...The Story of Pat and Lindsay

I'm Back.....

2013-04-02T18:15:00.002-04:00

I have been gone for quite sometime from the blogging world....

I will be back soon with a full update....

Cabin Fever

2012-12-31T14:50:00.000-05:00

Pat doesn't do well with staying inside for long periods of time. Every year for Christmas he gets a little over a week off from work (pretty much the only good thing about advertising). This year, with having Hunter and it being cold outside, we haven't gotten out as much as in years past--and this means Pat starts going a bit crazy.

On one such day Pat decided to go to The Goodwill to see what they had. He found some cool vintage actions figures for a dollar each. He decided to buy a few. When he got home he looked them up on ebay and discovered that there were quite a few he bought and hadn't bought that were worth some good money.

With Cabin Fever setting in her decided to go and buy all the vintage action figures Goodwill had and list them on ebay.

Since having a baby Pat and I have been staying in doors a lot more than usual. When Hunter was first born Pat took some vacation time to help out; however, there is only so much a man can do to help a new mom so he found himself with some extra time on his hands.

He decided to paint and put together an International Scout model that he has had for 5+ years. He painted it the same color as the Scout that he had owned in high school and crashed only months after owning it.

He worked on this model for days. I am so glad that he had this little project because otherwise I am certain that Pat, the man who needs an adventure, would have gone insane inside our 450 sq/ft apt!

You know your a mom when...

2012-12-30T16:00:00.000-05:00

...you accidentally brush your teeth with diaper rash cream instead of toothpaste.

Yes. You read that correctly...please don't judge me.

As you can see from the picture, there is not much difference between a diaper rash cream tube and a toothpaste tube when you have them laying face down. This combined with the lack of sleep a new mother experiences equals disaster when diaper cream is left on the bathroom counter.

So my advice to all you new mothers out there: Don't leave diaper cream in the bathroom.

Christmas

2012-12-26T23:00:00.000-05:00

Christmas when you are away from family and do not have any children who are old enough to realize what is going on is kinda anticlimactic For the past three years Pat and I have spent Christmas in the city alone and it is kinda getting old.

We miss the excitement that little children bring to the holiday and we miss spending time with family. We try to make the most of it, but we are excited for Hunter to become of age so we can teach him the true meaning of Christmas and also get excited for Santa and gifts.

For Christmas Eve we didn't do anything traditional or special. We ended up watching a really lame 80's movie about a dragon slayer.

However, Christmas morning was a little more festive and having Pat somewhat made up for the lake of children, as he gets excited for gifts just like little kids do.

This year Pat decided to institute a new tradition with the "Christmas Dagger." He decided that the "Christmas Dagger" would be brought out every Christmas and each person had to open their gifts with the dagger--so that is exactly what we did.

This year for Christmas we also started another tradition of using Pinterest to make our "wish lists." I for one always have a hard time knowing what to ask for for Christmas (Pat doesn't have any trouble at all). So in order to help in this endeavor we started a private board on Pinterest that only Pat and I could see and pin to. The months leading up to Christmas we would pin miscellaneous items that we wanted that we found on the internet. It is amazing how easily you can find items on the internet that you don't need but want as you surf on a daily basis and if not pinned would be forgotten about minutes later.

Despite the wish lists, we still managed to have some surprise gifts to give one another that the other person would love but did not ask for. For me this was a fake butterfly in a glass mason jar that flies around just like a real butterfly (when I have seen this is stores in the past I am always enamored by them). And for Pat this was International Scout Gear and Thinking Putty.

New shoe smell

The rest of the day was spent chatting with family via video chat over the internet. I am so thankful for the technology we have today. I can't imagine living so far from family and friends without the luxuries of seeing their faces and video chatting online. It makes being away from them bearable and as if we are not missing out on as much.

Also, a new tradition we I (pat was kinda against it) started this year was Christmas Lotto Scratch Off Cards. Even though mormons don't gamble, Santa didn't know better, and gave each one of us a lotto scratch off card. Hunter ended up winning $15 to go towards his college fund!

It's Christmas time in the city....

2012-12-19T17:29:00.002-05:00

I love this time of year, especially in NYC. I am sad because I haven't been able to enjoy the weather and the Christmas festivities as much as I would like to, since little Hunter occupies much of my time and doesn't let me get out much.

I am hoping once Pat gets time off of work that we will be able to explore the city more as a family and we will be able to enjoy the magical feeling the Christmas brings to this wonderful city that we live in.

Of course one of the downsides to a Christmas in New York City is the size of the tree and having to be creative on where to put it! Every year I am convinced that we won't be able to put up our tiny tree because we have no room. However, without fail Pat always finds a way. This year he found the perfect spot on top of our small bookshelf!

