed ahead next to me. And husband cruising around on his bike somewhere in the mix. How is life treating you? I hope it's all good...xo

These series of pics below are entitled: "Newspaper Monster". The worms for our garden need some shredded newspaper for their bedding, so baby girl helped us shred and throw around. This is a great free, silly thing to do on a rainy afternoon with your best little buddy and husband. The dog even got buried and it was fun for all. PS-Did I tell you how much the baby harasses our pets? Because she really does maul them and they get annoyed with her, but they are so very patient.

Look at that Joker Smile...no joke.

Goodbye summer, Hello Shoes!!

2010-08-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

summer times

2010-08-10T19:59:00.001-07:00

I make her a scrambled egg every morning. She gets really really messy

My aunt's beautiful garden in California:

Cookies I made for my best friend's bridal shower

My 29th birthday, July 29, 2010, My golden year!!

Yann & pops snow shoeing in CA

Cam's 1st carousel ride in Chicago:

it's been sooooo long! sorry...

2010-07-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

play time

2010-05-02T17:18:00.000-07:00

yann comes home in 4 days!

2010-04-30T09:17:00.000-07:00

Selby Gardens & a walk by the bay

2010-04-16T16:38:00.000-07:00

play date

2010-04-12T15:54:00.000-07:00

easter sunday & 5 months!!!!

2010-04-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

Here she is reading her 5 month old birthday card from her grandparents in France...Mamie and Papi! Thank you guys for the cute card :)

And the new tradition of the family for 6$...the Stupid Birthday Hat! Everyone must wear the hat that has a birthday under our roof...no exceptions!

And finally, the Easter portrait...So cute in her Easter dress and shoes. Which did not last long. The dress was all crumpled before we even got to church and the shoes were kicked off in a fuss. She is just not a frills kinda girl, just like me. But grandma insisted she had to wear the whole ensemble. It made for some cute pictures though...

the many different hats of Cami

2010-03-31T13:55:00.000-07:00

hello spring!

2010-03-27T19:01:00.000-07:00

great gramma mary made me a beret!

2010-03-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

too cool for school in her shades...

2010-03-15T15:39:00.000-07:00

Another boat trip. Enough said...Grampy bought her a cute pair of shades that are adorable but completely impractical for a baby!

1st time on boat

2010-03-10T14:46:00.000-08:00

Hey there...today we went out with grammy & grandpa on the boat for the first time with the baby. Of course she slept through the whole thing, excluding lunch. We had a great time and the weather was truly great....so these are for my hubbs who is far away today. Also, we had some lounging time on a blanket in the yard. Tomorrow is park and relaxing with baby or what ever happens to pop up. She is supposed to begin on rice cereal but she hates it and it's so funny watching her chow down, but with a mad crying face. Maybe some day she'll actually enjoy it likes she likes her bottle. Well, enjoy the pics and aren't you proud of me for updating my blog more lately? I know it's not so amazing right now, with no crazy stories of far off lands, but at least there are some cute baby pictures! It feels good knowing those far away can see the little nugget growing...so fast. :)

recent pics at 4 months!

2010-03-09T05:20:00.000-08:00

recent pics

2010-02-25T06:36:00.000-08:00

hello friends! it's been a while

2010-02-22T18:32:00.000-08:00

Well, all I can say is wow. I am just so guilty feeling right now about not updating my blog! Sorry if I let anyone down, but becomming a mama has wiped me out and I know those of you can understand that have kids! To be perfectly honest, I have been kind of struggling with the whole identity shift of turning my life into mom-world. can anyone out there relate to this? Did you just become a mom like being overnight or was it a gradual progression into motherhood? I just would love some feedback from the experienced peeps out there. thanks guys! And anyways, one thing I can not deny is that the kid is cute!! so, we are hopefully making a come back to the blog world. i think in blogs we tend to only show our best sides. at least i have been very guilty of that during my time in France. so, i am here to be honest and more frank in this post as to why i haven't been so active on my blog. ok, well, enjoy this short little post as much as you can and i hope you think my little one is a cutie too! xoxo heather

There's a first for everything

2009-12-13T06:28:00.000-08:00

I realized last night just how much love I have for the baby as she lay in my arms coughing such a bad cough. Poor thing; she has her first cold and it scares her mama. Luckily, when it got really bad we were at my grandfather's house for dinner and my mom was there to the rescue. Being a nurse she calmly helped us take her temperature, which was only 99.8, so no reason to freak out. She has been sneezing and has a pretty bad cough and we were worried about if she would sleep at all last night because she was so worked up. I can hear the congestion when she breathes, and it kills me! I wish I could have it in her place. And being the mom (the new mom) I was the most worried and was crying when she was crying. What a scene!

I knew it would be hard for me to sleep if I knew she was alone in her room, so we had her in with us last night and she slept on her side to help drain anything that she would cough up. It took me a good while to settle down and stop worrying about her being ok and breathing. Finally, after I could tell she was sleeping peacefully, I dozed off and she slept from about 10pm to 6am! Then I nursed her and she fell back asleep and is still asleep at 9:35am...that kid can sleep! I wish I could sleep as much as her and her dad...he is in there with her right now snoring away.

It's such an amazing journey becoming a mother. Last night as I was laying in bed restless, I kind of realized, wow, I'm a wife and a mom now. That comes with so many great responsiblities. I will sacrifice my own comfort and sleep to take care of this little human, who I feel so connected to. I always have an ear out for her and as soon as she lets me know, I'm there by her to check: does she need a new diaper? Is she hungry, bored, uncomfortable? I guess becoming a mother is a process after the baby is born into your arms. At first, you are just blown away that this being that grew inside you for 9 months is now in your arms. You are in awe and shock, almost. Then the reality of having the baby at home hits you about a month into her life (at least it did for me). I couldn't sleep and was having some big post pardum depression. My crazy hormones are to blame. Now, I'm feeling better about all that, but Yann helps me to remember to keep my "worrying" in check. Thank God I have him to keep me grounded and to not be such a worried mom.

I never wanted to be that way, because I always thought my own mother was too much of a worrier. However, now I can see that it is just the job of the mother to worry and look out for her young. It's a normal, healthy reaction, but I just need to keep it in check. I think as time goes on and she grows bigger and stronger I will feel more reasurred. I just look at her now, almost one month and a half old and she is so delicate and vunerable. My mother in law tells me that once you become a mom, you never fully stop worrying about your children, even she stills does with her own grown boys.

Moral to the story: Everyone gets sick at some point, so we may as well get the first cold out of the way now. Maybe it will just rev up her immune system and make her a stronger girl! I hope it passes soon.

And here are some holiday pics to leave you with:

I have to say our humble "poor" Christmas tree is the most beautiful tree I've ever seen. We are having a "poor" Christmas. With Yann not yet working we've told everyone it's a giftless holiday this year! We don't want to buy or receive any gifts at all, because that's not even the point of the season, right? So, as far as our tree goes I really didn't have anything to decorate it with so with dug through boxes of old holiday stuff my parents were going to give to Goodwill. We found tons of great ornaments and then I topped those off with a few cheap ones from Target; the 4 for 1$! I think our tree is all the more glorious because it cost about 5 bucks to decorate! And also, here are the two Christmas stockings that I made for Yann and the baby. Those took a while, because they are all handmade from pieces of felt I cut out and then I embroidered shimmery beads and snowflakes on them. In my family growing up everyone had their Christmas stocking handmade by someone in the fam. Mine was made by my great grandmother. So, I had to make one for Yann because he never had one before and of course for the baby too. Now, I have to finish the combo stocking for the cat & dog. Do I really have to make one for them??

Here is a pic from a walk we took out on the beach the other day. The 'winter' weather has been so crazy here in south Fl lately. This day was foggy and misty but hot and windy. The waves were all stormy and of course we were the only weridos out in the horrible weather. We packed up after this picture and ate our picnic in the car on the way to the mall...much more civilized there!

Tired is the word!

2009-12-06T08:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I am just now getting over my yucky head cold. I was sick all last week and was dreading giving it to the baby so, my family suggested I wear a "swine flu" style face mask while I nurse her. Poor baby, she must have been terrified of this strange masked person looking at her! She was really fussy last night and I think it was probably because of the vaccination she got on Friday for Hep B. Yann got less sleep than me, as he was out on the couch with the baby moniter and he kept having to get up and change diapers and comfort her. Man, they aren't kidding when they talk about the lack of sleep a new parent will encounter. We are both wiped out!

But the baby is great; She is growing like a weed! At her doctors appointment we saw she gained a lot of weight. She was 8lbs. 3 oz. two weeks ago and this time she was 9 lbs. 5 oz! So, I guess mom's milk is high in fat content; she is getting this cute rolly polly belly on her. We've started to do a few minutes a day on tummy time and she always gets a very confused look on her face. She has started to coo and little bit and look in our faces more. I feel like she is not such a tiny newborn anymore, but quickly turning into a baby. She is really becoming such fun to be with and also I'm pretty much in love with her. :) Enjoy some pics...We are decorating our little tree today!!

23 days in, people!

2009-11-23T12:18:00.000-08:00

Well, Here I am finally lifting myself from under the fog that is having a newborn at home! It really is crazy and all the warnings and advise people give you about babies is true! Lack of sleep is number one. Days going by way too fast is another. Messy house? Check. Not feeling any motivation to cook? Check! But one thing I have been able to make the time to do everyday (thanks to my sweet husband!) is to take a nice long shower. I have realized that this is key to feeling alive and feeling like you are still a human being and part of the living, working world!

We have so enjoyed all the precious days with our little nugget. Getting to know her, what she likes and what makes her scream her cute head off. Each day there is still new things we notice or learn about her. And I feel like she is getting to know us more too. Recognizing our voices and tracking objects that are close within her range of vision. We have been perfecting the "5 S's", which are essential baby calming tips from this great book, "The Happiest Baby on the Block" and our other saving grace is the Miracle Blanket, which is a swaddle blanket that has saved our lives and given us some sleep. I highly recommend this blanket!!

We have been doing some outings everday. I just get a little antsy and "Cabin Fever-ish" if we stay all day in the house with her. Plus, I think the outings are good for her too. They get her used to noises, voices, and being on the move. Plus, she can sleep anywhere so we just take her with us and she totally passes out. Last night we went out to our first dinner with my mom to a yummy Thai place. The whole time she was just on the edge of waking up, so we couldn't completely relax, but it is just good for our heads to get out a bit.

Too bad the weather here in Florida still is so hot! I can't believe Thanksgiving is coming up so soon and still I can't even stroll outside with the baby without almost having a heat stroke. It really makes me question if this time next year we will still be living here! Today my parents and I took her to this cute park right on the water and walked her and the dog (who is feeling a little left out!) on a nice walk.

As far as nursing...it is going truly great. I have to say, I was nervous that it would be difficult, because I have heard so many stories, but luckily her and I have really caught on to it together and it has been pretty smooth. It is such a sweet way to bond with a baby and I love tohold her warm little body so close to my heart. And the cute little noises she makes will just make you melt!

We have been feeding her about every 3 hours but at night we have been getting about 4 1/2 hour stretches. Which is pretty great for a 3 week old baby, so I've been told. She was falling back to sleep very well in between nursing at night, but I was having a hard time falling back to sleep, because she was sleeping in the co-sleeper bassinet right next to my side of the bed. She would fall fast asleep, but make so many noises in her sleep that I would be all worried and not able to sleep. Plus, I was worried about waking Yann up. So, the last few nights we have tried a new and improved system. Seperate sleeping quarters for all! And I am a little sad I can't sleep righ tnext to her, but I really need good sleep and this seems like the best system for us. Yann is out on the couch with the baby moniter and when he hears her cry for food in the night, he brings her to me.

Anyways, we are so happy that the holiday is coming up soon! Her first Thanksgiving and we have so much to be thankful for this year!; it's going to be very low key. Just my in-laws and my fam and Yann's 2 really good friends from France. Yes, they will be seeing something they've never imagined possible...a 'tart' made from pumpkin! Enjoy your holiday and see you soon!

Here are some pics from her two week birthday.. a trip with mom and papa to the park.

doing good! Week one down..

2009-11-10T14:15:00.000-08:00

Well, things here are setting in with baby. We have our breastfeeding routine and schedule posted up on the fridge. And she actually sticks to it pretty good, with feedings every 3 hours and lots and lots of deep newborn sleep in between. Yeah, it's true what they say: newborns lives consist of eating, sleeping, and pooping! And gratefully with 'Nugget' (baby's nickname) she is so easy...no colic or major cry fests. Overall, she has been a really easy baby. Yes, we are tired and still exhausted at the end of each day. But we are so loving every minute of being parents to this angel.

It's been so nice to have Yann home here with us and he has been doing major Papa & baby bonding time. He sings her songs in French and she smiles in her sleep back at him. He is a natural with her; so calm and sweet. I am so impressed with his fathering skills, seeing as he never had really even held a baby or changed a diaper before having one! I am just in love with this little tiny bundle of warmth. Her skin is so soft and smooth and it smells heavenly. I am forever sniffing her little head and petting her hair while I feed her. So, now she is about 10 days old and I am wondering how much weight she is putting on. We have a doc appointment next week, so I will report back on that. We keep commenting on how it seems like her little belly is getting rounder and rounder.

So, here are a few more pics to hold you over!

Photo Credit to Liga Photography, Orlando, FL

Photo Credit Liga Photography, Orlando, FL

Photo Credit Liga Photography Orlando, FL

Her first bath!

Not liking her 1st bath!

