...The Story of Pat and Lindsay

Celebrating July 4th

2013-07-04T20:52:00.000-04:00

This July 4th we celebrated the good old fashion way—by eating American hot dogs! I haven't eaten a hot dog in a looooong time, and so it made the experience that much better.

We enjoyed our "Shake Shack" hot dogs while sitting in the NYC heat.

Since our lives revolve around Hunter's naps, after his second nap of the day, we headed out to Pat's favorite place in Central Park—the Ramble. It is the hidden gem in Central park where you are easily able to forget that just beyond the trees is a hustling city.

Although it was July 4th, and the rest of the park was crawling with tourists and other city dwellers, the Ramble was some what subdued and very enjoyable.

We have a nice treat this week of having David visting us from Maine. It is so great to see David with Hunter. David is such a great Uncle, always wanting to see pictures of Hunter and bringing him gifts from Maine. At first Hunter was a little scared of David when he first saw him, but now he can't get enough of him.

This trip David brought three shirts what included "Maine" in the design. They are so cute and it so sweet of David to spoil his nephew.

In the evening David ventured over to the West Side of Manhattan to watch The Macy's firework show, while Pat and I relaxed at home (the NYC heat always gets the best of me and sucks all my energy) and watched the show on T.V. —we even danced a bit to the rockin' jams.

Life is good.

Farewell to the Smith's

2013-06-28T20:51:00.000-04:00

The Smith's are moving :(. They moved to NYC two years ago and were our friends from the very beginning. Amanda was always so out going and fun. We became friends because she came up to me after church one day and said "You're cute. Let's be friends." Who could turn down such a request? Not me!

We had so much fun together and they were such great friends to us. It truely was a privilege to have them as a part of our lives and for us to call them friends.

Their friend Lauren asked their friends to write down some memories for the Smiths to take with them to San Francisco, so I wrote them a poem:

No one can compare to Tommy and Amanda Smith,

they are something of a myth.

They never seem to have a bad day;

because whenever you see them they are always ready to play.

Always serving and making others feel happy and elite,

either with a meal, bouquet, or some other sweet treat.

They always go above and beyond the call of duty,

Just ask Amanda about her first baby shower—it was a thing of beauty.

They came into our lives with little warning,

but now that they are leaving we are in a state of mourning.

We had a nice thing going with Pat and Tommy always planning our dates,

they took on that role well and became really good mates.

Tommy and Amanda were our friends through thick and thin,

Enduring much, all with a helping hand and a grin.

First, they woke up at the crack of dawn,

to watch a parade (which Pat almost missed when he went to “The John”).

Next, they waited eight long hours waiting for a ball to drop in Times Square,

enduring thirst, fatigue, and a wounded eye, all without a glare.

I am glad they knew us when we were “young” and fun,

because once we became “with child,”

our lives quickly went from exciting to very, very mild.

However, despite the sudden decline of adventure in the Koelling household,

the Smiths friendship remained strong, being worth more than gold.

On nights when we couldn’t leave our apartment because of a fussy newborn,

The Smiths kept us company and watched “Grimm”, even without popcorn,

Just when we thought the Smith’s could not get any closer,

Amanda watched me learn how to breastfeed — I can’t imagine anything grosser.

These past two years have flown by,

Thinking back on all the good times together makes us sigh.

We sigh because we had the privilege of making such amazing friends,

as well as knowing this is not where it ends.

Although the Big Apple is far from The City on the Bay,

we know nothing can break up this friendship, although they will be far away.

We love and will miss the Smiths more than we can express,

Thank you Smiths for coming into our lives and leaving us better than you found us.

Love,

The Koellings

During their last week here we went to brunch with the Smiths.

We will miss them.

Ameloblastoma

2013-04-02T14:35:00.000-04:00

Over the past several months I have had a chance to reevaluate life and found much to be thankful for. I hate how it often takes an event to humble me in order for me to be thankful for all my many blessings.

Towards the end of December 2012 I noticed an open sore behind my top left molar. After a few weeks the sore did not go away so I decided to get it checked out by the dentist. I also noticed a few days before I went to the dentist that there was some swelling in the area too, but I wasn't too concerned and I was sure that it wasn't anything to be concerned about because I am very healthy person.