Every year I look forward to putting up the ornaments on the tree. It is always fun to reminisce on years past. I can't believe how quickly time flies and this is the fifth Christmas Pat and I have spent together.

This year, I had some "new" Christmas ornaments to add to the tree that I am especially fond of. When my mom came in October she brought a handful of ornaments that belonged to my grandparents. They are so charming and take me back to my childhood of Christmas Eve's spent at my grandparents home set in the Oakland Hills.

One ornament in particular brought back a flood of memories -- the knitted Reindeer heads. When my mom brought them I got excited because I remember always going up to my grandparents tree and checking to see if there was a special treat inside these reindeers. If I got to them before anyone else, I would find a hershey kiss waiting for me. The funny thing about this, is my mom had no memory of the purpose of these reindeer so when I popped open the mouth of the two reindeer ornaments she brought me, guess what I found!!! Two hershey kisses! The funny thing is from my calculations the hershey kisses were probably over 12 years old!

Christmas is a time for family and traditions. I am excited start my family and to continue old traditions and start new traditions of our own!

Mormon Helping Hands

2012-11-18T21:26:00.000-05:00

Hurricane Sandy Helping Hands from Joshua Brown on Vimeo.

The devastation of Hurricane Sandy is something that no one could have anticipated. Members of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints have organized groups of volunteers to help those that were affected. It is so amazing to see what people can do when they come together and serve.

Hurricane Sandy

2012-11-01T21:15:00.000-04:00

We survived Hurricane Sandy. I feel like I deserve a badge of some sort...well, not really because where we live did not experience the brunt of the storm; however, so many people were not so lucky.

On Monday we half heartedly made sure to have enough food and water to last us a few days not really thinking this storm would have any force. I was pretty excited since this would be my first Hurricane, along with Hunter's. As the storm approached I anticipated some excitement--maybe the lights would even go out! However, as time wore on we experienced a few strong wind gusts, one that even knocked down a very large branch on a tree outside our window, but it was nothing to write home about.

However, as we glued ourselves to the news it seemed that the rest of the city was not so lucky. The water surge was rising quickly; yet we could have never anticipated the destruction that so many would experience.

The next day we took a walk outside to see the aftermath of the storm in our area--the main devastation were fallen tree branches.

This lady shown here took matters into her own hands as she was cutting down the tree branch with little hand pliers. We just thought it was funny and good lesson to all of New Yorkers to "do your part!"

The East River was higher than normal and we saw some pretty large debris

All of downtown Manhattan lost power and the surge took everything from people in Queens and Staten Island. It was weird to think that all we experienced were some downed trees; while just a few miles away was utter destruction.

Announcing the birth of Hunter James

2012-10-17T20:52:00.000-04:00

My last day of work was Friday, September 28th. It was a bitter sweet day. I knew I would miss it over the next four months during my maternity leave but I was also excited for the next phase in my life--to become a mom.

On Monday I made plans to go out to brunch with some other girls that don't have the regular 9 to 5 jobs. I was excited to have a full week off of work before my actual due date on October 8th. I even thought I might get two weeks off before the baby came because I was convinced that I was going to be late because I was feeling so good.

I had so much planned that week in order to get ready for the baby, as I hadn't done much in the way of preparation because I thought I would have a whole week (maybe two) all to myself.

I made a to do list for the rest of the week, crossed a bunch of stuff off but still had a lot to accomplish before the baby came.

However, at the conclusion of my first day off from work, on October 1st at 11pm, my water broke. The labor and delivery was not the easiest and didn't go how I thought; however, it was all worth it when baby Hunter was born on October 3rd at 1:49am.

The first night we brought him home was surreal. I kept checking him crib every 15 minutes to see if he was breathing. It is a crazy feeling to be responsible for another human being and for his crib to finally have an occupant after being empty for so many months.

Goodbye to Montee

2012-09-27T20:30:00.000-04:00

On September 22nd Pat and I had to make a very hard decision--to give Montee a new home. As mentioned before we found a perfect family for him, who had experience with Sphynx cats needing special medical attention, and even having seizures. We knew that this was a huge blessing as we would not be able to give Montee the proper attention he would need once that baby came.

It was so hard to say "Goodbye," but Montee's new family made it so much easier as they were so nice and were so understanding. They bought us flowers and even a gift for the baby! We were so happy to see that Montee would have such a loving family to spoil him and to take care of him. We hope he never forgets his first parents and we will always miss him.

Montee's new family--The Berge's

Exotic New Jersey

2012-09-25T23:51:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I headed to New Jersey to spend a few days with my besty, Meghan. We don't get to see each other often so I was really excited to be able to catch up and spend some down time with her and her family.

Her parents moved back to NJ a few years ago (Meghan moved from NJ to CA in 7th grade) and bought an awesome house next to an inlet. They are literally one house away from the water, which was amazing. Being so close to the water caused there to be a constant cool breeze throughout the home, making me feeling like I was at a beach house somewhere exotic. It was so relaxing and such a treat.

