Flower shopping with Mom...

Will found this task less than exciting; however, my mom is coming into town today, and we wanted to get out of the house to help pass the time. It's been unusually overcast and rainy the past week, so both Will and I have had cabin fever. We haven't gone on as many stroller rides due to the rain, but we're hoping to dine outdoors tonight at one of our favorite restaurants after my mom lands.

An Eventful Weekend: my first clue should've been...

the Northern Water Snake that Carol & Kristin spotted on our boat lift. I've never been fearful of snakes, but this was the biggest snake I've ever witnessed in the wild...at least in Omaha. This thing was at least 3 feet long and about the width of my forearm - no joke. We borrowed a shovel from our neighbors and they took a good shot at it, but the thing got away too quickly. We didn't think it'd come back, but within 30 seconds it was back on the boat lift. This time they clipped it, and thankfully it didn't show its face again.

That was my second run-in with a snake within a 48 hour period. On Saturday I was picking up sticks in our backyard, and almost picked up a snake thinking it was a stick until it started slithering away! Needless to say that ended my cleanup in the yard...I resorted to reading a magazine safely on our deck instead. Let's hope I've had my fill of snakes for awhile.

Kristin's cat, Peanut seemed spooked all day yesterday. She was hiding under the bed and we couldn't get her to come out...we figured out why when we had a nasty storm roll through last night. I have always loved the thrill of a good storm, but I'll be honest...this one was frightening! We were all outside playing blongo ball, when we noticed some mean-looking clouds approaching from the South. It started raining a bit and we kept playing, but once it started lightning, we packed stuff up and started heading inside. We made it as far as the screened-in porch, but before we could even get into the cottage, the wind started howling. You've heard people say that when a tornado is coming close it sounds light a freight train? That's what it sounded like. It was really freaky, and I couldn't get over how quickly it came...it was peaceful one minute and literally within seconds we were being blasted with tornado-like winds...I have never experienced weather so intense. Apparently there weren't any tornadoes spotted in our area, but wind speeds were easily 70 mph - plus! Surveying the damage looked like tornadic activity...huge trees were completely uprooted, boat lifts were ripped out of the ground and thrown across the lake, large branches were flying through the air, boats were tossed onto shore, some were tipped and started sinking. The scariest part for me, though, was that Dave had just gotten on the road to head home only minutes before the weather got ugly. He wouldn't have left had he known how bad it would've been. We thought he could get ahead of the storm, but it moved too quickly. He said that there were a couple times he felt as if the wind was beginning to lift the vehicle. We just kept praying and praying, and after looking at all the damage and where the majority of it hit (all within our side of the lake), we're convinced that the Lord answered our prayers to keep us (& Dave) in a bubble! Below are a few pics of how things looked after it calmed down.













































Thankfully Will was already fast asleep by the time the storm hit. He always sleeps with a loud fan on for white noise, but we lost electricity during the storm, so I thought for sure he'd wake up to all the booming thunder...miraculously he did not.

I have a feeling we'll never forget Will's first Memorial Day weekend ;-)

It's official...I really am a mom!

It's a strange feeling when it finally sinks in that you're a parent. I think yesterday - Mother's Day - was the first time it truly sank in for me. My first clue was getting a package in the mail from my mom earlier in the week. I couldn't imagine why my mom would be sending me a package, and then it hit me...pretty cool getting a gift from your own mom on Mother's Day! My second clue was when my sister-in-law asked me where I wanted to eat for lunch on Sunday. I thought to myself, "Why are you asking me? You should ask your mom." Then when our pastor had all the moms stand to be prayed for I thought, "Wow - this is weird...I really am a mom."

It was a great day, and I think the best part (as cheesy as it may sound) was getting my first piece of artwork from Will :-) While he was in the nursery, they painted his hands yellow and stamped them on a piece of paper, then drew green stems to make the handprints look like flowers. It's already hung proudly on our refrigerator. Dave also wrote a card to me from Will...I thought that was pretty cute and it gave me a lot of laughs.

Night Out

Dave and I were able to enjoy a date night together to celebrate his birthday, while Grammy babysat. Yesterday was a gorgeous day, so we hoped to dine somewhere with outdoor seating; however, being that it was a Sunday and we didn't leave until 7, it posed to be a challenge. We checked out a couple of our favorite spots, but neither were open.

We landed at a restaurant called Passport. It's a place we've always wanted to check out, but never have - so last night was the night. We live close to downtown, and usually opt to eat at the local joints...especially in the summertime because so many restaurants down there have outdoor areas and we love people-watching. It was fun to have a night with my hubby...minus CFA books!!

A Day at the Lake

Knowing that Dave would be attending the annual Berkshire meetings this morning, and studying for the CFA this afternoon (ack!), Will and I packed up and headed out to the cabin to meet up with Grammy & Grandpa for the day. We went for a long stroller ride around the lake and grilled out burgers for dinner. We've had gorgeous weather this week, but it cooled off this weekend, so we weren't able to get on the water quite yet...hoping to do so next weekend!

































"What is this...a chair for ants?! It needs to be at least...3x bigger!" - Derek Zoolander




















Apparently Will enjoys looking at himself.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DAD!

Dave's birthday is on Sunday, so I thought it would be fun to pop into his office this afternoon with his favorite homemade chocolate cake. It's so cute whenever we meet up with Dave in the middle of the work day...Will gets so excited to see his Dad. Judging by his expression (complete with a squeal or two), it's a big surprise for him!

We showed up around 3:30, and I think Dave was just as excited to eat his cake as Will was to see his Dad;) Dave's office is located on the 6th floor, and Will loved peering down at the cars on the street below.












































Dave unselfishly shared with his co-workers, so I guess I won't be enjoying the fruits of my labor ;-)