When I went to the dentist she took a look at the sore and the swollen area but she didn't know what it was. She referred me to an oral surgeon who I went to the same day. The oral surgeon also did not know what it was and was going to have to take a CT scan that would not be covered by my dental insurance, and did not take medical insurance. Not wanting to pay $600 I opted to find an oral surgeon covered by my insurance; however, because it was the holidays I had to wait another week and a half until I would be able to get an appointment.

When I was finally able to go to an oral surgeon that was covered by my medical insurance we were able to take a CT scan of my mouth. At this point I still was not worried. I mean it was just a sore in my mouth and little swelling. How bad could it possibly be?

Once the oral surgeon was able to look at the CT scan he was able to see quite clearly that there was a mass about the size of a walnut growing behind my cheek bone. He told me that it was a cyst that most likely has been growing for the past 10 years -- since I had my wisdom teeth out.

He also showed me how the cyst had destroyed and eroded a large portion of my bone in my face. He explained how the cyst needed to be removed but a biopsy needed to be done before he knew what kind of surgery was needed.

The biopsy was done that day. When I thought of a "biopsy" I thought of the times when the dermatologist had taken a sample of a mole for testing. Quite painless. However, this biopsy was NOTHING like that. It was as if he was taking a crowbar to my mouth. I also was not anticipating the extreme swelling that would occur for almost a week!

Day 2

Day 4

When I went back to oral surgeon to receive the news of what kind of cyst I had, the oral surgeon opened up with "I give you the right to be mad at me." I didn't know what this meant; however, he proceeded to tell me that when he did the biopsy he knew right away that it wasn't a cyst (a mass full of liquid), but was a tumor (a mass full of tissue). He did not want me to worry for a week regarding if it was cancerous, because there was a good chance it was.

I am so thankful for his decision not tell me. A week of worrying wouldn't have done me any good -- so even though he gave me "the right to be mad at him," I was nothing but grateful.

Notice the bone that is missing due to the growth of the tumor

After he proceeded to tell me I had a tumor, but it wasn't cancerous, he explained how the surgical process was extremely different from it being a cyst. There were many different possible surgical scenarios, ranging from bad to REALLY bad.

I sat there in shock as he was telling me all this. It was not until he told me that I would most likely lose my three back teeth and that they wouldn't be able to replace them that I started crying. At that moment it hit me that this was something that I couldn't "fix" 100%.

I am a healthy person. I only get a cold once a year. It was strange to feel totally healthy while being told I had a tumor.

The oral surgeon proceeded to tell me that I have a rare benign tumor called Ameloblastoma. This type of tumor most commonly appears in the lower jaw, so the fact that mine was/is located in the upper jaw makes things a little more complicated. He referred me to a Head and Neck surgeon, who he trusted, to give me my first opinion of what needed to be done.

I am not the kind of person that lets my emotions take control of my logical thinking. I am a woman of action. If there is a problem, I do not cry about it, but rather look for a solution of how to fix the problem and move forward. However, I left the doctors office in tears. When I called Pat to update him on my condition I couldn't find a private place, as privacy does not exist on the streets NYC. I ended up just sobbing against a building while standing on the sidewalk trying to hide my face from the people passing by. One elderly gentleman came up to me and tried very hard to offer his help. It was very cute and rekindled my faith in New Yorkers.

Once I digested what was happening I was able to think logically once again and I started taking the appropriate steps to get this taken care of.

I met with a few "top of their field" doctors in NYC and quickly discovered that regardless of the surgical process, I was going to need my mom to help me take care of Hunter after the surgery. With the additional worry of caring for Hunter, I decided to fly to California and meet with doctors there, so I could recover at my parents house in the Bay Area.

However, because this type of tumor is so rare and the location of my tumor was even more uncommon, not very many doctors had much first hand experience. I feel this led to all the different opinions I received from each doctor I visited with.

Opinions:

Bone Transplant: Because the tumor had destroyed so much of the bone in my jaw and face, if I ever wanted to have my back teeth again, I would need to take the bone from my tibia and transplant it to my jaw. This would leave me with a scar from my nose to my top lip, a scar on my neck, and scar on my leg. This would be an 8 week recovery.