Because I am 38 weeks pregnant everyone was on pins and needles thinking that I was going to go into labor at any time. It was very funny. Meghan even came and woke me up during the night because she thought she heard me groaning, but she said it "must have been a bird." hahahhahaha

We spent a lot of time with her family, which I am so grateful they let me impose upon, relaxing, taking car rides (Meghan's favorite past time), eating, walking the Asbury boardwalk, sitting on the beach and watching the Emmy's. I was so mad I didn't bring my "real" camera and just brought my point and shoot because I feel like I wasn't able to capture the beauty of the weekend very well, but these will have to do.

View from their home

The Lane Girls

Kathy, Meghan's mom, holds the record at this pinball machine for best score for someone over 50. Way to go Kathy!

Meghan's little sister, Taryn, and her friend Kate.

For some reason this scene of Meghan watching the Emmy's made me crack up.

A sad/bad day, turned good in 10 minutes

2012-09-21T15:23:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was a bad, sad, and good day all in one. Pat and I have decided that it was time for us to find a new home for Montee. His seizures have gotten worse this month, and we realized it would be the best thing for him and us if we found him a loving home that could take on his challenges.

We thought it would take months in order for us to find the right home for him, so we started the process this week. Surprisingly, the response was overwhelming. Many people wanted him, despite his medical conditions, and there were a handful of very promising candidates that I felt would be able to handle his breed, seizures, and treatments.

One of these candidates was a family right here in Brooklyn. They had a Sphynx for 9 years. Toward the end of his life he had various medical conditions, including seizures, which happend everyday and could last up to 15 minutes. They had to give him a variety of pills everyday and even handled a feeding tube. They were willing to do whatever it took to prolong his life so they could love him until the very end.

The wife works at home, so she would be able to be with Montee all day. They have an 11 year old daughter that is so excited to have Montee. They recently went a Sphynx breeder, as it had been 2 years since their cats passing; however, the husband didn't feel right about adopting a perfectly adoptable Sphynx. He wanted to rescue one.

The lady told me, that she felt it was a sign that Montee was meant for them because I posted Montee on a Sphynx Rescue site on September 16th--their deceased Sphynx's birthday.

I had a phone interview with them, asking them all sorts of questions. I even got their vets number so I could call and check up and get their opinions on whether they were suitable owners. This family got glowing reviews, saying that they were loving, caring, never missed and appointment, and did everything they could for their cat.

Even though we weren't expecting to find such a perfect match for Montee, and were not mentally prepared to give him up so soon--we feel this is the right move, no matter how hard it may be.

So, on the day that we decided to give him to this family, Pat and I walked home from work through Central Park. It was a hard walk as we discussed if this is really what we want to do. We came to the conclusion that this is not what we WANT to do at all, but it is what we SHOULD do.

Just as we came to this decision, which made us both upset, we were approaching the Bethesda Fountain (our favorite spot in Central park). On this particular day, as a tender mercy from above, there was a special treat waiting for me to relieve the stress I felt that day--10 minute massages by the fountain.

Of course I couldn't use the chair to it's full potential due to my belly, but the massage was great and changed my mood 180 degrees. It's amazing what a little massage can do.

I needed a "I love NYC" day.

Party for Baby K

2012-09-17T13:50:00.001-04:00

A few weeks ago I had one the best days of my life due to all the love of I felt from so many people by throwing and attending my baby shower.

About a month or so ago my friend, Amanda Smith, asked me who was throwing me my baby shower. I kidded around with her by saying "You!" and to my dismay and excitement she took that joke literally and started planning the most beautiful baby shower I have ever experienced or seen.

It was Amanda's first time to throw a baby shower, but you would have NEVER, EVER, EVER guessed it by how beautifully and perfect everything turned out. Every little detail was perfect from the food to the mustache buttons in honor of my "little man". I can't even imagine how much time, effort, stress, and money went into to planning such an event. I can't believe that I have been blessed with such amazing friends--my heart is overflowing. So many people contributed in so many ways in attending, giving Baby K gifts, making food, setting up, making decorations, and taking pictures (thank you Angie, Maribeth and Lauren for amazing photos!)

The adorable invite designed by Amanda

A special thanks and shout out to these three girls who did SO MUCH:

Maribeth, Lauren and Amanda.

Thank you so much for giving me a day I will NEVER forget!

As I was walking over to the baby shower I could not believe I was walking over to MY baby shower. When did I get so old, and how could I possibly be having a child? THEN, once I arrived I couldn't believe everything that I saw. I then questioned "How could all this be for me? And how can I have such amazing friends?!" Needless to say, I was greatly humbled and hope someday that I will be able to repay my gratitude. I wish you all could have been there to see how beautiful everything was. But these pictures do a pretty dang good job.