Papa & baby time

Blissed Out!

baby, baby, baby!!!

2009-11-06T14:31:00.000-08:00

Well, hey there!!! So, I know I haven't written the BIG post. The post where I tell you every detail of our beautiful daughter's arrival into this world. Well, I'm a little bit busy at the moment to really take the time to make a proper blog post, as you may imagine, but....

I can tell you that our girl was born on November 1, 2009 at around midnight (how bad am I? I don't even remember the time!) and she weighed 7lbs. 8oz. She was 20 1/2 inches long and scored a 9/9 on the Apgar test. She is now about 5 days old and stolen our hearts fully and completely. I am in LOVE, people, big time. She is just amazing and so pretty, if I do say so myself. We are very tired and sore in bizarre places, but we are a family now, 3. And we are living on Cloud 9.

So, please bear with me as i take a few days to recover from the birth and enjoy some special bonding time with baby. But I leave you with a couple of my favorite pics from the last few days...

PS-I won't be posting her name to protect our family's privacy, but I will come up with some cute little nickname to refer to her. Those of you that know me probably already know her name anyways...:)

Maternity photographs

2009-10-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

So, below are some awesome maternity photos my best friend Abby Liga of Liga Photography/Liga District Photography in Orlando, Florida took around September 5th, 2009. I forget exactly how pregnant I was at that point, but today I am much bigger than in these pics! I admire Abby so much as a business woman and as a artist. She has now shot my wedding and also these photos. She began photographing for her high school newspaper at 14 years old. I remember on the weekends she would have to attend the football games, even though she wasn't really into sports, but she had to go "on assignment". I have watched her develop her craft over the many years we've been friends. She never ceases to inspire and amaze me. She is a woman of such stlye; I have never seen the girl in a slouchy outfit. The girl knows how to shop, how to dress, and how to style her subjects in such a way that exudes chicness and sexiness. Somehow, even though the day we shot these pics in my parents backyard, it was a million degrees and I was sweaty, hot, and uncomfortably huge, Abby still made me feel like a beautiful and radiant expecting mother. Abby is always on the move and I admit, I live vicariously through her sometimes. She is always flying out to NYC, Chicago, or some exotic Caribbean island to shoot on location at destination weddings. And I am so excited for her, because this December she is doing a wedding in Scotland!

She has always been there for me, through thick and thin, and this gift she has given me of these photos is really one of my most cherished gifts that I've received for this baby. The cute little pink outfits are adorable, but after she outgrows them, I will still have these special images to remember how I felt and looked while pregnant. So, to Abby: thank you a million times over and I hope to make this up to you someday by making something special for you!! I love you!

And seeing as how my due date was 2 days ago, it looks like I probably won't be pregnant too much longer. In fact, last night I began having subtle contractions and they have been continuing throughout the morning today. I have an accupuncture appointment today with a woman who specializes in gettin' labor going! So, hopefully, we'll have some news for you in the next day or two. We shall see.. I feel so ready to do this labor and to meet our baby girl and hold her in our arms. The excitement and anticipation is a lot of fun, but it's almost show time! Anyways, enjoy the pics!

And my absolute favorite...

Go Break a Leg

2009-10-23T19:07:00.000-07:00

Oh boy, guys. Do I have a great excuse for not blogging in a long, long time! Just wait till you hear this one: This past Sunday after church and a big Belgium waffle breakfast, my husband went Kitesurfing up in St. Petersburg and I got a phone call from him about 2 hours later. He sounded pretty panicked and I heard a bunch of people around him making noise and then the dreaded ambulance siren in the background. Ugg..I was about to walk into Williams Sonoma to return a broken blender! So, long story short...

He did a really crazy trick on his kite board which he does a lot and always lands it, but this time the wind kicked up just as he was in the air. This carried him about 30 feet up and slammed him down onto the water with the board strapped to his feet. Well, upon impact from that height, his bone basically just shot out of his leg and broke and he had to deal with pulling the board off his dangling/floating leg and calling for help. So, they dragged his butt up on the beach and called 911. Thank God he wansn't too far out in the water when it happened.

So, they took him to the trauma unit in St. Pete hospital and by the time we got there he was already in the middle of his 2 hour surgery. He got a surgery which inserted a titanium rod into his leg from the ankle up to the knee. We were there for him when he got out of surgery and he looked pretty banged up. He had to stay in the hospital for 2 days and recover and finally they let him come home. So, I have been playing nurse to Yann; changing his dressings everyday. He doesn't have to wear a cast, but he does have to be on crutches for the next 6 weeks.

So, Daddy will be doing lots of father/daughter sitting on the couch gazing into each others eyes bonding stuff! Because that's about all he can do for now. We borrowed my grandfather's wheelchair and so he has been able to get around the house pretty good and do dishes. For the first week he basically needs to keep the leg elevated 90% of the day, so he has to be laying or sitting. And yes, he feels really bad about all this. I've been pretty sweet about it all, if I do say so myself, because I feel like the injury and pain is punishment enough. Was I a little pissed he did this to himself 6 days before my due date? Yes! But number 1: I'm just thankful it wasn't something worse or more permanent and number 2: with a newborn baby you basically just stay home and lay in bed anyways. So, we are making the best of all this.

One day we'll look back on this time and laugh.

Sorry for no cute pictures of ourselves, but I am too overwhelmed to be snapping pictures. Between our move, my in laws coming into town, and Yann's broken leg I have had no time for anything like that. But I bet once that baby is here, there will be no putting the camera down!

And did you know my due date in in 4 days? Oh my gosh, I am so excited!!!! And when are my contractions going to begin??

The Nursery is complete!

2009-10-09T12:08:00.000-07:00

So, finally the nesting can begin! Or should I say...is completed? We knocked out the nursery and not a moment too soon. :) The colors are lime greens and chocolate brown. Cute for a girl, right? Anyways, I hope you enjoy and check out the mini video of me at the end of the post. I really think it turned out pretty cute, if I don't say so myself! And next time I'll be posting pics of my Mommy Glam photo sesh with the lovely and talented Abby of Liga District.

And here is a detail of the bedding...

And on either side of the crib are hanging some vintage embroidery patterns of kitties that I did while in France...

and Rascal in the nursery after his haircut; he feels very naked now...

The pets and their adorable behavior

2009-10-05T19:30:00.000-07:00

I just had to post a few pics of Mopsy and Rascal, who are now joined at the hip. She (the cat) really has built trust in him over the last few weeks and now I have a cat-loving dog! I never thought Rascal would not only resist killing the cat, but actually come to love her. He follows her around and they are so cute in the mornings. They both wait patiently to be let out into the backyard every a.m. to do their business. We love our pets; they are part of our little but growing family.

You remember this child's doll bunk beds I fixed up a few months ago for the baby?

Well, look who decided it was an irresistible place to nap in the sun...

And here they are snuggling together on the bed.

Anyways, I need to put a video up of me and this huge 37 week belly I'm rocking. I'll try to do it in the next few days. When I get motivated enough to dress up, put some makeup on, and be in front of a camera. Ha, ha, let's get real.

36 week home visit!

2009-09-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Here are a few pics from our home visit from our midwife, Alina today. Yeah! I can't believe it's already 36 weeks... time flies when you're growin' a baby!

Finding Home Sweet Home

2009-09-28T07:35:00.000-07:00

Well, finally we have found a roof over our heads! Our little real estate deal did not go through (the short sale house) but I think every day that passes we are actually thankful it didn't happen. It is just that we are in such a transitory phase in our lives right now and I think buying a house would be too confining. We need to be free to move about in the next year or so as we settle into life in the US. That sounds funny for me to say that, as I am from here! But for Yann this moving to the States permanently has been a big change. First, he has basically quit his job that he had in France for the last six years, then he's about to become a daddy, and he is coming to this country where he has vacationed, but never lived. All I can say, is that thank God he already speaks English! That would just be too much to bear if he had to learn the language too!

But, we found a great house rental about a 3 minute drive from my parents neighborhood. It's got a huge fenced in yard, which was our first requirement. It's an older home that has been renovated from top to bottom and we are the first to rent it since the renovation. It has a big, big kitchen with gleaming new stainless steel appliances. A real cooks kitchen with lots of counter space. We feel like we're living pretty large in this house. We don't own enough furniture to fill the place up! But I'm sure we'll manage. And the one thing that sealed the deal is that I have my very own craft room with nice natural light and wood floors! I can't wait to set up a little sewing and painting nook in there. I think we will be very happy in this house for one year and even though I'm not a huge fan of carpets (I think they get filthy very quickly and are harder to clean) the house has all brand new carpet. I think this will be good for the baby once she begins to crawl and walk. So, we are moving in on Thursday and then Yann and my dad have to drive up to NC and move all my stuff out of my parents basement up there and bring it to Florida.

I had a midwife appointment last week and I have one on Sept. 30th also. The one on the 30th is the home visit, where the midwife comes to check your house out for the home birth. She checks to be sure you have gathered all the items for the birth kit. Now my appointments are weekly because I am at 35.5 weeks. I can't believe I'm almost at 37 weeks! It's crazy to think that any time after 37 weeks it's ok if I go into labor. ( The midwives won't deal with your birth if you go into labor anytime before 37 wks. ) We are slowly knocking out all our natural birthing classes and they are so informative and fun. I almost will be sad when they end! Her heartbeat sounds healthy and she is in her head down position and that's about all the new info from the appointments. Pretty much she is just packing on fat now in the womb; you go girl! I am feeling pretty great to be this far in the pregnancy. I am having some intense heartburn at night! That is a symptom that I never thought I'd be prone to in pregnancy, but apparently very bizarre things happen to your body during this time. I thought maybe I'd only experience this if I ate a massively greasy hamburger right before bed. However, I can eat a salad for dinner and have the same problem. I felt funny buying Tums for the first time in my life! They taste awful, like those horribly chalky candies from the 1970's: Nekko's. Yuck! But if that is my biggest complaint at 35 weeks then I guess it's really not so bad!!! Also, my appetite is outa control. I feel like Godzilla of eating. I just can't get enough and I am constantly on the prowl for food. Sometimes I wake up at 4am and raid the fridge for anything, because I can't sleep I'm so hungry. PB&J's at 5am are amazing.

When we move in Yann will paint the nursery. That is always a big rite of passage for the dad, isn't it? Going together to Home Depot and picking out the nursery paint for your first baby. And then I get out of the hard work of actually painting, because you know paint fumes are not good for baby!! :) I also have a free pass to get out of lifting a finger during our move! Oh, how lazy and indulgent I feel! I've moved myself so many times to various rental houses, always sweaty, exhausted, and sore at the end of the move. So, it will be great to just play the role of "Move Director". Oh, Yann won't like the sound of that-(sorry honey, bad joke!)

Anyways, here is a pic of our new car: Toyota Highlander! A family car, our petite SUV, our carbon footprint...

Here are some pics of when Abby, Steph, and I did the Mommy Glam photo shoot. They are my two dear best friends of so many years. These two are so essential to my life. You can't imagine...And Abby called me a few days ago and said the maternity photos are coming soon in the mail so I will definitely share them when I get them.

And here is my favorite pic from my baby shower:

And here is a belly shot from Sept 19th, 2009:

And finally here i am today in the yard with my mom after swimming at about 36 weeks!! Holy belly shot! I am brave in posting this one...

no go on the chi-town trip

2009-09-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

Well, Yann & I didn't end up blowin' into the Windy City after all this weekend for my cousin, Kat's wedding. I did wish so bad we could have been there to see her and the family, but I just felt, after talking with my midwife, that it would be best not to do any plane travel at this stage in the pregnancy game. Also, there is that whole Swine Flu thing floating around still and I really didn't want to get that in the airport. It sounded like the wedding and the weather in Chicago was beautiful.

So, here are just some pictures from the last week. Us out on the boat and also Rascal and Mopsy getting to know each other a little better. (Hence, the butt sniffing in the pic).

I'm feeling pretty good, especially after going to see a chiropracter for my lower back ache. I had gotten a expensive massage and it felt good but did not help the situation. Then, at Rosemary birthing center I was advised to go see a Chiro. for some relief. I had always been skeptical about them in general, but I was in pain and open to any suggestions. So, I went and this lady kind of specializes in pregnant women. She cracked me like a nut! My neck, my back in 2 spots, and my spine. Wow, it felt so good and it really helped out in the ache department. So, I have another appointment for Friday. It's been about 2 weeks since Yann arrived and we are happily reunited. It's so nice to have him by my side at the midwife appointments and to feel the baby kick. He has been so great about taking good care of me and doing all my 'heavy-lifting' tasks. Thank God for him; that he is here safe and sound.

So, this is why I love my husband. I made brownies and he doesn't like the crust, so he kept cutting little pieces from the inner part of the pan. I went for a bite yesterday and found this scene:

swimmingly well

2009-09-09T05:43:00.000-07:00

Now I'm a happier camper because my husband arrived safe and sound, although very tired last week. I thought the moment he walked through the door would never come! I felt the worst for our French cat, Mopsy, who had been confined in her little cat carrier for about 36 hours with no food, water, or a chance to pee! Poor thing! When Yann finally flew into Miami, he expected to just get his bags, breeze through customs and then hop in the rental car and head to Sarasota. But they kept him sitting and waiting in customs for 3 1/2 hours! And they knew he had an animal with him that really needed to get out of that bag, but they didn't give him much sympathy. So, when he came to my house I had the litter pan all set up for her and I've never seen a cat pee for that long. Poor baby.