Skin transplant: When my back teeth and tumor were removed this would leave a big hole that would not heal on it's own. In order for the hole to be closed they would need to take some skin from the arm and put it in my mouth. I would have a very large scar on my arm and smaller scare on my neck. I would still never be able to have back teeth and the recovery would be 6 weeks.

Palet Rotation: When my back teeth and tumor were removed this would leave a big hole that would not heal on it's own. In order for the hole to be closed they would take the roof of my mouth and rotate it 90 degrees. This could lead to a change in my voice and a slight speech impediment. This would allow the hole to be covered without any scars on my body. Recovery time would be 6 weeks.

Obturator: When my back teeth and tumor were removed this would leave a big hole that would not heal on it's own. In order to avoid a long recovery and any scars a obturator could be used to "plug" up the hole in the mouth. An obturator is a temporary denture that would need to be cleaned out every night. When the obturator is not in the mouth I wouldn't be able to speak since the hole in my mouth would lead directly to my sinus. This would mean I wouldn't be able to have a conversation after I went to bed for the night. However, it would be a simple surgery with the recovery time only being two weeks.

After two months and seeing five different doctors with five different opinions, I finally decided upon a surgical process from a doctor at Standford Medical Center in California--he had the "Just Sew It Up" Opinion. Even though all the other doctors said that the hole that would remain, after removing my teeth and the tumor, would not be able to closed by just using the local tissue around the hole, Dr. Kaplan, was of the opinion that there was a 70% chance it could be done. That meant that he would remove my teeth and tumor and then just sew up the hole. If this worked I would just be missing some back teeth. If it didn't work, then I would have to get an obturator, but even if that did happen the obturator wouldn't have to be as big since the hole would be smaller. The recovery time of this operation was two to four weeks.

I was so excited to have found this doctor, since all the other doctors said what he wanted to do was impossible and wouldn't work. Everything was falling into place so nicely. I was able to set up a surgical date for March 1st -- three months after my first biopsy.

I had Pat fly in from New York a few days before the surgery because I knew I would need him there for emotional support. I am so glad I had that foresight because I was so scared before my surgery.

As luck would have it the night before my surgery I ended up getting food poisoning. However, luckily I stopped throwing up by morning and the doctor said he would still operate.

Pre-surgery mark up to ensure they take out the correct teeth

My surgery was at 3pm and would last for 2 to 4 hours. As the time neared I became more and more nervous. I was dreading the feeling when I would wake up from the anesthesia and be missing my two back teeth. I was dreading the pain that I might feel. And as the time came closer and closer I started fearing the surgery itself. All the "Grey's Anatomy" shows I had seen started flooding my mind. Finally, when the anesthesiologist came to wheel me away panic set in. I kissed Patrick goodbye and cried to myself as they wheeled me away.

As the anesthesiologist started doping me up the nurse tried to get my mind off of things by talking about a vacation she was just on. As I was drifting in and out of consciousness I started panicing that they wouldn't give me enough anesthesia and that I would be able to feel the surgery but not be able to tell them. As this thought came into my mind I could hear the anesthesiologist and nurse talking about how fast my heart rate was and how scared I must be. This made me even panic even more because they must not have known I could still hear them! I mustard all my energy to slur out the words "I'm still awake."I must have done a good enough job to alert them because their response to my cry was "it wont be much longer."And they were right--within in a few seconds I was out--Thank God.

My dad resting up during my surgery--this is so my dad.

When I woke up I was in a lot of pain and extremely uncomfortable from the feeding tubes. Once I was able to get stronger medication and was sufficiently doped up, I was much happier.

Trying to manage the pain prior to getting enough pain meds

I only had to stay in the hospital for one day, even though I wanted to stay longer (I was scared to leave the continuous stream of pain medication into my veins).

For the next week I was in bed sleeping most of the day, while my saint of a mother took care of Hunter, both day and night. I don't know what I would have done if it weren't for my mom. She made the whole process so much easier since I knew that my son was being taken care of by the best mom ever.