One of the activities was to have the guests offer their advice for me for Baby K. This was a very inspired and wise "game" because I need all the help I can get!

I have classy, talented, loveable, and just simply perfect friends.

Thank you all for everything you did to make the arrival of Baby K so special.

Rachel Ray

2012-09-11T13:56:00.000-04:00

Today I took the day off of work because my good friend Maria was in town and invited me to go see the Rachel Ray Show. I have never seen a single episode of Rachel Ray, as cooking really does not interest me in ANY way, but spending the day with Maria was what I was excited for.

We arrived early because we heard even if you have tickets that it is hard to get in because they over book the show by A LOT. So we got there an hour and half before the doors opened and made it in with no problem.

Maria invited her other friend, Lyndzee (who actually used to spell her name like me--Lindsay--but in 7th grade she decided she wanted to change the spelling and her mom was totally supportive. What a cool mom!). It is always great meeting friends of friends because since we both have such a great friend in common usually there is an instant connection.

The show was fun with guests that I have never heard of, but the audience did win a $50 gift card to Sports Authority which I later re-gifted to Pat.

It was a really fun day and I am so glad I was able to go and spend it with my now Oklahoma friend, Maria.

Me, Maria, and Lyndzee

Newly Weds visit NYC

2012-09-05T14:14:00.000-04:00

One of Pat's best friends, Ben, recently visited us in NYC with his new wife Patty. We were so excited for them to come and be able to spend time with them as a married. couple. They were here for 5 days but it felt super short and we wish we could have spent more time with them. I had to call it quits a couple of days because I was struggling walking all around the city being 8 months pregnant. But I was able to snap a few shots of our outings, and they were such courteous models.

I am glad I wasn't the only one exhausted from walking the city.
Patty and Ben had to load up on Red Bull a few times to
ensure they could see everything they wanted.

Favorite picture-hahha

Patty and Ben are a really cute couple and so much fun to be around. We are sad we live so far away from them, but hope someday our children can grow up together just like Ben and Pat.

I also was able to get some pictures from their professional photographer at their AMAZING, OUT OF THIS WORLD wedding that was in June.

August Breakdown

2012-08-31T13:33:00.000-04:00

I have been a stranger to my blog as of late because we/I have been just so busy. Also, since being pregnant I have lost all motivation for all things I used to enjoy, reading, cleaning, blogging, picture taking, among others. Dr. Laura (my BFF) says it's hormones, and I hope she is right because I miss the old Lindsay.

During the month of August we had three sets of visitors: Pat's brother, David, Pat's friend, Ben, and his wife Patty, and Pat's mission bud "Fernusky". We love having visitors because it forces us to enjoy the city that we live in. Something that we often forget to do when we get caught up in our daily routines.

When Pat's brother was here he did a lot of exploring of the city no his own when Pat and I were working. However, we were able to spend some good quality time with him on the weekend and during the evenings. One day we headed over to my favorite restaurant in the city- Katz's Deli.

And of course while we were on our way there we had to take a picture with the Dietch Wall (1, 2, 3)

Here is a little story about Pat:
One Saturday we were going grocery shopping, because we were going to feed the missionaries that night. While I was picking out the needed ingredients for the dinner I lost track of Pat. When I called him up to see where he was at, I suddenly saw him at the sea food section being handed a lobster. While still on the phone with him, as we were out of hearing distance otherwise, I said "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?" He laughed looking around, not knowing where I was, and proceeded to tell me was going to save a lobster.

Apparently, Pat got a little side tracked when he walked by the lobsters in the sea food section. He started watching them, sitting on ice, waiting for their deaths. As he was watching and feeling sorry for them, the deli worker asked him if he needed anything. Without thinking he said "I will take one lobster."

Pat's plan was to take the lobster home and then go throw him in the East River (and yes, although the East River is called a river, it actually is not and is salt water), freeing him and giving him a second chance at life. At this point all I could do was smile and go along with his plan because who can't love Pat for his tender heart. (1, 2)

However, sadly, Pinchy (as Pat called him) didn't survive the trek home. We tried to revive him by putting him in a bucket of water but it seemed that we were a little too late (By the way, I was totally grossed out this whole time by the lobster and refused to even look at it). Yet, we decided that Pinchy could not go to waste and that he death would not be in vain as we feed him to the missionaries that evening. RIP Pinchy.

It seemed that much of this month Pat had many adventures, while I was either resting at home, learning calligraphy, or at doctors appointments. However, thanks to i-phones, he was able to record some of his activities so I felt like I was almost there.