Anyways, we have been having lots of fun since he came. Baby classes (actually, natural childbirth education class), feeling baby moving like crazy in my stomach, baby shower (he just showed up at the end for a few minutes), boating, swimming, eating out a lot, and shopping for baby and for a good pair of flip flops for Yann.

We are quite comfortable at his parents vacant condo. We've moved my dog over here and are working with him and the cat to help them get along. It's going well, but he gets upset every time she walks in front of his food dish. He thinks she trying to steal his food. How do we deal with this issue, anyone?? We put his food in the closet and left the door open a crack. God forbid she ever wanders into that closet.

Baby shower was awesome. I love seeing all my old friends! (But let me get back to the shower later.) It was actually a good idea to have it the same weekend as my 10 year high school reunion. This way, I already had a lot of friends coming into town for that. The cocktail hour for the reunion was on Friday night, so Yann and I had dinner with some friends first and then we walked down to the bar where it was. Let me tell you, the guy from our class that planned this event, did not do a good job. It was so disorganized: no one really knew what time it began or even what bar it was at. There was supposed to be a dinner the next night, but some people hadn't heard about a dinner and no one knew where it was either. So, as Yann and I go into this two floor bar it's insanely loud, filled with very loud bass and club music. Baby started going crazy, moving a lot. Then, we went upstairs to where this reunion was to be held. First thing I couldn't help but notice was the extremely thick and grey haze of cigarette smoke filing the entire room. Also, as I looked around at the general population of the bar I realized that only about 40% of the people there graduated high school with me. The rest of the crowd was a random mix of cigarette puffing, beer guzzling old dudes playing pool. So, we literally stayed for 10 minutes and high tailed it outa there.

Back to the shower: I need to post the pics from the shower, but I don't have my transfer cord thingy for the digital camera handy. So, it was really great to see so many friends I haven't seen for a long time and the food and gifts were so good. We got lots of baby gear, people! Loot! It blows my mind how generous people are. Loads of cute outfits and all kinds of soft blankies and jingly stuffed animals. A car seat!! A "Stationary entertainer", which is basically a big colorful mess of plastic made in China, but darn it if all babies don't love to sit in those things! After everyone left, Yann and I sat in the pile of gifts and began cutting off tags to wash things and it really hit us that we are about to become parents in just a few weeks. It was an exciting feeling, although a little scary! I've been so focused on the pregnancy and learning about the delivery, that I hadn't been thinking enough about after all that! Well, I guess I can start dreaming about that now, because I'm at about 33 weeks and the midwives say any time after 37 weeks I could safely deliver the baby with them.

My other favorite part of the weekend was when my friend Abby, the very lovely and talented photographer of Liga Photography, took maternity photos of Yann and I. I cannot wait to see these pictures. and post some of them here! She showed my a few, just on her camera, after the shoot and I think they will be amazing, as her photos always are.

We are going up to my cousin's wedding this weekend in Chicago and I will be back with news and photos from the Windy City!

3...2....1.....!!!!!

2009-08-26T05:54:00.000-07:00

Hey there! Just a quick thought that just came to my mind about my blog and the infrequency I've been posting since coming home from France: It's all about quality, not quantity, right?. Whew, that makes me feel better! Wow, I almost cannot believe that I haven't seen Yann since June 5th. That's the longest we've gone wthout seeing eachother since we've met. We've done the two months apart thing twice but this is just craziness. So, in 3 days, on Sept 1st my French knight in shining armor will come riding into my driveway, in a cheap rental car, to sweep me off my feet. Oh, wait he won't be able to lift my 8 month pregnant butt very far off the ground. Oh well, that's the image I have floating around in my head right now! It's kind of fun, this whole not seeing your husband for a long time thing. I mean, it's like, what will his hair be like, will he have grown a beard? Will he look like a wild seafaring mate from Newcastle, England? (I say that because he has been aboard his ship there in the port for the last 3 weeks working.) Poor guy would call me from work and tell me he hadn't been able to have a shower on his ship for 3 days because they had run out of hot water. Wow, the sailor life is not for me.

So, when he gets here hopefully we can lay around and just do a bunch of nothin'. Such as, movie watching, hand holding, baby name thinking, cooking, and lots of talking!! The last, being something that I miss probably the most right now. We can talk on the phone for about 20 minutes and then we both get distracted and go kind of ADD on eachother. But when you're face to face it's harder for that to happen.

So, is it crazy that I planned my baby shower on the same day as my 10 year high school reunion?! Because I'm beginning to think that was a little much for one day. But i did it that way, because it's on Labor Day weekend and I knew a few very good friends would be in town already for the reunion. So, I'm kind of trying to kill a couple birds with one (busy) stone, you know? Well, I bought a dress for the baby shower and because it was not on sale I tried to think if it will still fit me and look good after the baby is born. I think it will. Then the dress I'm wearing to the reunion is a little black number from my pre-baby belly days and amazingly enough it still fits, just a bit tighter. It's made out of a black stretchy material; that's my saving grace.

The day before my shower my great and talented friend Abby from Liga Photography is giving me such a fun gift. The gift of a Mommy Glam session. Can you guess what that's all about? Basically, it's a photo shoot where you get all dressed up and done up like the hot momma you are and she takes studio pics of you. And she makes the moms-to-be look so cute, like pregnant super models. :) Can't wait to post those pics for you on here!

Here is a watercolor painting that I did over the last several days. I've never done any paintings like this. But the baby's nursery, that is yet to exist, may need some wall art someday. And since greens seem to be emerging as the color for her room, I went with a green background. I wanted to incorporate some patterns from fabric, since that's the medium I've been the most obsessed with lately. So, I added in some paisley patterning because on her crib bedding there is paisley. I think I will do 2 more smaller ones to compliment this one. What do you think about it- Do I have a future as a watercolorist?

And a detail shot:

Here is a picture of what I call my Friday Night Apron. I had this material for about a year and I kept meaning to make a sexy, retro apron out of it. So, finally! I love that it's reversible so that on one side you have more blues and greens and then on the other you have your girlie pinks. I just got my custom labels mailed to me, so I think I wil make a few of these and put them up in the esty shop, that is sitting empty and unopened right now! Please notice that little adorable pocket (that is fully lined, people!) with the rickrack.

Next item up:

The Swing Bag, finished yesterday and I'm in love! Umm, how darling is this fabric combo? That fabric was just in at my local sewing/quilting shop. I think it makes for a great tote bag and I made it reinforced with a thick layer of canvas in between the lining fabric and the outer fabric; I just like the feel of a sturdier bag. The sash bow you can leave on or untie and even use as a belt or scarf. Today, I cleaned up my sewing room (aka: my mom's dining room) and stored all my supplies because with Yann coming and the baby shower here at the house, I needed to clean up my crafting junk. With all these projects, I think I got out most of my crafting urges for at least a week or two.

Check out the lining material. It's actually reversible too, but I just love the outside fabric so much, I don't think I'll ever reverse it!

And a final parting shot:

My dog sleeping on my bed as I sit here and write a blog post. I love him. I really, really love him.

growing every day...

2009-08-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

Well, here I am in all my big bellied glory. I'm definitely getting bigger, because I've been keeping track of my weight gain and the number on the scale is slowly rising. In fact, it's a little shocking to see a number on there I've never seen before! But it's all good! I'm feeling pretty good too. Into the 3rd trimester and I've begun my childbirth education classes, which are quite interesting and I'm learning tons. The more I learn about natural childbirth, the more it makes so much sense to me, if a pregnancy is not complicated. Which, thank God, mine seems not to be complicated. I'm so looking forward to doing this thing drug free and fully aware of the 'sensations' my body is going to go through. It will definitely be a test of my pain tolerance! Things are just ticking along and Yann arrives here in 13 days!! Yes, I will be one happy girl when I see him pull into the driveway to give me a big hug. That is if he recognizes me!

I made my diaper bag finally. The sewing pattern was crazy complicated for me, so I was invited into my local sewing shop, that I LOVE, and they helped me out, like they always do. It's amazing how much they will help you for free; well, after you purchase a big, expensive Baby Lock machine! I am going to take another bag class pretty soon and we are going to make an Amy Butler pattern. So, here is my diaper bag below, and a close up of the fabric. I wanted something not too loud or 'pink'.

Here are some more market bags I've made recently. I found a great web site that sells adorable patterns of oilcloth fabric for reasonable prices. I though these would be more sturdy than the fabric market totes, and if they get wet from a grocery spill, I can just wipe them off. I got these really cool prints in orange and red and then below I have the other print, vintage strawberries!

Also, I'm excited that I have a new little project going on. When I arrived in Marseille, France, I knew no one besides my hubby and his few guy friends. I had to reach out to make new friends and through the magic of the internet I found an awesome ex-pat/English speaking group of people on the web site Meetup.com. I went to my first Meetup within the first week of being in France and the people I connected with in that group remained my very close friends while I was in France. I still keep in touch with them and I consider a couple of them to be lifelong friends.

So, when I moved back here to my hometown, I had friends and family here, but I didn't have any friends that had young babies or children. So, I looked on Meetup.com and joined a group called Hip Mamas. I hadn't even attended any of their playgroups yet, because it may be weird to show up pregnant and childless! But anyway, last week I got an email from the group organizer who said she was moving and this group needed a new organizer to set up Meetups. So, I decided to take over the group, or else it would have shut down. I'm really excited about it and there are 40 moms in the group, with children from infant to 5 years old. I have already set up some meetups for the rest of August, including story time at the public library and a classical lullaby concert, where a narrator reads story, while a quartet of musicians plays along to the story line in the background. How cool does that sound? So, I am really excited about meeting new young moms, like I will be in jut a few months. It feels really good to reach out to this whole new group of people, who are potential great friends. I'll keep you posted on how it goes. ok, then, for now bye!

26 days!

2009-08-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

26 days. That is how many more days I have to wait until I see my husband, Yann. When he comes here on September 1st, it will have been 3 long long months since I've seen him. Let me tell you, I am over this long distance husband thing! Especially being 7 months pregnant, it makes it all the more difficult. I won't have seen him for a whole trimester so I am hoping to shock him (in a good way) when he sees me, with my big belly, which is growing slowly. So, I'm hoping for selfish reasons that August goes by quickly so I can be reunited with my baby's daddy!

And I guess I haven't been so motivated to write on the blog because I feel like I am in this general holding pattern of 'waiting'. Waiting for Yann, for the baby, and to figure out where we should live. I have the following little problem in the back of my head: We are seriously thinking about buying a house here in Sarasota, because the prices are pretty good right now with the market. However, many people are saying that real estate has hit the 'bottom' and the house prices are about to begin to rise again. So, now would be a good time, however, the one we want is on a short sale. I thought a short sale was about the same as a foreclosure, but they are 2 different things and the short sale is the bigger headache to deal with. Sometimes you can put an offer in and have to wait up to 6 weeks to hear back an answer from the bank. Then, sometimes they won't answer at all, if the offer is too low. So, we will see what happens on this one. An investor group came in and bid higher than us, so we just have to wait and see. If we did get the house, it would be an amazing deal.

So, if we don't get the house, we really need to find a rental house or apartment. But we want to be able to rent month-to- month, so that if we do make an offer on a house and it gets accepted, we will be able to get out of an apartment lease. It is so hard to find just a month-to-month lease though! And a furnished one at that, which would be the best. All my stuff is still up in NC in storage.

I feel like I can do nothing about all this now, but as soon as Yann comes, and the baby is almost here, things will get crazy for us very quickly if we have no place to call home! Let's just call this, "the calm before the storm!"

But I am a patient person and can wait. In the mean time, today I sewed a baby sling/wrap thingy. I saw on a web site a wrap called the Sleepy Wrap and it cost about $38.00 plus shipping. Well, I googled the measurements of it and saw that others had recreated it. So, I went to the fabric store and bought 20 dollars worth of nice stretch jersey fabric and made 2! So, for $10 dollars I made this thing and it was 'sew' easy. I am going to give one to my good friend Nan, http://www.ecoculinaire.blogspot.com/ who is preggie now with her second.

We are in the hot, sticky summer doledrums of August here. We were up in Cashiers, NC the other week for my dad's 60th birthday and my 28th. It was so nice to actually feel chilled in the evenings. I love wearing a sweater out to dinner in late July. Thank god for places of refuge from the Florida heat! We had such a great time and my aunts and grandma came out from California to celebrate with us. I also had the chance to go into Asheville a couple times and visit some friends who I hadn't seen for a very long time. I also peeked over the fence at my old house that we sold a year ago. Wow, the current owner is seriously lacking in curb appeal! Basically, we had that house in amazing shape when we sold it and now it looks like a redneck paradise! Oh well for them.

I had a good midwife's appointment yesterday too. All looks pretty good with the little bundle. She is measuring just a little bit smaller than the average for 27 weeks, however I think she just may be a small girl and I think it's ok. But I re-doubled my efforts to chug some whole organic milk everyday and eats lots of good foods, as much as I please! It's going to be hard to go back to 1% milk after she is born. I received a check list of supplies I need to begin to gather for the home birth. So, that is exciting and the midwife will come to our home for our 36 week appointment to make sure she knows exactly where we live and to check out the place. (The 'place' being my parents house. How nice are they to let me use it? Their bathroom is huge and has an amazing large tub, which may come in handy during the whole process!)

ok, well, hope to be back sooner rather than later and have something else of interest for ya!

summer days

2009-07-19T10:59:00.000-07:00

Excuse my mini absence from the blog world...nothing too terribly exciting has been going on lately, so I didn't want to bore my readers! :) I'm a lady in waiting anyways; waiting for Yann to come here in September, waiting to meet the baby girl I'm working on growing...