I was surprised by how little I swelled. Considering how swollen I got with the biospy I figured half my face would be the size of a basketball since they were drilling away a tumor made out of bone which was the size of a walnut in my skull! All things considered, I thought I was looking pretty darn good!

Here is the miracle doctor giving me a check up a week later. He wanted me to open my mouth so he could take a look, which was quite painful. I couldn't open my mouth more than a half inch or so for about a month after the surgery because during the surgery I think they had to dislocate me jaw and what not in order to get inside.

The surgery was a success. The doctor was confident that the entirety of the tumor was able to be removed. Even though these type of tumors have a high reoccurrence rate, he was confident that it wouldn't come back. The hole that had a 30% of not closing healed superbly, meaning that the only residual side effect of the surgery is two missing back molars—which is not a big deal at ALL and is definitely something I can live with.

Throughout the course of discovering, researching, and removing the tumor I was scared, but mostly extremely grateful for all the blessings that came along with this health scare. It might seem morbid but something that really kept me "looking on the bright side of things" is that I realized that things could always get worse. At first I thought I had a cyst, which I thought was horrible. Then when I found out it was a tumor I realized how grateful I should have been for it only being a cyst. This little experience made me realize that things could always get worse, so I should always be grateful for how things currently are.

Blessings:

-It wasn't cancer. No matter how bad the end result of me having to remove this tumor would be, nothing would be as bad as it being cancerous.

-I found the tumor before it damaged any of my nerves. I was extremely lucky to have found the tumor when I did and that I went to the doctor because of a little sore (my advice to everyone is to always err on the side of caution and GO TO THE DOCTOR). Usually in these types of cases the person with the tumor doesn't find out about the tumor until it is too late and it has destroyed nerves, meaning the loss of feeling or the loss of eye sight. Also, the outcome of my surgery was so minimal (only two missing teeth), and it would have been much worse if the tumor had continue to grow.

-I found the tumor while I was still employed with amazing health insurance. When I found the tumor it was the last month of my maternity leave. My work was absolutely amazing in being super flexible and granting me additional disability leave. With all the doctors visits, CT scans, tests, hospital stays, and surgery I only had to pay $400 out of pocket.

-By living in NYC and attending a church with many influential people I was able to use their contacts to find the top Head and Neck surgeons in the country. I actually found my miracle doctor through a referral from a doctor that I met with in NYC, who I was able to meet with because he knew the man I went to church with.

-I was able to consult family friends in the field of dentistry to help me get all my info. They were able to help me in the decision process and help me understand what the doctors were telling me.

-Pat's works was really flexible and allowed him to work from a distance so he would be with me and Hunter during my surgery and recovery.

-My family was a huge support to me during this time of need. I knew whatever I needed they would be there to do all they could to help me and my family. When I thought that I had to get a skin transplant to put on the roof of my mouth my mom offered to give me the roof of her mouth so I didn't have to have a scare on my arm. Now, if she isn't the best mom in the world, I don't know who is!

-Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is a blessing on daily basis; however, I have seen how being a member during times of crisis is the greatest blessing of all. I have seen how the church and its members have gone into "action" helping me in every way possible.

-I am extremely blessed to have a knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father. During this time I have felt Him by my side holding me hand throughout the entire process and leading me to the right people.

Pat's 30th Birthday

2013-03-03T20:49:00.000-05:00

Unfortunately, Pat's 30th birthday fell two days after I had my surgery to remove my tumor. I was layed up in bed, totally drugged up, but I tried to make the day special. I had purchased a cold stone cake and Macbook Air a week before which I was pretty excited about surprising Pat with. However, I realized I didn't cover my tracks enough when our Mint.com account sent Pat and update of where our money went that week. It was pretty apparent that I had bought him the computer when Pat saw that $2,000 went towards electronics—DANG IT!

Even though Pat's birthday gift was a bust, Doug and Mariah were able to make it a little more special when drove out to visit us and made Pat a "Better than Sex Cake" from scratch. Such great friends.

I am so thankful for this man in my life. The past six years of marriage have been total bliss as Pat is able to make me laugh when I am mad or sad, and knows exactly what I need. He is an example to me of how to love and be friends with everyone.

I wish I could have provided a more exciting birthday for him on this 30th, but I hope he knows how much I love him completely and am so lucky to call him mine.