I guess first and foremost, Pat got a new grill this month. This has been a two month process that has been very painful for him--poor guy--but hopefully it was all worth it in the end. When Pat was a teenager he knocked out two of his two front teeth while riding a jet ski. Because the work he had done so long ago was so out dated, our insurance would cover most of the cost for him to get the work done, so I thought this would be the best time to do it.

Even though Pat is not convinced it was worth all the work and money, I told him he was super lucky to have such a nice smile and didn't have to go through the process of braces. He doesn't agree, but anyone who had braces would side with me.

"The transformation is complete"

Two cool pictures Pat took with Instagram of the Chrysler building.

We will miss living in a city that offers such good photo ops.

One of the reasons I haven't seen much of Pat this month was due to the fact that Pat was shooting his first commercial. I think it was a really great learning experience for him and one that, in the end, I think he enjoyed.

Pat has been in to raptors, or birds of prey, ever since shooting his Dorito's commercial, back in the day. So when his friend, Chad, told him about the raptor show, coming to NYC, he knew he had to go and that it would be awesome. Well, his high expectations were met head on and he enjoyed a day full of large and majestic birds. This is one picture he took, that I couldn't believe was real:

Pat's missionary bud, Fernusky, came into town just for a few days and was nice enough to let Pat in on some of his hook ups, one of which were tickets to the U.S. Open. I wasn't able to go because I had a doctors appointment that I couldn't cancel, but it looked like so much fun even though I know NOTHING about tennis, except for that one time I was rich for a day and was able to be trained by a tennis pro--no biggy.

All in all it was a great month; however, after writing this post it looks like it was a better month for Pat as he had most of the adventures!

Wise Friends

2012-08-02T17:06:00.002-04:00

A few months back I was having a really bad day. It was most likely pregnancy hormones, nonetheless, I was quite upset. I texted my best friend, Meghan, to complain and get some advice. After consoling me she ended the conversation with just the right words to get me through my silly rough patch.

Perhaps, it meant so much to me because I knew Meghan was speaking from personal experience and that it was not just a hopeful statement but a true statement. I loved it so much I saved it on my phone so it can never be erased, and refer back to it often.

I was thinking about it a lot today, while at work, so I decided to get out the best design program I have on my computer at work (PPT baby!) and made a little design that I plan to frame when I get it right.

If you are having a bad day, read this and know that it comes from a very wise woman.

Love you Meghan.

Boston

2012-07-30T18:09:00.001-04:00

This past weekend Pat and I decided it was about time that we visited our friends, the Galbraiths, in Boston. The moved there last year so that Johnny could work on the Romney Campaign. I am so glad we planned the trip when we did because just a few days before we came, they decided to make the move to North Carolina in just a few weeks! Johnny and Joanna always have exciting lives and make major life choices within days. They are perfect examples of following your heart and living your dreams.

I had been trying to figure out where Pat and I could go to "get away." I wanted to go to a beach but decided against it because as much as I love just relaxing and getting a tan ALL DAY, that is some what torturous for Pat. Pat needs action, activities, and more activities. Boston was the perfect quick little get away.

I had only been to Boston once when I was about 7 years old; however, as a little kid I didn't realize what a unique and wonderful city it was. All I remember is going to the Cheers Bar and a statue of a guy riding a horse on the Freedom Trail. The whole weekend Pat and I tried to characterize and compare the city with other places.

Here are some of the comparisons and descriptions we made:

-It's like a movie set

-It's quite and clean like San Francisco

-It's so charming and quaint

-It's like taking all the best places in New York and putting them within a 3 mile radius

-It's very European

-It's a city with a small town feel

Here are some of the highlights from our trip, in no particular order:

-I LOVED LOVED LOVED how you could get everywhere you wanted to go by foot, and there was absolutely no need to use the subway.

-The whole weekend we had amazing weather (low 70's) which was a GODSEND for me since being pregnant. We even had a few things planned that I ruled out because I just wanted to be outside all the time.

-We walked pretty much all of the Freedom Trail, which was perfect for Pat, the history buff.

Pat ran to the top of this monument at Bunker Hill which did his calves in for the rest of the trip

Site of the Boston Massacre

-I loved all the architecture and quaint homes.

-We saw tons of graveyards, which super old grave stones, including Paul's Reveres gravestone (the picture with the penny's). I think graveyards are so cool, especially when they are as old as the ones we saw in Boston.

-On Sunday we attended the Old North Church, the same church the famous "One if by land, Two if by sea" signal was sent out" by Paul Reveres order to warn the patriots of Boston of the British Army's movements. The church had a unique design with these cool boxed in booths that different families purchased back in the day. On Sunday, we got a box all to ourselves.

-When visiting a city, the good and bad thing is all the amazing food there is to eat. Boston is no exception this this rule as itt seemed there was not enough meals in the day to eat all the food we wanted. However, the food we did eat was spectacular. The best probably being the Butternut Squash Ravioloi at Giacomo's in the North End, where the Galbraith's live. But then again the Tuna Burger at Legal Seafood was to die for as well. I don't know! IT WAS ALL SO GOOD!