So, one thing I have been pretty prolific in is making stuff. Below you will see something I am very excited about: my first little quilt! yea! I have been wanting to learn how to quilt for so long and finally I made it happen by signing up for a class at this amazing local sewing shop. I'm the youngest customer who is into the quilting classes, but I love hanging out with all those cool, old quilter ladies. They remind me of my grandma out in California; they have so much great knowledge of crafting and hand making all kinds of things. My first quilt is not perfect, but I learned the technique anyways and it will be cute for the baby.

Also, I had this adorable fabric for a while and I decided to make a little dress and bloomers for the babe. I actually really like how it turned out and I want to make a few others in different variations. It took a while because I was figuring out how to use my new sewing machine, but after this project I am in love with my machine! It works so well and never causes any trouble...knock on wood!

Also, for those far away that requested some recent pics of me and my growin' belly here they are below. I am about 24 weeks now so I had my mom snap a few pictures in the backyard. I just bought that tank top at Express when I was visiting my good friend, Abby in Orlando. It's not meant to be a maternity shirt, but it does accommodate the bulge quite well, with the side gathering.

Anyway, I am off to North Carolina on Wednesday with the fam for a couple weeks. I will be up there celebrating my b-day and my father's 60th B-day. My aunts and grandma are coming all the way from California and I am so excited to see them!
So, to all my Asheville peeps...call me and let's hang out!

Little projects

2009-07-04T08:16:00.000-07:00

So, I have a new baby that I didn't mention before and it's my new Baby Lock sewing machine. Yann got it for me a few months ago for our one year wedding anniversary. We bought it at this really amazing local sewing shop because to buy the same caliber machine in France would have been outrageously expensive. So, I shlepped the new machine back to France with me a few months ago, when I was visiting home. And at every single security check at the airport from here to there, I had to explain what it was and take it fully out of the bag to run it through the x-ray machines. So, let's just say, it was an annoying thing to drag across an ocean. I set it up in our apartment in France, ready to make my first stitches on a little curtain project I was going to do. I plugged it in and was so excited to try it out. I turned it on, the computer on it beeped, made a weird noise, then to my horror, went completely dead. Dead! My new machine, costing a small fortune for us, and never having been used!! Ahhh! I burst into emotional, pregnancy sobs for a half hour on the couch...poor Yann felt so bad for me and was trying to fix the machine. Basically, what happened was my electrical power converter for Europe shorted out and fried the sewing machine. France has different plugs and power currents than us, so we had always used these converters just fine, but the machine was too high a voltage for it to handle.

Long story short, Baby Lock has amazing warranties and fixed it for free. I had to pay 12$ shipping, that's it! So, I just got my Baby back last week and I had about a million projects piled up in line to get sewed. So, below is a little project I just finished. I dug these vintage doll bunk beds out of our attic. They were in my mother's room as a child and they were in mine too, until I decided, as a 5 year old, that I should climb onto the top bunk and snapped the frame. Anyways, they sat broken and unloved in our hot attic, until I got them out and decided to rehab them.

They were an outdated wood color, so my dad and I sanded them and applied some wood accents on the headboards & footboards, and then painted them. I just finished up my first quilting class, so I decided to practice making a particular quilt block, by making two little quilted coverlets for the beds. Oh my; the weird projects I do when I'm not employed! But I think they turned out cute and will be a staple in our little baby girl's room until she outgrows them or breaks them, as I did! The quilt colors kind of match the crib bedding set we got for her. I can just picture her as a toddler, tucking into bed her little dolls and stuffed animals.

So, other than projects, not too much else has been going on. We went out on the boat today, and I almost had a darn heat stroke. People, have you ever experienced the type of humid, hot, brain frying heat that is South Florida in the summer? If not, count yourself very blessed. Basically, living in Florida for a summer is akin to living in Antarctica during the winter. It is just too extremely painful and uncomfortable to go outside. The advantage of a Florida summer, over an arctic winter, is that at least from your air conditioned house you can look out the window and see bright sun, and cheerful green trees. I know, I'm sounding a little over dramatic here, but maybe it's just that I lived in Asheville so long, that I became accustomed to the summers there. In North Carolina, in the summers, if you do become hot, you just head to a cold, refreshing waterfall and dunk yourself. Also, the nights are cool enough to enjoy a stroll around the block or even a campfire. You can have a nice, productive garden too, where as in Florida, your delicate organic herbs and vegetables would all wither and die under the scorching heat. It is intense and I'm just trying to stay inside as much as I can. Although, I love summer and I love to be active and do things outdoors, it just is too much for me right now. So, inside I stay, with many fun sewing projects and books to read. I've got my knitting classes, and my first sweater is coming along pretty good. I've been trying to hit the gym a few times a week too, to get physically ready to have this baby.

What to do for the 4th this year?

2009-07-02T19:54:00.001-07:00

I think this year, I'm going to need to sit out the 4th of July festivities. I see everybody around me making their firework viewing, BBQ, and beach plans but this time around I just am not feeling like celebrating. A few contributing factors are: the fact that I can't drink ice cold American beer, it's unbearably hot here in Florida, and also I think all the loud exploding noises would freak out the baby in utero. Apparently, from the books I'm reading she can hear pretty much everything around my belly, but more diluted, like being underwater. So, I think the crazy, drunken 4th of July revelers will have to party with out my presence this year. To be honest, the holiday was never one of my favorites and I blame growing up in Florida on this. I'm more of a Christmas and Thanksgiving girl. It was just always so hot growing up in Florida in the summers, that standing outside in the swampy, steamy evening heat and lighting off firecrackers in the driveway just wasn't so enticing. Plus, this year our barbeque is out of order and so we can't even grill! That should be a crime to have a broken grill in the summer! But I think this year a friend and I are going to buck the trend of viewing fireworks over the water and head to the refuge of a cool, dark, and deserted movie theatre and then grab some dinner. But please, go out and celebrate for me! Grill, Chill and be merry!

I think it's kind of funny that we ordered our nursery furniture and I have no idea where to put it when it gets delivered in August. I have my room here packed full and my parents' basement in North Carolina filled too. Yann doesn't come until September so I'm going to hold off on getting a place until then. Therefore, we have a household full of stuff, baby and other that needs to be moved somewhere, but no place to put it all yet. Hmmm, And to top that off, I am 'nesting' like crazy. Have you experienced this for yourself ever? I would assume it's a girl thing, and especially for expecting moms. I am so wanting a place of our own, with a cute little second bedroom to create a nursery. And wait until you see this furniture and bedding I found; very adorable, but not overly girly. I am thinking about chocolate browns and greens for her room. I owned a house in Asheville for a few years and I really fell in love with decorating it and making it my own space. First, I learned so much about renovation and house projects, but after the major work was done, I was able to get in there, and pick paint colors and decorate. I was really into, (because I had to be) decorating on the major cheap. Where I was in North Carolina there were tons of little thrift stores where you could find vintage treasures galore. I think the little old ladies running these stores had no idea what some of those things were worth. There was a Humane Society thrift store in Downtown Brevard that was my little secret for the summer I worked as a ceramics teacher at a girls camp. Oh, I got so many cool things there. But I think at this point, I've collected lots of stuff, and now I just need a place for it all! Well, although I'm already more than half way through this pregnancy, I still have some more time to figure out where we will end up.

Tomorrow, my dad and I are hopefully going to finish up and photograph this cute little project we've been working on. So, check back soon and Happy 4th of July! Here is a virtual cupcake for you...

Dad's Day

2009-06-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Father's Day! Too bad my dad has to work today, but tomorrow night we are going to celebrate both Father's Day and my parents 35th wedding anniversary by going out to eat and a movie. Can you imagine that, 35 years of marriage?! And since I'm living with the parents for the time being, I figure that I may as well crash their romantic evening too. Living with them again after such a long time of not, is weird and comforting at the same time. First, it is just temporary until my hubby arrives in about 2 months, but second is such a money saver for us at this point. We are hoping to buy a house in the not too distant future, and if I had to pay a big rent on an apartment, our saving money would be even harder. In fact, Yann is currently moving out of our apartment in Ventabren, France and he is going to move into his parents place too, in North France! We are in quite a funny situation for the next couple months, but c'est la vie!

I appreciate so much, my parents letting me stay with them. I was feeling like I was imposing on them when I first arrived in the States; after all I am married, 27 years old, and pregnant! I felt like maybe I should bite the bullet and look for an apartment until Yann got here. But after looking at some expensive, tiny places, I decided I should stick around here. It's a much better deal here at their house: I've got a cool swimming pool in the backyard, my dog can stay with no extra pet deposit, I have access to a mac-daddy kitchen with a Sub-Zero fridge and a big gas stove, monthly utilities are included, and cable and internet are abundant! What more could you want? Well, for one thing, more storage would help. I've maxed out my closet in my bedroom, and now my craft work space is creeping into the dining room. I have a growing 'rat pile' of baby things that I've slowly begun collecting. A disassembled baby swing, a stroller in a huge box, the crib bedding, some cute baby clothes I found on sale... oh my, I do look forward to getting our own place at some point soon!

Anyways, I want to give a shout out to my dad and my grandpa today! Love you guys!! My dad is seriously the greatest papa ever and I can never thank him enough for all that he has done for me. We have been through some hard times as a family, but he always pulls through for my mom and I and is our solid rock. I am so happy that I will be able to give him the greatest gift this year of becoming a grandfather. I cannot wait to see him holding his grandaughter for the first time! He will be an excellent grandpa, just like he is a father. And to my grandpa, Art, who I now get to live only one mile away from, instead of being separated by the Atlantic ocean, I am happy to be your neighbor again! I bring dinner to my grandpa, who is homebound, with my mom about every other night. It's so good to have this time with him, because I've lived far away for so many years now. He is 93 years old and still very mentally sharp; he's such a great guy and I'm so blessed he is a part of my life. So, Happy Grandfather's Day to you grandps!

Also, in crafting news, I have only one quilting class left! The four weeks went by so fast. It's crazy; when I am on a sewing machine hours can pass and it will only feel like a few minutes has gone by! The 3 hours class goes by very quickly, but I will have an adorable lap quilt for the baby finished by this Thursday. Can't wait to show you my first little quilt. I have really learned a lot of technique and about measuring & cutting fabric from my teacher. She is a major perfectionist, which is required in quitling. I am more of a 'wing it' type person, so her instruction is very good for me; she makes me rip out a lot of my seams! My sewing machine is in the shop broken, which is a whole 'notha sad story in itself, and so I have to figure out another craft to keep my hands busy. I found a great knitting for babies book and so this is my next undertaking...learn to knit, while my my sewing machine is in the shop! Knitting in Florida..why??? Well, maybe this winter will be cold here and I can find a chilly day or two to put a hand knit sweater on my sweet little baby girl.

So, today I used my mom's old Bernina machine to sew up these market tote bags. I have been going nuts with the amount of plastic bags in the United States!! In France, everyone has to bring their own bags to the grocery stores. There is no such thing as a free plastic bag! If you forgot your bags at home, you can purchase thick plastic bags at the grocery store, but then they are expensive. This forces you to keep a bunch a eco-friendly, re-useable bags in your trunk and grab them before you go into the store in France. It's such a simple, small act to bring your own bag there, but I have made a lifetime resolution to never use the plastic bags at the store. They are a nightmare to store at home and are just a nuisance overall. I made these for my mom, because she always forgets to bring her own bags and I had to do something about that!

See you later this week!

bump alert!

2009-06-12T16:53:00.000-07:00

So, one week after arriving and besides missing my husband, I am very happy to be here! Already, I've had a full schedule which is a nice shift of gears from my tranquil French lifestyle. I had my first quilting class, in which we are putting together a baby quilt...how fitting! And I picked out all greens and yellows; you'd think since we're having a girl I'd be going for all the girly pinks. But, I think once you see the cuteness of this fabric I picked out, you'll understand. Plus, a girl can't have all pink stuff, right? Way too cliche for this future mama!

Also, I attended the first orientation meeting at our local birthing center. Very interesting and informative and I brought my parents along to get the scoop too. As they are both coming from a medical background, I think they learned a lot and had their eyes opened to the many alternative options to normal hospital birth. I will be hopefully doing all my prenatal visits there as well as my child birth education classes. And if all goes well with this pregnancy and it looks normal and healthy, I think I'm going to try to deliver here at home. The house I grew up in! How amazing would that be?! I'm really hoping it work out, because hospitals scare me! You go there if you are sick and pregnancy is not a sickness, right?

Anyways, I included a picture of my belly dated from today, as requested by Annie. It is me at about 18 weeks and the belly has started to pop. In fact, I had to make a run to Target today to grab some maternity clothes and some skirts with elastic waistbands. Oh, Elastic, I can already see that you and I will be becoming very close friends over the next 5 months! I was just going nuts searching through the closet, trying on everything to see if anything fit me still and nothing was comfortable. So, now I have a few more stretchy things to get me through the next month or two.

Have a great weekend and see you soon!

So, do you like my new title?

2009-06-07T04:48:00.000-07:00

It's fitting, eh? The Back Home Blog. Though maybe not so terribly creative, but it does convey the simple fact that I am back at home here in the ol' US of A! The ol' red, white, and blue...oh wait; France's flag is red, white, and blue also. But you get what I'm saying here, right? Well, it feels totally awesome to be back, aside from the crazy feeling that I'm still moving when I'm actually standing perfectly still. (Thanks jet lag!) I tell ya, I did puddle up a little bit when I got off that plane in Washington D.C. and walked though to the customs line, where there was this big sign hanging that read "Welcome Home to the United States". Maybe they knew I was coming and wanted to give me a warm welcome message. There were some uniformed troops there guarding and I wanted to run up to them and thank them and give them all a bear hug. Big, strong American soldiers in their camo and with their cool buzzcut hair. I am very thankful for them and to be back here. Look at me; all patriotic now! What also adds to my new found patriotism is the fact that I love our new president!