Living like we're celebs

2013-02-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

While I was in Northern California visiting family and doctors, my mom was nice enough to take care of Hunter for a weekend while I flew down to L.A. to spend a few days with my adorable hubby. It was like a second honey moon for us and was such a needed break from real life.

Pat's work put him up in the Four Season hotel in Hollywood. Me, not a classy person at all, was so enamored by everything, and when I say everything...I mean EVERYTHING (I was snapping pictures of how they put our toiletries on paper in the bathroom!). While I was there I started thinking that this is how real life should be. People should always be opening doors for me everywhere I go. Someone should be cleaning my apartment two times a day. I should always have turn down service. I should always have a Rolls Royce ready to take me anywhere I want to go. We should always go out to swanky restaurants where I do not even understand what I am eating. Sadly, this is not reality for us and this weekends treatment had to come to an end—but I am so glad I was able to experience it, even if it was only for a few days.

For the first day I was there Pat had to work, so I was left to entertain myself on my own—something I quite enjoy. I am ~~somewhat of~~ a loner, and really enjoy doing things on my own, especially shopping and going to movies, which is exactly what I did. It was particularly nice because this was the first time I had been by myself since the birth of Hunter.

I did some shopping at "The Grove" and then saw "Lincoln", where I had the whole theater to myself. During the movie it was very apparent that I had a three month old because I couldn't keep my eyes open, something I have never experienced before.

Once Pat didn't have to work anymore, is when the fun began. We rented a car so we were able to drive all around L.A., which was a treat within itself, coming from NYC where a car is a luxury we do not have. We had so much fun walking on the beaches, shopping, relaxing and just enjoying the Southern California life style.

We also enjoyed eating lots of good food. Pat had a per diem which allowed us to eat like kings! It was extra special for me since I was able to go off my strict diet which I have been on since I found out Hunter has a dairy and soy allergy.

This trip really caused me to want to live in Southern California. I just love everything about it. One particularly amazing thing about L.A. are the hiking trails that look over the city. On Sunday, my last day there, we decided to take a morning hike in the hills before church. The whole time I was just in awe of the beauty of this part of the state and was praying that somehow we could someday live there.

The weekend was a trip of a life time and it was so wonderful to spend some one on one time with my hubby. Even though this trip gave me a taste of a life I will never have, I felt lucky enough to experience it, especially with my soul mate.

Pat — the Copy Writer

2013-02-05T15:53:00.000-05:00

Recently, Pat was able to go the L.A. on a business trip to shoot a few commercials. This was the first time that he was able to travel for a shoot and consquently "live the high life."

It was a little hard for me to sit on the side lines and just hear about all the fun things he was able to experience while filming. I know his days were long and filled with work; however, there was a lot of fun mixed in as well.

Pat was able to work with Peter Berg who directed the commercial. Pat also was able to shoot on the Warner Brother Lot which is the contains the of the famous homes from Bewitch, The Middle, and many more I can't remember. The Warner Brother's Lot also has the "Friends" fountain.

My favorite house on the Warner Brother's house. I want to move in!

Thankfully, while Pat was in L.A. I was able to visit my family in Northern California so I wasn't too depressed when Pat would send me pictures from his trip of him on the beach, getting room service, visiting fancy restaurants, run ins with famous people, and his room at the Four Season's in Hollywood.

Pat met at Peter Bergs office one day and took this picture for me. Peter Berg filmed a few episode from "Friday Night Lights", and anyone that has seen Friday Night Lights is a Tim Riggins fan. Am I right? Or am I right!?

He might not make any money doing this, but at least he is having fun.

Luckily, I with all the fun Pat was having, I knew I was going to joining him for a fun weekend getaway soon enough...

Home Teaching Limo Ride

2013-02-03T14:45:00.000-05:00

By just living in NYC you are able to have experiences that would never happen any place else. This happened to Pat when he was going out visiting some member of our church, called Home Teaching, which he does on a monthly basis.

As Duane and he were walking to a member's apartment the driver of a limo called out to them asking them if they wanted a ride. So what did they do? They took it of course and snapped a pic while they were at it.

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!