Joanna's all too true Fortune Cookie fortune:
"You will move to a wonderful new home within the year"

-I loved spending time just sitting in the parks with the amazing weather. I particularly loved "Frog Pond" where it was designed to be a shallow pond for kids to play in. Genius!

-We went to the Haymarket where they sell SUPER CHEAP produce. Joanna had mentioned this before, but I didn't realize exactly how cheap was cheap. Even though we didn't have enough time to eat all the fruit we bought, we just couldn't pass up the amazing deals!

-We took a fun little boat ride in the Public Garden. It was powered by a person pedaling a swan. It doesn't get much better than that!!!

-I loved the Harbor. It is always nice to be near water. BOSTON HAS IT ALL!

-But by far the best part of the whole trip was being with our buds, Johnny and Joanna. Staying at their place felt like home because they feel so much like family.

I loved Boston so much. I wish I could go back every weekend.

Weekend Wrap Up (aka Me Venting about NYC)

2012-07-02T10:05:00.000-04:00

This weekend was a good and not so good weekend. Nothing great happened and nothing horrible happened except for the norm.

The Good:
- On Friday we had a surprise birthday party for our friend Amanda. She turned the ripe old age of 22 and was not too surprised by the surprise (I guess her husband needs to work on his surprising skills).
-We got a bunch of errands done of Saturday: grocery shopping, laundry, cleaning, and picking up a crib for the babes.
-Pat didn't have early morning church meetings.

The Not-So-Good:
By the end of Saturday I determined that it was a "I hate NYC day." I have these days every so often, sprinkled among the "I love NYC days". It was just one of those days where you are faced with the everyday challenges that NYC poses. Some of these challenges include:

Grocery Shopping: This task has never been fun for me, but grocery shopping in the city, is just pure torcher. Finding the items you need (Fairway, although large for NYC, ain't no Walmart), navigating the crowds and isles, swallowing the ridiculous city prices, and getting your bags home without a car are just some of the reasons why we never have food in our apartment.

Shipments: I bet if you never lived in the city you never thought about how difficult it is when you receive a large shipment to your home. I recently ordered a few ottomans online and my dear friend, Maribeth, was so nice to let me ship them to her doorman apartment. Even though her apartment is only 5 blocks away it's not exactly fun to lug two 20lbs awkward sized ottomans that far in 90 degree humid weather.

Laundry: I loathe laundromats. Even though we live above a laundromat, meaning I just have to walk downstairs to do my laundry, it's still the bane of my existence. First, out of the 30+ washing machines in "our" laundromat, only 4 work, while the others either are taped up with duct tape or have a sign that says "Not working." This means if there are two people doing their laundry all the washing machines are taken! Second, when you have to pay for you laundry every time you do it, you want to make sure your getting the most bang for your buck. That means I don't do small loads here and there throughout the week, but rather, doing laundry is an EVENT where I end up lugging 2 1/2 Ikea bags full of clothes up and down two flights of stars while pregnant.

Furniture Shopping: I found a great crib on Craigslist that I was able to get my hands on. The crib was located in Dumbo, Brooklyn, only about 8 miles away. However, 8 miles in the city is actually pretty far so in order to pick the crib up we had to schedule a ZipCar (A program that we have a yearly membership to for the several times it is needed) for an hour and half, which we sill knew would be cutting it close. Luckily, everything went smoothly and by the time we dropped the car back off we had 10 minutes to spare.

Space: With the soon to be arrival of Baby Koelling I have started my baby supplies shopping, hoping to get everything squared away and set up before the fatigue of the 3rd trimester sets in. The thought of this has been stressing me out as there is absolutely no room for anything new in our 450 sq/ft one bedroom apartment. Yet, I decided to embrace the organizational challenge and tried to not let it cause me anxiety. However, once I got our new crib the suppressed anxiety resurfaced as I realized that our apartment is going to feel a lot more cramp for the next year.

Of course living in NYC has its perks, but those perks usually don't come with the everyday tasks that need to be done. By the end of the weekend, I told Pat that next year we are moving back West.

My Husband's Secret FB Life {Part III}

2012-06-26T17:41:00.003-04:00

I feel old. When I go on Facebook I am confused and uninterested. I feel up to date on my technologies of the time, but I am totally lacking in the social media phenomenon. Perhaps it is because I don't have a I-phone, but regardless, what I do find interesting is stalking my husband via FB.

Here are some of his Facebook posts as of late:

Just another day in the office w/ Klane Harding

west coast is the best coast — with Lindsay Storm Koelling.

New Yorks crazy taxi ride.