The plane rides, all FOUR of them, were good overall. I decided to try to save a few bucks by buying a heavily discounted ticket on Orbitz. Hence, why I had so many connections. My first mistake was buying a ticket that departed from Paris. We live, like 8 hours away from Paris by car and my flight left very early in the morning, so we had to drive all the way up from Provence the day before and get a hotel room by the Charles de Gaule Airport. Apparently, my sweet husband must have been also trying to save a buck, because, bless his heart, our hotel room was not a pretty sight. I asked him if he was trying to romance me on our last night together for 3 months. Ha, ha. We spent the first 10 minutes in the room picking out little black hairs from under the pillows on the bed. yuck. But hey, we survived the night unharmed and he dropped me off the next morning at the airport for my flight on Aer Lingus. yeah, I said Lingus. I was a bit skeptical at first, maybe the name did it, but after taking the commuter plane to Dublin and boarding the Airbus 330 over to Washington I felt better about it. It was a brand new plane, it had little tv screens in the back of each seat, and I had the 4 middle seats to myself. Let me inject here, that I have become an increasingly worried flyer. I think it happened sometime this last year with all the flying back and forth to Europe and being on a flight that had major turbulence. I used to adore the whole process of air travel and dealing with airports, but those days are over. Especially, just right after the Air France crash in Brazil, I was just creeped out the whole time. I couldn't really relax enough to sleep and every time I dozed off we would hit a little bump and I would wake up with a start!

I was so happy to finally be on the ground in Tampa and I met my parents outside of baggage claim, and it hit me how absolutely exhausted I was. I was literally staggering to their car. Maybe it was all the stress of flying, plus the no sleep, plus the pregnancy factor. And when I got inside the car and saw that they had brought my dog, Rascal, I burst into tears. I guess it was just pretty emotional to be home and seeing that little ball of fur so happy to see me, just made me cry!

So, now I'm pretty well recovered and my parents took me out last night to celebrate at Ruth Chris's Steakhouse and I ordered a giant steak. Girl needs some iron and protein! My mom and I also had to return some things at the mall and we hit up the Gymboree store. (My first time in one.) And so we bought the baby some cute little outfits, but I told myself: No more buying! Because I imagine these little shopping sprees for the baby can get pricey. It's just so fun to buy cute clothes for your future baby girl, with her future grandma! And the sales were major anyways; in France those same clothes would have been double or perhaps even triple the price they were here.

So, my next post will probably be about the introduction class I will be attending on Monday at the Sarasota Rosemary Birthing Center. Looking very forward to that!

The sex revealed...

2009-06-03T07:22:00.000-07:00

It's a girl!!! Yeah! :)

Our last few kicks here in France

2009-05-29T01:16:00.000-07:00

So, the parents left 2 days ago and I'm still exhausted from the trip! How can two nearly 60 year old people have so much non-stop energy!? I don't know, but this pregnant lady here was dragged from one side of France to the other! I have to say, I kept up pretty good. We did so many fun things during their trip here and I will have to do a little re-cap in photos so I can remember all the places we were. Yann loves when they visit because he gets the chance to see a lot of France that he's never seen before; it's a win-win situation for everybody.

So, first we went to the island of Port Cros for a day of hiking. The waters are crystal clear and very chilly, so no swimming this day. There are some old forts on the island and just a few beachy cafes, where you can relax and dine outside. The views are very incredible from the hiking trails which wrap all the way around the island and snake into the interior.

Then, it was onto the High Alps, which I already posted about but I thought I could just post again a few pics from the trip. We did this insane hike that was way too vertical for all of us, but Yann, to be doing. It was rated Easy in the French hiking guide book. But they really must have a different vision of what Easy is they we Americans do. I think we all wanted to hunt down the author of that book. But once we made it to the top, the views were very impressive and there was still snow there, for making snowballs!

Then, in no special order, we climbed around on castle ruins in Grimaud, stayed in a gite in Le Luc, where we stuck my dad in the car to sleep at night because he was snoring so loud, avoided Saint Tropez like the plague, because there were 80 billion tourists going there, visited Cezanne's art studio and Renoir's family house and studio, visited many many beautiful ancient villages like Eze and Gorges, saw an amazing Picasso and Cezanne exhibit in Aix, went canoeing and swimming down the Ardesh river, shopped the veggie markets in Aix, dipped out toes in the freezing spring waters at Fontaine de Vaucluse, walked up and down many cobble stone steps, cooked lots of good food, and ate at many good restaurants, and had an overall great French adventure.

Now, today is the 29th of May, which means that I have only 6 more days of living in France. Then, I go back to the States and wait for my husband to join me; hopefully it won't be a long wait, we are hoping for less than two months! It's the end of my French adventure; one year and four months long. And I am really looking forward to getting back home and to indulge in all the homey things I have missed about the States. Oddly enough, Chilies ceasar salad being one of them (pregnancy craving, I'm hoping). I've had some great times living abroad and I'll have all great memories to last a long time. When I get annoyed with how "cookie- cutter" America can be, I can remember that in France I lived in a very ancient village with a bell tower that rang on the hour. And that in France things aren't always efficient and that has taught me patience. We battled through the French immigration system and after waiting in many hot, sweaty lines of people, came out with my permanent residence card! Also, living here has made me become more ecological and use less of everything overall. When laundry takes 5 hours to complete a wash and dry cycle, you just learn to do less of it and wear the same clothes a few times. And I've learned to park a car in much smaller spaces, perfecting the art of the parallel park. I also have learned that you can actually get sick of eating croissants and other French pastries, if you eat them every day. What I would do for a Grand Slam breakfast, complete with eggs, sausage, waffles drenched in syrup! Well, the point is, in a few short days I will be back home and can reacquaint myself with all the lovely things I've been missing, including my family and friends. I think living abroad has also given me a much stronger sense of what America represents to me and though it sounds a bit cheesy, I really do feel more thankful now to be American than I did before. Also, this little baby growing in my belly is half French so I am connected to France now more than ever. I have my husband's family here in France, and I am just lucky that my in-laws have a house in Sarasota too! So, this baby will grow up knowing the language of it's father and also I know we will be taking frequent trips to France for visits to the Homeland.

But, before I go one more thing. We are hopefully finding out the sex of our baby on June 3rd...4 more days! I have been counting down to this appointment and I hope the baby positions itself in the right way to get a look!! I cannot wait to know and I can't imagine there are people out there with the patience to wait until the actual birth to find out! I can hardly wait 15 weeks to know; forget about 40 weeks!

Trip to the High Alps

2009-05-21T00:24:00.000-07:00

Well, we are right in the middle of our visit from my parents and I had to post some pics of our 2 night trip into the Alps for some high altitude hiking and relaxing. We stayed at this beautiful, old French farmhouse converted into a quaint mountain Bed & Breakfast. The views out of the windows of this place were great; craggy, snowy peaks in the background, with smaller, lush green mountains in front. We did a lot of really hard hiking, which was rewarded by breathtaking 360 degree views from the tops of the mmountains. One hike we had wanted to do was impassable due to the snow still there and unmelted.

Yann is off to work for a few days so we crazy Americans are loose on the town. We are having a great time just exploring some cool things right around the area. Today we are going into Aix en Provence to shop at the markets and get inspired to cook something fantastic for dinner tonight. Also, we are going to visit the painter, Cezanne's studio; it is his perfectly preserved studio he worked in the last 4 years of his life.

More pictures and stories to come soon...

Ventabren is blooming

2009-05-11T08:52:00.000-07:00

Spring is definitely in the air here in Ventabren. All of the roses are going crazy with big, colorful blooms. With all the bright petals against the bold blue shutters, it made for some pretty photos. Also, I included a few belly shots. I'm not showing all that much now, but I have a tiny bump and is feels bigger every day. I wanted to make sure I took a few pics along the way to my huge belly!

Le petit bebe

2009-05-07T09:08:00.000-07:00

Well, I just dropped off my dear friends, Stephanie and Logan, at the Aix train station. Off they go to Paris for a couple of days before heading back to the States. It was so great having them here! Yann and I got to play tourists for once and go check out some places we had both never been. Lots of sightseeing and wandering around old ancient villages and sipping espresso on the boulevards. It was Logan's first time out of the country, so it was fun to see France from the eyes of someone so excited to be there and taking it all in. I mean, these guys were the easiest guests; so easy to please, they loved everything we did! We ate at lots of restaurants around Aix, which was fun, because normally Yann and I cook at home. And I didn't take one picture the whole time, because Steph had her camera and was going nuts with the pictures, so I will have to post some after she sends them my way. We checked out St. Tropez and Barcelona; I had never been to either place. How could you not road trip it to Barcelona when it's only a 4 hour drive? I'm sad to see them go; the trip flew by, but now I have to prepare for the next guests, my parents!

So, above I have posted the first ultrasound image from the doctor! Look at that little cute, alien lookin' thing! I think it looks like Yann! Just teasing, honey. We just had our third doctors appointment a few days ago and it looks like everything is right on track. I cannot tell you how happy we are to hear that! I love my appointments because we get to hear the heartbeat and to see the baby moving around. It gives me great comfort and happiness to see that, because it reassures me that the baby is healthy and growing in there. I have basically felt incredible thus far in the pregnancy. I had my 2 weeks at the beginning where I was feeling all kinds of morning sick. But Steph kept telling me she always forgets that I actually am pregnant, because I'm not really showing yet, and I feel amazing. I was pretty much able to keep my energy up enough in Barcelona to walk around the city for 2 days straight and have no problem. Well, besides sore legs and feet!

But if the rest of the pregnancy goes as well as this, I will be very happily surprised. For now, I am just thankful all seems well and the baby is ok. My next appointment is on June 1st and there is a small chance she will be able to tell the sex. Last time the doctor could almost make a pretty sure guess, but we asked her to not tell us until she is very sure. The last thing I need is to go out and buy tons of blue clothes, when really it's a little girl in there! So, we will wait and see soon. I am dying to know though!

Well, I'm off to take care of Laundry Mountain. Who wants to come help me??

A video tour of where I reside

2009-04-30T10:58:00.000-07:00

Two things about this video.

Number one: In this video I'm 13 weeks pregnant, so no judging my little pooch belly I have!

Number two: Mom & Dad: You are forbidden to watch this video because it will ruin the surprise for when you come visit me this month. No peeking...promise?

Ok, now you can proceed.

I might have to change the name of this blog

2009-04-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Well, hello! Welcome back. :) So, things are pretty good here because in just a few short days, 3 to be exact, my oldest, best friend, Stephanie and her handsome fella are coming to visit us here in France! I am just so thrilled to be able to show them around here and give them a look into my life for the past year plus. I think we will really be able to show them a good time and make it worth their long voyage. We have a couple days planned for going to Barcelona, which none of us have ever been to, so that is exciting. Also, just a few days after they head home, my parents are coming for a two week visit. Last year when they came we rented a big car and did a lot of road tripping all around France. So, this year in the spirit of saving money and gas, we are sticking much closer to home, in the South of France. I think we're going to stay in a gite, or B&B for a couple nights in the South Alps. We'll take a couple nice day trips too, to St. Tropez and some other beautiful little ancient villages. My parents love to hike as much as possible when they go on vacation, hence why I never visited any large cities on any vacation as a child. I still have yet to see my nation's capitol or Boston! They are super excited to come and I just can't wait to have momma's home cookin' brought Trans-Atlantic. The kitchen is semi-clean and waiting for you, mom!

So, in other big, life changing news, we have an exciting announcement. As if me announcing I was pregnant in last week's post wasn't enough! We are moving back to the States!! (And now you are finally understanding my strange title of this blog entry. See, if we move, I cannot keep my blog title of Ma Vie En Provence, because that would be false advertising and I can't handle any lawsuits at the moment.) So, I have to come up with a new title...any ideas? Seriously!

Yes, we talked long and hard about this one move for a while. We like France to visit for a vacation, but I think for living we just feel it's not for us. That's one of many reasons for the move back home. Other reasons include things like: I'd like to have this baby in a place where the nurse catching it can fully understand what I screaming about (ha, ha) and so that we can both be closer to our families. Actually, we will be moving back to my hometown of Sarasota, Florida. (And no, I'm not renaming this blog to: My Life in Sarasota...ugg) This is a great thing to move back there, and Ill tell you why. First off, my parents live there and second, so do Yann's parents, well, for 6 months out of the year. They very intelligently escape back to North France for the brutal FL summers. We are finally in the home stretch for obtaining Yann's U.S. visa and hopefully he can find a job without too much time passing by. This makes us a little scared of course, to have a baby on the way and to be job hunting in a horrible economy, but I think we won't know until we try. So, we are kind of taking a leap of faith. And it feels weird, as an American, to say I'm a bit nervous about moving back to my own country, but this time I am bringing back with me a couple extra 'souvenirs', so to speak. Baby and husband! But I have all positive thoughts about this move and just pray for us that all falls into place.

I think I will feel a lot happier and more comfortable giving birth in my ol' town, with all the familiar faces I know and love. Plus, then my friends will have no sound excuse not to come visit me in FL. After all, a plane ticket to Florida is a lot cheaper that one to France.