Pat and Sean (bro-in-law) went on Las Vegas' New York, New York Rollercoaster. Right after this picture was taken. They stopped the ride and took away Sean's phone.

Introducing the Klane and Pat lunch break. It's a blast. All it takes is an hour in midtown, a severed squirrel head and The American Girl doll store. Fun.

Pat got this mounted squirrel head as a gift for his friend who got married. During his lunch break, while he was getting the married man's last name engraved on a gold plaque to put on the mount, they stopped by the American Girl Store to see if they needed to get some accessories.

Now the cleaning lady will never mistake it for trash again!

So there is a story to go along with this Crystal Pepsi can. When Pat applied to the BYU advertising program he had a segment that required a can of Crystal Pepsi. He actually found one and bought it off of Ebay and treasured the can for years and kept it on his desk at his work. Suddenly, one day the can was gone. It turns out the cleaning lady mistook it for trash and threw it away!!! How could she!?!? Pat was devastated. So of course he had to buy another one on Ebay and display is in a glass dome.

Manhattanage

This is how we are spending our Friday night!

Tyler and Dessina

2012-06-21T10:59:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I also attended my brother Tyler's wedding in Las Vegas. We are all so happy for them and feel so blessed to have Dessina in our family. We have known Dessina for quite sometime now, as she and Tyler dated for a few years back in the day. Our family was sad when they broke up a few years back, but little did we know they would one day reunite and get married!

The wedding was in Dessina's aunt's backyard. It was very special to have it there since her parents also got married in her Aunt's house. The wedding was a 50's theme which turned out so adorable. They had old vintage 50's cars, the preacher wore jeans and rolled his sleeves up on a white shirt, the bride and bride's maids wore 50's dresses, and the whole night they played awesome 50's music--it was a blast (official 50's terminology).

The Groom

Dessina's parents on their wedding day

Ben and Patty (the other Patty)

2012-06-19T13:16:00.002-04:00

Pat and I had the most exciting weekend. We were able to attend Pat's best friend, Ben's, wedding AND my brother, Tyler's, wedding, all in just a a few days. I called it our "Weekend Wedding Extravaganza!"

Our first stop on this "Wedding Extravaganza" was to Newport Beach, California for Ben and Patty's wedding. Yes, that is right. Patty. Ben is marrying a Patty and she is great, just like MY Patty. We arrived on Thursday afternoon, so we could attend a Bridal Party Dinner at Patty's parent's house.

It was so great to see the married couple, Pat's high school buds, and eat catered Cafe Rio (my most missed restaurant from Utah). However, the best part was seeing how in love Ben and Patty are. In some weird strange way I feel a special connection to Ben, almost as if he is my brother. It brought me such joy to see him in love and being loved by someone who is equally as special. I was/am so happy that they found each other and so excited for all the happy years ahead of them.

That night Pat went out for a "Bachelor Party" (Mormon style of course) where they went to Dave & Busters, hung out on a water fairy and whatnot. Pat's high school friends have special bond, they are more like "family" than "friends". They are really good at staying in touch with each other and it so fun to see them all together.

The next day was certainly a day to remember. Everything about it was perfect. The ceremony was a tearjerker and the reception...oh the reception! If I could do my wedding all over again, and have the budget to provide such a reception, I would copy EVERYTHING about it.

Pat's parents came to the wedding as well.

Handsome. Handsome. Handsome!

The reception was held on a yacht named "Eternity" (very appropriate for the day). It was three stories. One floor was the dinning area and the other stories were used for lounging, pictures, and dancing. The night was so much fun as we celebrated Ben and Patty's love. We danced the night away, with me and my pregnant belly and all.

Pat was asked to give a groomsman speech last minute. And with only a few minutes of preparation he gave the best speech! I am always so in awe of Pat's public speaking abilities. He gave a heartfelt speech that made you laugh and cry--the perfect combination. I was so proud to be his wife (as always of course).

The kicker of the night was when Ben and Patty floated away on a fair tail gondola adorned with a candles, sparkling cider, and a white canopy. The gondola picked them up before we docked, rowed them around the yacht while everyone the boat cheered, and then floated away as it took them to their hotel. It was too perfect to be real!

But that was exactly how the whole day was: "too perfect to be real."

Drawing at the MET

2012-06-13T09:57:00.000-04:00

This past Friday I was trying to plan a fun activity for the young women in our church. In researching, I thought about doing something fun at The Metropolitan Museum of Art since we live so close to it, but the question was what!? As I delved into it a little bit more I stumbled upon a Friday evening art class, where they provide you instruction, materials and subject matter ALL FOR FREE!

I thought the night was so fun as it was a very casual setting and had people from all different art levels participating. It was even more fun that Pat came since he oversee's the youth in our congregation.