One year of marriage and...

2009-04-21T23:58:00.000-07:00

One year of marriage today! I still can't believe how much my life has changed since that fateful night at S.K.O.B (Siesta Key Oyster Bar!) in October 2007. It hasn't actually been that long since I've been with Yann, considering that I married him 6 months after I met him. But everyday of this past year has been a confirmation of the best decision I've ever made in my life. This guy I married has a heart of gold. Truly, he's The Guy for me and I'm so happy to have the first milestone of marriage under our belts. I know we have a lot more of these April 22nd's in our lifetime. I loved our 'first' marriage here in Marseille. (I refer to it as the first because this first wedding was in a courtroom in France with only Yann's parents and his best friend in attendance. The 'second' wedding was on Dec. 27th, 2008 at a church in Sarasota, FL) Both weddings were great in different ways.

The first wedding was so casual, so carefree. There was something so liberating about going to a courtroom and having some random French dude marry us in a five minute 'ceremony'. I highly recommend this if you want to get hitched with zero stress or planning. I didn't even buy any new clothes for the occasion; just threw on some white pants and a white shirt. Our rings were purchased 2 weeks prior; they were having a sale at this really cheesy jewelry store in the mall...buy one wedding band and get the other at 30% off. We had eachother's names inscribed on the inside of the rings and they cost us about 120 euros for the two! Luckily, Yann's parents remembered to bring a bouquet of flowers and a bottle of chilled champagne. We went out for pizza and beers before. It was a crazy windy day, so my hair is flying around my face in all the pictures, but his dad managed to snap a couple keepers.

It was on a weekday, so after toasting with the champagne, his friend, JC, went back to work and Yann's parents headed back home. Yann and I, newly married, went to the Asian supply store and bought things to make a sushi feast. We celebrated at our apartment that night by getting in sweatpants and eating sushi on the couch and watching movies. It's crazy to me the fuss people make about planning a wedding; all the money and time spent to create this extravagant day. You know, to each, his own, but for me that day one year ago was the perfect wedding day. The whole day cost about 100 euros, but the feeling in my heart that day was priceless. I think when you hardly plan a wedding and keep it tiny and simple, it forces the couple to focus on the actual marriage, rather than all the other millions of details floating around. There was just us, and 3 other people to witness this union on that beautiful, windy day in Marseille, France.

And now, after a year, our lives are about to change in another huge way...

I am about 12 weeks pregnant and we're going to become parents sometime around November 5th!!

So, there you have it. I never thought my life could change so much in a short time, but sometimes miracles happen.

We couldn't be happier to share this news and we just feel blessed to have this new life to love and care for.
Of course, I'll keep you updated on everything!

Our trip to Paimpol

2009-04-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

So, we got back a few days ago from Paimpol, which is in Brittany, France, to visit Yann's parents. The weather in this area is always hit or miss this time of year, due to its' geography. It's the kind of place, much like Seattle or Portland, where when the sun is out and the weather is warm, it's the most beautiful place on earth. But if you go during bad weather you just resign yourself to staying on the couch all day with a good book. So, we got pretty lucky because we had more sun than rain, and it really was beautiful when the clouds cleared.

It's a very green area, due to all the water, so there are tons of farms in Brittany. It's actually the best artichoke growing area in France and they also raise lots of dairy cows. It's also the birth place of crepes, so we were eating lots and lots of those as snacks. Yann's mom runs the Museum of the Sea, which is directly opposite their front door; she has the shortest commute known to man. They were opening for the summer season when we were there and their exhibit this spring is vintage trans-atlantic cruise posters, which are so cool and too bad they wern't for sale! I went to check the lobster traps with Yann and his dad one day and they dressed me up like I was going fishing in Antarctica in an ice storm. You can have a laugh below at the pictures of me in the red suit. But I will say, I stayed warm and dry the whole time and once you're out on the water it can be very chilly. Of course, Yann and his dad were in t-shirts and shorts. So, we caught about 6 lobsters that day, so we had lobster for lunch AND dinner. These lobsters, called homar in French, are the best lobsters in the world. They are deep blue/black in color and have very large pinching claws. For my photo op, Yann had to tell me the correct way to handle them, so you don't lose a finger. And their meat is delish. We were making lobster salad, lobster tartare, and my fav: just cooked basic with melted butter for dipping. We also indulged in tons of fresh caught scallops. Talk about eating locally; I think you can't get any better than catching it yourself and cookin' it up.

My favorite day of the trip was the last day when we took a short ferry ride over to the Isle of Brehat, which is just offshore from Paimpol. The island is just beautiful. That is all I can seem to say about it! We just hit it on the perfect day: tons of sunshine, a slight sea breeze, and not a lot of tourists. I imagine during the summer, there are probably too many tourists to really have the place to yourself. But that is why we went in early April; we don't like tons of dorky tourists around us! So, the island was inhabited a long, long time ago. Not sure how old it is, but the chapel's cemetery had some grave stones from the early 1800's. I would say about 90% of the houses on the island are super old, from around the early 1700's, or more likely earlier. There are just a few newly constructed houses there, but the architecture of the new blends in well with the old. The really old houses are all made out of stone and have moss growing on their walls. Some of the residents are year round, but I think a lot of the owners of the homes just come for the spring and summer. It is probably pretty quiet and dead around there in the winter!

The best thing about the island is that there are no cars, only old foot paths. So, you either rent bikes or walk, which is what we did and the island is small enough so you can walk the entire thing in one day. I was so tired at the end of the day that Yann had to pull me to the ferry landing. We walked to some cliffs overlooking the ocean and had a picnic and then we just cruised around checking out the gardens and petting the cows in the fields. All the flowers are starting to bloom now so there was lots of colors everywhere and as you can see from the pics, the sky was an outrageous blue color.

So, we're back to Aix now and Yann is off to work. His dad sent us home with a giant suitcase of frozen lobsters and fish. I think they thought we were weird at the security check at the airport. Now our freezer is stuffed and waiting for our guests. First my great friend Stephanie and her guy and then my parents in mid-May. Until the next time...xo

Bonjour April!

2009-04-04T08:00:00.000-07:00

So, April is here and there are definite signs of spring all around here. Yann has been off work since I arrived back to France last week, so we've been spending lots of time together. Which is always nice, but the weather had been pure rain and clouds all the way until today. The day before he has to go back to work, of course! So, we had to take advantage of this great weather today and just forget about all the days last week we tried to go hiking in the rain!

Today we woke up and decided to go to this Salon des animaux thing, that we saw advertised on a poster in Aix. These are basically like small county fairs, but just with animals, no rides or games. Yann and I love visiting farms and seeing the animals. We get all excited, like kids, when we get the chance to feed a cow or hold a baby lamb. So, we have been to about 3 of these 'Salons'. The one today was about an hour away on these little country roads. It was a beautiful drive and much of it was along the shore of this huge lake. The exposition itself was not as impressive as the others I've been to here, because normally on a pretty day like today, they hold them outdoors on a farm. Today's was inside this big building and was just so-so. We got to hold some adorable but very expensive Belgium Shepard puppies and included in the ticket price was free food, but the real high point was the cat showcase. Remember the hairless cat of Dr. Evil in Austin Powers? Well, his little twin was there at this thing today and we had to touch it because it's skin looks so weird. We got told NOT to touch the hairless cat, because as we could plainly see it was a major prize winning specimen. It had about 50 First place ribbons hanging all over it's cage. It felt and looked totally bizarre.

After leaving that, we decided to stop off at this beautiful looking ancient village we had passed on our drive. The city is called Saint Chamas and it is right on the shore of this huge lake named Etang De Berre. What I love about France is that if you simply drive around the country side for a while and just let yourself become lost, you can find the most amazing little villages. They won't be listed in a Lonely Planet guide because they don't have anything major to attract tourists. They are just little, old, villages that people still are living and working in. It's just such a charming area around the South of France, because you see very ancient farmhouses still in use with horses grazing in the fields and people planting their garden beds for the season. I love so much the rural parts of France so much more than the big cities. I just feel like it's where you see the real France and meet just normal, nice people. So, we wondered up to the top of this town and took some pics using Yann's iphone. So, sorry about the quality. Here, at home, we have like 3 really nice cameras, but we never manage to remember them!! At the top of the town was a little grove of olive trees, that were very well cared for. I guess the people from the town all hike up there to take care of the trees. This made me want to see how olives are harvested and processed for oil and for eating. Yann and I are lovers of all kinds of olives, so I think it's a field trip we need to make some summer day. God knows there are plenty of olive farms around here; that is what they grow here: olives and wine.

So, now we are home and enjoying the afternoon. We cooked vegetable soup for lunch and now we are about to head up to the massive natural park above our village for some more R&R. The views up there are amazing; this time I will not forget my camera!! I think we are packing books and blankets too for some sunbathing time.

Yann leaves tomorrow but just for 3 days and when he comes back we are flying up to see his parents in Paimpol, France for five days. I love going up there because it means we get to be lazy because his parents always take such good care of us. They cook lots of yummy, fresh seafood that his dad catches locally. And his father promised me that he'd save some lobster for me! Don't hate me! :)

I hope you are enjoying your start of spring too!

Jetlagged

2009-03-29T02:39:00.000-07:00

Here I am, back in France and boy, am I jetlagged. I used to think this flying over the Atlantic thing was so cool; I loved saying I lived the jetsetting lifestyle. Now, I can safely say I'm totally over it! We were considering taking a trip to the States in late July, but once you see how expensive the tickets are per trip, it makes you think twice. The flight was pretty turbulent the whole way and I thought I would be getting to be a calmer traveler but i think actually I am becoming a more nervous flyer! But the person next to next made me feel better when she fell asleep on my shoulder. She was a cute 4 year old. She fell asleep in the middle of a big coloring art project with little smiley face stickers stuck to each of her fingers.

So, after unpacking my 2 suitcases, weighing 50 lbs. each, I realized that I have no idea when my next trip to the States will be. That feels kind of funny. I really love where we live in France and I love our new apartment, but I have to say there is no place like home. I felt pretty happy when I was back home in Sarasota, the only thing missing was my husband and the cat. We are getting closer to having Yann's green card, so we cannot even think of moving back to the States before that. Also, with the economy being as bad as it is, I feel like it would be scary for Yann to quit his job here and move to a country that is experiencing some of the highest unemployment in many years. Last year we were thinking we would move to the States in May 09, well, then things changed and we were saying August 09. Well, looks like that is being pushed back again. As it stands now, it looks like we should be moving back in January 2010. That seems like so far away from now! Yes, as you can tell I'm a little homesick for my country!

When I get overwhelmed with it, I just think about how lucky I am to be living abroad in a country like France. I mean, come on; it's not so bad. We have free health care here, so no paying medical insurance every month. It's a first world country, with many things such as groceries, shopping, and driving being basically the same as the States. Plus, when else will I have the opportunity to learn a language by living in the country? So, it's all good really. But I think once we do move back to the US I will really appreciate and never take for granted being able to live close to family and friends. To just be able to open your mouth and speak fluently and the people around you will understand. It's the simple things that I have learned to appreciate about my own country by living here in France. I don't know if I ever would have come to that realization, if I had never spent two years away from it. And that is my thought for the day!

Recap of Ladies Weekend '09

2009-03-19T15:35:00.000-07:00

So, here I am about half way through my U.S. visit. It's going by so fast! In one way, I wish I could slow time down and enjoy being in this fabulous country, but on the other hand I am missing my hubby lots. Also, when I left France the weather in our area was rainy, cloudy, freezing cold, and windy. Basically, Florida is the complete opposite: sunny, hot, and tan friendly. And I am loving every minute of it. But, Yann says that the weather has been steadily improving every day there, and he even went kitesurfing for the first time of the season today.

Now, going back to the beginning of my trip here, I was pretty crazy because I volunteered to host a girls weekend at my parents cabin one day after arriving in the States. I knew I would be feeling jetlagged, however I thought it wouldn't be so bad. It wasn't too bad once I arrived in North Carolina, but the 10 hour drive there alone was not so fun. I ate lots of horrible fast food on the way and drank copious amounts of caffine. Everyone met up at my parents cabin last Thursday evening and we had so much to catch up on. So many great and big things have happened in all of our lives since we had last seen eachother. I was the party pooper who went off to bed at 10:30pm! Well, actually it was me and Adri, Nan's baby. We were roomies for the weekend.

Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate with us for the entire weekend and we only got out to hike once. I really had hoped I could take the dogs hiking the whole time, but no such luck for us. Bella, Heather's 4 year old, found some mica stone on our small walk and we brought it back the cabin and pounded it up and made organic glitter! This was a good, and messy, rainy day project. But I think we all were more than happy to lounge around in our pj's all day and cook and talk. We kept the fire going in the fireplace all weekend and had the heat turned up, so even though it was miserable outside, inside we had a nice cozy time.

It was so great to see all them in one place! I think it needs to be a yearly tradition. And then, on the way back from N.C. I stopped for 2 nights in Atlanta to see my old friend Katie. Of course, the rain continued on and on there too. We did some mani/pedi action, shopping, and eating out, which was all fine with me. Katie took Monday off work and played hooky with me; we even treated ourselves to an indulgent massage.

I was pretty tired after all that visiting, so I was happy to come back to old Sarasota for some family time. Tonight my parents and I went out to dinner with my parents in law. Our fathers are basically in love with each other. Simply put, they are soul brothers; born in 2 different countries and brought back together through fate. They manage to communicate perfectly, despite the language barrier. They are really something else to watch. Crazy antics, people. Example? Tonight, at the restaurant, they made up this crazy thing where they cut the cork from the wine bottle in half and they each wrote their initials on the bottom of the cork. They exchanged cork halves and vowed, with much laughter and toasting, to unite the 2 pieces again, at their next meeting. See what I mean? They are leaving tomorrow for France and all my parents can talk about now is how much they will miss the Gehans.

Most Awesome Thing Of the Day:

After dinner we come home and Rascal is very, very happy to see us 3 and is looking just a touch guilty. We head into the kitchen and notice an empty, plastic 12 count box of mini-croissants lying on the floor. Rascal has devoured them and has left no crumb behind. We gently scold him, knowing that all that greasy butter in ones' tummy is almost punishment enough. We all go upstairs and prepare for bed; I pull back my sheets and to my surprise, I find a half chewed croissant stashed under my pillow. At first, I think, "Wow, that dog is smart! He heard us coming into the house mid-chew and hid the thing under here!" My parents are amazed, too. Then, a few minutes later as my father climbs into bed, he too, discovers a croissant under his pillow! This one is fully intact. After dying of laughter for a while, we change our theory of the situation. We now believe that our dog has placed the croissants there as peace offerings, to aide in the forgiveness process of eating our breakfast for tomorrow. Now, that is one smart dog.

Tomorrow is Boat-n-Beach day. It also may be Heather Gets to Buy a Sewing Machine day, because Yann asked what I wanted for our one year wedding anniversary! April 22nd. It actually is going to be a combo Valentines Day/Anniversary present. I love the holiday combo gift, don't you?

Take care until next time!

Our new `hood

2009-03-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

How cute is that mailbox? How much do I want to take it in the middle of the night and bring it back to the States with me when we move?! No, that would be wrong of me! It just fits perfectly here, in front of my neighbour`s house, because it`s been there for probably the last 40 years. I can just appreciate it`s vintage-ness everyday when I walk by!

This pic is of the old church right in the village square. In fact, I never need to wear a watch again because if I need to know the time, I just can pop my head out f our bedroom window and see it! They still have Sunday mass here and of course the bells still chime every hour and half hour from 8am to about 10pm. And these chimes are not from any musical recording; they are the real thing and after 2 weeks here, they still scare the hell out of Mopsy cat everytime they dong. It`s so funny watching her freak out about the noise!

Here is the little alley way that goes to our place. No cars can drive on these little Impassee`s; Most of the village just parks in a parking lot and walks to their houses. There is a sign hanging there, it`s for the restaurant in our village, called La Table de Ventabren. I think they are opening soon, because the village is quiet during the winter and it is closed. I can`t wait to try their food; I`m hoping it`s good, because it is only about a 15 second walk from our apartment! There is only this one restaurant, a real estate office, and a bed & breakfast up here. No other commercial businesses are in the village, but you can drive down just 5 minutes to the boulangerie and grocery store. In fact, Yann just got back from the store, because he`s making crepes and he needed chocolate and whipped cream! Yum!

Here is the view from the parking lot for the village. It`s nice because after you park and walk to your place you can enjoy this pretty view on the way! The rest of the pics are just random from around Ventabren. Enjoy! I will take more on Monday and post some of the apartment, too. Have a great weekend!

We moved, but still no internet!

2009-03-01T07:28:00.000-08:00

Sorry! No posts that are too exciting for now! Well, I`m writing this from the closest McDonalds from our apartment. You know, you can always count on McDonalds to offer free internet connection without making any purchases! I`m lovin`it!

Anyways, things are going steady with moving into the new place. In France, when you rent a place, the renter has to furnish it with all the light fixtures that come out of the walls and ceilings. And since we didn`t want just a bare lightbulb hanging from our bedroom ceiling, we had to buy and install all these. Plus, you have to furnish your own dishwasher, fridge, clothes washer & dryer and stove! Luckily, we had all these from our old place, but bringing them up our tiny 600 year old, winding staircase was a difficult task. We had our good friend, Corey from Canada, to help us and he was so awesome to help out. We were so sore and tired from moving our whole place in 1 day flat! Thank you again, Corey!

We still have some more painting to do, so I can`t take ay pics yet, until it`s finished! So, be patient; I won`t forget to post them!

I`m excited to be going back to Sarasota, FL for 16 days for a vacation! Too bad Yann can`t come too, but he had to work. I arrive on March 10 and that first weekend I have a girls weekend planned at my parents cabin in the mountains in North Carolina. Then, I just relax with friends and family until I leave on March 26th.

Thankfully, I`m finally getting my French Card Of Long Stay!! I`s like a Green Card for the States, but it`s for Europe. it`s taken about a year for all that to happen. It`s so incredibly difficult to obtain a French visa, people! Even when you`re married to a French guy! Forget about living over here, if you`re not married to a European or are a student or are a millionaire, who doesn`t need to work while here! The best is to just come visit me and enjoy a nice trip to the South of France. My house is open!

Ok, talk to you soon from Florida!

Movin`on

2009-02-16T05:22:00.000-08:00

So, I am happy to announce that we are moving from Marseille! And into the coolest apartment EVER! It is a like 400 year old building with stone walls and a huge ancient fireplace. It has these massive wood beams too, for structure. It feels like a medieval castle, only in miniature. It is located in this teeny, tiny old village called Ventabren, which is a 10 minute drive from the city center of Aix en Provence.

We knew we wanted to move out of Marseille for a while now, but we had to search for just the perfect place and when I saw this apartment on the web site, I knew we had to have it! It`s actually pretty difficult to find these old, old houses and apartments in these French villages. The people living there have lived there maybe all their lives and own the building, so many times these apartments are hard to find. It is totally charming and the whole change will be great for us. A much needed change!

I have to be frank here, people. I really dislike living in Marseille. I haven`t really written too much about that on my blog, because I don`t want to be too negative. But, now that I am leaving here, I feel so relieved and happy! No more traffic! No more ambulance sirens and stinky city pollution! No more parking headaches! No more grocery shopping at horrible, massive stores!! No more work! (for the moment) No more punk ass teenagers asking me for money! Loves it!!!! PS-We got our brand new car KEYED yesterday. See, many people here are just `not dealing with a full deck`, if you know what I mean. People here have some majah attitude and quite honestly I greatly dislike the Marseille mentality. You could even say I hate it. There I said it! I vented!

Now on to happier thoughts! So, our view from the top of this little village is beautiful. We can see all the Provence valley, from all the windows in the apartment. We can see farms and vineyards and swimming pools. And there is this ancient church right outside our front door; the bells chiming on every hour during the day. It is totally tranquil and peaceful and I can`t wait to take some photos and post them.

We have two sets of guest coming to visit! In the beginning of May my best friend, Stephanie is coming with her boyfriend and then in late May my parents are coming. They came last year for 2 weeks and we had an amazing time, so I am planning some trips for when they arrive. It`s going to be a great spring and summer!

Also, we won`t have internet in our new place for at least 10 days, so don`t expect any new, exciting blog entries!

Next time I write, I will be coming at you France countryside style!

Have a lovely day.

2009-02-12T13:25:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentines Day!

Well, were you dorky like me and make cards? This is what I do when I have lots of time on my hands! And I was so overjoyed to find a decent craft store that I had to make something. I`m so missing those Sunday mailers from Michael`s Crafts stores where you can like, like 50% off any one item. They practically give all those cute stamps, paper, and fabric away. Here in France one little crafty project can really set you back, so I had to do something smallish. Anyway, it`s the thought that counts! I made stamped cards and little pillows with a hanging ribbon. I will always be happily stuck in 3rd grade, making my holiday crafts and I don`t care if you make fun of me or not!

To my Valentine, Yann

I Love YOU!! (4-eva!!!) (& eva!)

"A kiss is a lovely trick, designed by nature, to stop words when speech becomes superfluous."
--Ingrid Bergmen

"I love you, not only for what you are, But for what I am when I am with you."
--Roy Croft

"There is only one happiness in life, to love and be loved."
--George Sand

"The most wonderful of all things in life is the discovery of another human being with whom one's relationship has a growing depth, beauty and joy as the years increase. This inner progressiveness of love between two human beings is a most marvelous thing; it cannot be found by looking for it or by passionately wishing for it. It is a sort of divine accident, and the most wonderful of all things in life."
--Sir Hugh Walpole

"I was nauseous and tingly all over. I was either in love or I had smallpox."
--Woody Allen

"Nobody will ever win the battle of the sexes.
There's too much fraternizing with the enemy."
-- Henry Kissinger

The only time a woman really succeeds in changing a man is when he's a baby.
-- Natalie Wood

I`m wishing you all a Happy Valentines Day! And yes, it is kinda a Hallmark holiday, but hey, at least it`s got a positive purpose behind all the commercialism! I wish for everybody that they can find their true love in this huge and crazy world. And if you find that person, hold on to them, because it`s true love only comes around once. I believe that, at least, after my own experience!!

Like my dad says, "Every pot has a lid!" .....Well said Dad!

So, now I`m wishing for you to find your `lid`or if you already found it, go give it a big kiss!

xoxo

HIGH-larious

2009-02-09T14:34:00.000-08:00

Stoned little boy after a trip to the dentist!

Winter Wonderland

2009-02-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

So, as you can see from the photos we basically had an AMAZING, powder-filled day at Orcieres, which is a really cool ski station in the Alps, about 2 hours from Marseille. It was just Yann & The Girls or we can say it was Heather & The 3 French People. Whatever you call it, it was so fun. We woke up super early, like 5 am, and picked everyone up. We arrived and there was NObody there, which is always a great thing on a mountain on Saturday morning. The sun was shining bright and we had our picnic packed in the backpack.

We had a great morning and I have to say; I`ve been lucky enough to snowboarded in some great places in the U.S. & France and I am not lying when I say that this day, these conditions were the best I`ve seen. It was so freakin`fun! We were all trying the powder, which was fresh and untouched from it dumping down snow for 4 days straight before we arrived. I always assumed powder was a breeze, but let me tell you, it`s not as easy as it looks. And when you fall, it`s super hard to get up and out of. Of course, Yann has mastered the powder thing by now, but for us girls, it was so hilarious to try it out. Malou and Cecile are really great snowboarders, and it ended up that we were all at about the same level, so we could all stick together on the slopes.

We took a break for our picnic at the top, and after we ducked into a restaurant for some hot chocolate. After lunch, we hit it hard for another hour or two and then the clouds came over the mountain. It was actually pretty crazy; I had never seen thick fog like that. As we were taking a lift up to the top and were getting higher and higher we could really see what a white-out it was. We completely couldn`t see the chair lift right in front of ours! So, by the time we got up to the top the conditions were totally wild. It was much colder and the visibility was no more than 8-10 feet. In the States, I think the ski patrol would have shut down the lift, but not in France! Every skier for themselves! Plus, no one in my group of all-French seemed freaked out, so I tried to be cool too.

Well, as we began to make out way down, there were no other skiers in sight. We had such a hard time seeing the trail markers with our goggles on, so we tried to take them off, but the pure white all around us made us even more blind. So, we basically just had to go slow and squint to see the markers. I realized at that moment how easy it would be to get separated from your group and become disorientated and lost. So, we made sure to stay very close to eachother. It was so bizarre because I literally was snowboarding blind; I became overwhelmed with nausea because the sensor in my brain that detects movement and orientation was totally confused. It was like I was really seasick, but finally we reached the bottom. And that was it for the day, because the conditions had deteriorated so much. It was such a fun day and I am so glad to spend a day on a mountain with dear friends and my husband; it was just on of those days where everything feels right, you know?

Two Things Tuesday

2009-02-03T01:15:00.001-08:00

1) I had a slip and fall yesterday that was totally spastic. It was pouring rain and I was leaving the grocery store with 2 heavy bags in my hands. As I was exiting I hit a slippery, rainy patch and burled into this woman`s legs and almost took her out too. But, here is the thing i am so proud of:

The first words out of my surprised and confused mouth were...in French! I told her: (all in French now) "Oh, no! Excuse me that I fell onto you, it`s just that it`s very slippery right there and I didn`t see it! Please be careful there too for yourself. Bye now and have a great day!"

2) Have you heard that the magazine Domino is going out of print? They have a message on their web site and all subscribers are receiving notices in the mail. That totally stinks because although I never subscribed to that magazine I still bought it a lot and loved it. It`s really a pity, isn`t it? The economy is really taking it`s toll on some great companies and businesses. Not only am I sad for such a cool publication to go under, but I also feel bad for all the people who will lose their jobs, who are connected to that magazine. I remember buying the very first issue and becoming addicted because their home decor was so rad. I guess, with this economic crisis many more beloved things will be biting the dust!

And so I don`t leave you on a totally depressing note...

CUPCAKES!!!

flower cupcakes 2582
Originally uploaded by hello naomi

how cute are these?

cherry blossom cupcakes 048 _2
Originally uploaded by hello naomi

too cute to eat

You Tube Love

2009-02-01T12:58:00.000-08:00

Some of my favs from YouTube...

Yann`s next sport...

Miss Badu

value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Vdv4o0jSX4s&hl=en&fs=1">

He will make you smile

A 3 year old explains Star Wars

Charlie bit my finger!