My only wish is that we could have stayed longer. Even though the class was 3 hours long, we only had 45 minutes to draw before we had to get the girls back home. I hope that I am able to go back sometime, as it was so relaxing to sketch and I felt so cultured sitting in the gallery and drawing from the Masters.

Beekeeping in NYC

2012-06-11T17:27:00.000-04:00

This past weekend I fulfilled one of my childhood dreams of beekeeping. My only wish is that it wasn't so short lived and I had a place to have a beehive of my own.

For the past couple of years I have been trying to find a place where I could take classes on beekeeping or at least just experience beekeeping in some way. I couldn't find anything! Finally, on one such occasion I stumbled upon a once-a-year beekeeping workshop right here in the Bronx! I couldn't believe it. I found it on the internet in January, but the registration wasn't until March. The anticipation pretty much killed me. We were able to register with our friends, Nate and Ashely (fellow animal and I guess insect lovers), and I couldn't wait until we were finally able to charm the bees.

We were actually scheduled for the beekeeping workshop last weekend, but due to bad weather the class was postponed a week. But alas, the wait was well worth it, as all four of us were able to learn all about bees and the miracle of how honey is made.

The workshop was at the most beautiful private park, Wave Hill, in the Bronx right next the Hudson River. I hope we can go back and explore this area more, as it was such a vacation from city life, and was only a 20 minute drive.

In anticipating the registration for this class, I was scared that it would quickly sell out as they only allowed 12 people in the class. However, when we went the class only had 8 people, including us, which made more a more personal and interactive experience.

Our instructor was great, as he really loved bees and beekeeping. He really inspired me to one day have my own beehive.

Ashley

Nate

Pat

Lindsay

The smoke that was used to "calm" the bees. We actually learned the reason
why smoke calms bees is because they think there is a fire so they start eating
all the honey to preserve it and then get all sluggish from over eating.
Hahaha silly bees!

These bee canals that you see really excited our instructor. Apparently this means that the bee colony is divided
and another Queen bee was prepared and there was going to be a take over of the hive.

Fresh honey

The day was absolutely perfect and so much fun. I learned so much about beekeeping even though a lot of it went over my head. I now have a huge respect for bees and will no longer fear them. I think it is absolutely miraculous how they are able to make honey and hope some day to enjoy the process first hand!

Sleepy Weekend

2012-06-06T13:45:00.002-04:00

Unlike last weekend, this past weekend was more relaxed. I took some pictures and realized the only pictures I took were of Montee and/or Pat sleeping. I just found these moments precious and wanted to remember them.

The boys taking a Sunday nap

Everyday when I come home from work this is what I find:
Montee sleeping like a person in our bed.

In not so good news, Montee had another seizure yesterday while we were at work. We knew because we found vomit and urine in the right proximity to each other. The test results came back from the last time and we still don't know what is wrong. Hopefully we will find out soon.

But to end on a good note, last night I saw the Broadway show "Once." It is up for 11 Tony's so I knew I had to see it before the tickets were sold out for years and the price sky rocketed. It was such a unique experience and one that I loved and to follow in my love for seeing movies alone I took it one more step and saw this Broadway show alone after work. I just found out about the play on Sunday so I went online on Monday and bought myself a ticket. Pat's not one for musicals so there was no sense in wasting the money on him, and I didn't want to feel bad about inviting someone to spend so much money to see it with me and then for it not to be that good. By going alone, I didn't have to worry about anyone else, all I had to do was enjoy the show!

I knew I would love the show even before it started. As you arrived the bar was right on stage, so you could go up and get a drink while standing right next to the 13 actors who were in the performance. The show was more play like than an elaborate Broadway musical production. The stage never changed but rather the viewer used their imagination as they went through the story line. But most of all, the music was incredible. It was totally up my alley in the type of music I like: Folk/soft rock/dance around the apartment fun.

Don't leave Hatlers!

2012-06-04T15:14:00.000-04:00

About a month ago we had a fun day with our friends, Maria and Matt Hatler. They are leaving the city soon to "start their lives" as Matt just graduated from Medical school. They are some of our best friends here in the city and we are going to miss them greatly.

Since they are leaving the city they have been on a mission to check everything off their "New York City To Do List" and they were nice enough to let us come along.

Our first time on the agenda was to have some "Soul Food" in Harlem at Amy Ruths. Pat and I have been here before years ago when Pat was doing his internship, but we haven't been back since, even though the food is to die for. Literally, this food will make you die....most likely from a heart attack.

Next we took a stroll through Central Park down through Harlem Meer and through the Conservatory Gardens.

It is hard living in a city where everyone is transient and only stays for a couple of years and then moves on to "start" their lives. We really are going to miss the Hatlers, but I know that we will be life long friends no matter where the future leads us.

Good Luck Hatlers. Oklahoma is so lucky to have you.