Panda baby scares mom

Beyonce kills it at the Inaguration

A husband`s revenge

A scene in Shangai China

How to break up a cat fight

value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YLDbGqJ2KYk&hl=en&fs=1">

The Real Garfield

value="http://www.youtube.com/v/qXkw3L7oxwk&hl=en&fs=1">

Snow Day

2009-02-01T02:36:00.000-08:00

We went snowboarding last Thursday at Orres, a ski station in the French Alps. It was a big day of strikes, with many labor unions partcipating so we thought what better to do than escape and go hit the mountain? Nice day, not very many people at all since it was a weekday. Yann was in the snow park for a while and he did some crazy jumps. The best were towards the end of the day and my camera battery died so I didn`t get them!

Also, how cool is this Taj Mahal-esque igloo? We wanted to eat our picnic lunch in there, but we forgot to bring our sandwiches. But still it was fun to pretend it was our very own ice palace for like five minutes.

Also, at the bottom are two pics of our new (used) car! Isn`t she cute? It reminds me of my Subaru that I had to sell when I moved to France. I will have to do a post on our old truck when it sells. That truck deserves at least a shout out for being a strong and somewhat reliable vehicle. Have a great week and let`s see each other again soon, ok?

I like her voice and I like syrup too, I guess...

Nice is Nice!

2009-01-27T11:26:00.000-08:00

The cool thing about your car dying when you live in France is that, when you go car shopping, you go to Nice, and you go to Cannes to look at used cars. Hello car shopping; I love you! I will do car shopping anytime when it involves a day trip to these two great cities by the sea and includes a romantic lunch outside at a cafe in the sun, with your used car shopping partner in crime. Mine today happened to be Yann and he made sure we got the job done and had fun. After lunch we strolled around the sidewalks on the beach and jumped aboard old wooden boats for photo ops. We watched the fishermen putter in and out of a tiny port and load up their heavy, fish-laden nets. And we test drove and inspected Volkswagen Passat wagons. Two of them, and we went for the one that came from Italy last week. It`s a year 2000 car in silver with 145,000 kilometers on it. Don`t worry, I will be posting pics of our new addition to the family very soon. Yann will go pick it up next week and bring it back to Marseille; I will also be including a photo montage of our current broke down truck, so as to give her a proper farewell (a goodbye I`m so looking forward to!)

This new car will make living here so much more comfortable and safe. When Yann is gone I have to do a good bit of driving around Marseille for work and errands. Our truck has some major safety issues that were freaking me out and then it just up and died on Sunday. We taped up a À Vendre`sign in the window and pushed it`s dead butt out onto the busy street by our apartment. We also published an ad on a web site that is only for the Volkswagon Caddy trucks, like ours. See, Yann is under the (dis)illusion that his beloved truck is a rare and vintage antique. I think them are some fancy words for `Piece-of-junk, Rust-bucket truck`. But we`ll settle that score when we see how much the selling price is!

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In need of summer!

2009-01-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

Here are the things I`m missing about summer days right now...

Fresh Garden Herbs

Hiking in mountains

Fresh cut flowers in a vase

A fresh catch

Ripe, in season fruit

Roses in bloom

And how about you? Are you ready for some warm weather soon??

A photo essay of our day

2009-01-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

So, today something rare and surprising happened in Marseille. It was snowing! Like crazy... There is something so magical about seeing snow fall into the ocean. The combination of these two elements meeting is so quiet and peaceful, and today we just had to be outside and watch this weather phenomenon take place. It was a beautiful sight to see the city in a white, cold blanket, people out on their skis on the sidewalks and sledding in the park next door. The sailboats in the harbor were covered with snow and there was even a thin layer of ice forming on the surface of the sea. It was definitely a winter wonderland...

Have you ever seen a palm tree covered in fluffy, white snow??
I never had before today...

Here is Vallon des Auffes, a little cute place right next to where we live. It's a little fishing port, for local fishermen.

Walking down our street...

The first round of wedding pics...

2009-01-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

Follow this link if you want to see the first wedding slideshow, done by Abby Liga at Liga Photography in Orlando, Florida. There will be more pics to come as she is still working on editing. Enjoy!

http://www.ligaphotography.com/slideshows/geehanwedding/

Hiking to the Calanques

2009-01-05T12:10:00.001-08:00

Yes! Finally, some form of exercise after the excess of the holidays! And, the scenery wasn't too shabby either. It was a cold and clear Marseille afternoon and Malou, Yann, and I took full advantage of the weather and hiked to the Calanque. A Calanque is the name for the rugged coastal lagoons that are all around this area. They are very dramatic and grand and you have to see them in person to appreciate them. It's the most beautiful thing about living in the area.

And it was nice get out in the sunshine before heading back to work today. Uhh..it's soo hard to go back to reality after a 2 week vacation filled with sleeping-in and being lazy. How do you mentally prepare? Well, i tried to go to bed early, but at 1am, I was still wide awake, still suffering from jetlag. So, i hardly slept at all last night, and today I was so out of it with my students. But, luckily, I don't think they even realized, because they too are just coming back from their holiday. In my opinion, the world functions in a haze from January 2nd-6th. But, now I'm home and very satisfied after making green curry for dinner. And yes, I made the curry paste from scratch and yes, it was pretty darn good, if I don't say so myself. And the kitty is over there, crunching on her food. All seems to be falling back into some kind of normalcy.

P.S....Are you still writing 2008 on all your documents, checks, papers, ect. like I am???

A Survey

2009-01-04T10:58:00.001-08:00

Things you've already done:bold
Things you want to do: italicize
Things you haven't done and don't want to - leave in plain font
So, copy & paste this onto your blog and tell me all about you!

1. started your own blog
2. slept under the stars
3. played in a band
4. visited hawaii
5. watched a meteor shower
6. given more than you can afford to charity
7. been to disneyland/world
8. climbed a mountain
9. held a praying mantis
10. sang a solo
11. bungee jumped
12. visited paris
13. watched a lightning storm at sea
14. taught yourself an art from scratch
15. adopted a child
16. had food poisoning
17. walked to the top of the statue of liberty
18. grown your own vegetables
19. seen the mona lisa in france
20. slept on an overnight train
21. had a pillow fight
22. hitch hiked
23. taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. built a snow fort
25. held a lamb
26. gone skinny dipping
27. run a marathon
28. ridden a gondola in venice
29. seen a total eclipse
30. watched a sunrise or sunset
31. hit a home run
32. been on a cruise
33. seen niagara falls in person
34. visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. seen an amish community
36. taught yourself a new language
37. had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. seen the leaning tower of pisa in person
39. gone rock climbing
40. seen michelangelo's david in person
41. sung karaoke
42. seen old faithful geyser erupt
43. bought a stranger a meal in a restaurant
44. visited africa
45. walked on a beach by moonlight
46. been transported in an ambulance
47. had your portrait painted
48. gone deep sea fishing
49. seen the sistene chapel in person
50. been to the top of the eiffel tower in paris
51. gone scuba diving or snorkelling
52. kissed in the rain
53. played in the mud
54. gone to a drive-in theatre
55. been in a movie
56. visited the great wall of china
57. started a business
58. taken a martial arts class
59. visited russia
60. served at a soup kitchen
61. sold girl scout cookies.
62. gone whale watching
63. gotten flowers for no reason
64. donated blood
65. gone sky diving
66. visited a nazi concentration camp
67. bounced a cheque
68. flown in a helicopter
69. saved a favorite childhood toy
70. visited the lincoln memorial
71. eaten caviar
72. pieced a quilt
73. stood in Times Square
74. toured the everglades
75. been fired from a job
76. seen the changing of the guard in london
77. broken a bone
78. been on a speeding motorcycle
79. seen the grand canyon in person
80. published a book
81. visited the vatican
82. bought a brand new car
83. walked in jerusalem
84. had your picture in the newspaper
85. read the entire bible
86. visited the white house
87. killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. had chickenpox
89. saved someone’s life
90. sat on a jury
91. met someone famous
92. joined a book club
93. lost a loved one
94. had a baby
95. seen the alamo in person.
96. swum in the great salt lake.
97. been involved in a law suit
98. owned a cell phone
99. been stung by a bee

Happy New Year!!

2009-01-02T15:08:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone!
You thought I abandoned you right? You thought I was just going to leave you with only the Peanuts Christmas Special for the next 4 months. But you should know me better! I was just crazy busy and unable to get to my blog for what seemed like forever. I apologize for my behavior and I resolve in the New Year to do better, and not leave my 3 blog followers hanging! I did try to make time for updating some photos, but I just couldn't get very far without having to put it away.

Anyhoo, I wish you a very very healthy, happy, and prosperous 2009! I hope you achieve all your goals for the year and that you will make the best out of this time. We spent our New Year on a trans-atlantic flight, during which we noticed it had turned midnight at 12:05am. We had no champagne to toast with, so we kissed and feel dead asleep for the next 5 hours. How did you spend your New Year's Eve? Kitty was with us on the plane, in her cat bag, and she did so well. We only heard a small meow from her during take off and landing. We arrived at Frankfurt airport at noon European time and we were so tired and out of it. We went to this German restaurant that we had gone to last time we were there and ordered a huge plate of sausages and saurkraut. We each drank a massive beer and then found a quiet place to sleep before our flight to Marseille. Today we set our alarm to ring at 9:30am and I finally woke up and looked at the clock. Never heard any alarm, because it was 2:15pm! Well, today besides sleeping and recouping we went grocery shopping and cooked a good Brazilian dinner.

The blog entries below are in reverse order: So Christmas first then all the way back to December 13th, when we swent snowboarding before the holidays. Now, I feel like you are pretty much filled in on our lives since the Peanuts Christmas Special was posted. The only thing I have yet to blog about is the wedding, but I am going to wait on that until I have the pictures from Abby. So, enjoy and again I wish you the best year ever!!

Love,
Heather

Christmas Eve

2009-01-02T14:38:00.001-08:00

So, here are a few pics of things around the house on Christmas Eve. My mom and I were super busy that day with cooking & cleaning because we were having a big crowd over. In fact, I think it was the biggest crowd to date in our house. We had Yann's parents, my grandpa, the aunts & uncle and my 2 cousins. We were planning on going to the candlelight service at church, but the turkey went into the oven late and that set the schedule of the night back. The night is always ruled by the turkey cooking time. Sometimes, it seems like that is what this holiday is all about...waiting on the damn turkey! But we had a fabulous dinner, compliments to my mom, who was smart and got all the appetizers and cakes done by Morton's Market. Usually, I'm the baker of all desserts but this year was too crazy and I had no time to do that. We had coffee by the fire and opened a few little gifts and that was it. It was a very special Christmas because it was the first Yann & I have spent together and also with both of our families together. Everyone got along great, and the language barrier made for some good laughs. And Yann's parents had a chance to meet my extended family before the wedding ceremony on the 27th of December.

Introducing...Adrielle, Nan & Scotty's baby girl

2009-01-02T13:32:00.002-08:00

Look at this little pumpkin head baby! How cute is she? Oh my gosh, she is so cute! As were the words I kept saying over and over when I met her. She is adorable, happy, and looks a lot like her mommy. We spent a night with Nan & Scotty on the way home to Sarasota from Charleston. They live in Fernandina Beach, Florida where Scotty has an AMAZING restaurant called 29 South, named after the address. So, if you are ever in town, you have got to eat there and make sure you order the dessert Doughnuts and Coffee, which is a Krispy Kreme doughnut bread pudding drizzled with caramel sauce and served a la mode with coffee ice cream. Oh, yeah, and it's as yummy as it sounds.

I was so excited that Nan and Adri were able to make it to or wedding. We sure missed Scotty, but the life of a chef required his presence at his restaurant. We lingered over our delicious dinner at 29 South, and talked about the possibility of them coming to visit us in France in May 09. Scotty hasn't been to France in a few years and he thinks a trip here is due. Well, Yann and I are really hoping for them to come, as we would really try to show them a great time and re-pay them for their kindness at their restaurant. That darn Scotty; the guy is TOO generous. Anyways, Yann & I fell in love with Adri from the start; she is a charmer and we want one just as cute as her!!

Charleston Trip

2009-01-02T11:51:00.000-08:00

So, when we arrived in Sarasota we took a day or two to relax and then we hit the road for a trip up to Charleston, South Carolina to check out the town. For those of you that I forgot to update, we are planning on moving to Charleston in 2009 (probably sometime in the summer) There is the US's 4th largest marine shipping port located there and Yann hopes to find a position on the port. We both had never been to Charleston so we had lots to see when we were there. We ate at some great seafood restaurants and stayed in a nice little inn in the downtown area. Charleston's downtown is a bit smaller than Asheville's so we walked everywhere. We did some Christmas shopping on King Street and walked around the historic homes district, in awe and envy, because the antibellum era houses are so fantastic! We took some pics, which I've posted below, but they cannot do these homes justice. It's really a sight you should see for yourself because it's such a city full of American history. I only wish I could take tours of some of these homes; they have been meticulously restored to their original state and most were decorated for the holidays. We also checked out the Mount Pleasant area, because that is where most young people in Charleston buy homes. We even checked out a few with a realtor, just for fun. Also, Yann got an early Chrsitmas present that is a smaller "power kite", so we had to try that out. We went over to Isle of Palms and found the kiteboarding beach and Yann died and went to heaven. Even though he hadn't brought his kite and board, we watched a few kiters and the conditions were amazing. Yann chatted to a couple guys and he got the local scoop; that conditions are best in the spring & summer and they were even kiting most of the winter. The water there never gets too cold, as it does here in Marseille, so it's a year round sport. Anyways, Yann and I had fun playing with his new little kite. It actually has a lot of power and it is 3 meters in it's span, so theoretically we can use it for snow kiting and for skateboard kiting. So, all in all, we loved the area and we are looking forward to moving there this year! Ok, well, I'm on to my next post!....