My Spring Walk

We are so lucky to live in a city with so many walking/biking/jogging trails....I must say that I should probably be taking more advantage of them but that's a different blog for a different day...ok, back to my post - so, even though it is officially Spring, the weather isn't always Spring-like. Whenever the weather is nice, I make it a personal mission to get the most out of it. Since our weekend weather report isn't looking promising (there is even talk of snow - eek!) I thought that I should take advantage of the warmer weather while I had it. So, Wednesday I made my way over to a nearby recreational lake area. While the flowers weren't out yet, I was able to snap a few pics of these guys

I hope everyone else is enjoying their Spring!! :)

Giveaway Announcement

Hello Ladies!

I hope everyone is enjoying a gorgeous Spring day!! We are having some great weather today but....there is snow in the forecast for tomorrow. Yeah, seriously. Welcome to the Midwest! Anyways....even though it's actually been a really great week, I still ready for the weekend- what about you ladies???

Back the giveaway announcement (I get distracted so easily these days) I was so excited to see that Jane at in the waiting line is hosting a giveaway for this adorable pink wine carrier -

Super fun, huh?!?! Absolutely perfect for a summer picnic! During the summer, Omaha has an awesome outdoor Jazz concert series and I think this wine carrier would be the perfect accessory! Good luck!!

Our Patio Transformation - Part 1

I should probably begin this post with a little background info...I love warmer (not crazy hot - but nice warm temps) months, I love being outside during nice weather - especially eating outside (yeah, kinda odd - I know). Back when I lived in good ole' Oklahoma my brother-in-law and I built a pergola on my back patio, and for my very first "construction" project I think it turned out really well.....Ok, maybe not "really well" but, I was happy. ;) Here's a pic

Fast forward to our move to Omaha.....Kevin and I never intended to stay in our cozy apartment for long so we didn't feel the need to invest in patio stuff for our very small concrete slab we like to call "our patio." Well, that all changed this year - yippee!! The other day we were talking about how much we miss sitting on our old patio just hanging out and relaxing....which lead to us getting this cute little table and chairs set.....

Clearly, I still have a long way to go but, it's a start. My next step is to add on to the small garden of potted plants I started last summer. I'm definitely going to do basil, thyme, rosemary, mint, cilantro, and tomatoes again but I don't think I'm going to do strawberries again - they didn't work out so well (I'm sure it was more me though - lol). Any suggestions on fruits, veggies or herbs that might work well as a potted plant?

Football in March???

That's right! Well....arena football anyway. So, last night Omaha's arena football team (aptly named the Omaha Beef's - so fitting) kicked off the start of their 10th season. I was kinda surprised that their arena football team was that old - pretty cool! One of my friends from nursing school, Jackie, is a ball babe since they get a few tickets each game passed a few our way.

Since Kevin and I are both huge football fans (don't get me wrong, we are excited about March Madness but...football is more our thing) we were excited about this game!

For their first match-up of the season, the Beef's played the Wichita Wild's - it was a really good game! The Beef's held a slight point lead throughout the game making it really close....which was fun to watch and cheer for! :) We had a really fun time and I am so glad we went - super fun date!

....Now, I'm off to do some much needed studying. Hopefully I will find time this weekend to spruce up my patio and get it ready for Spring!

The NYC Adventure!!!

New York City was the 2nd Spring Break destination.

Really, really early Saturday morning (before the sun even thought about rising) I was on the train making my way to NYC! The City totally lived up to all my expectations. There were tons of people, cars, and yellow taxis everywhere – it was great! What was the first stop you ask? Starbucks, of course!

Even though I was only there for 11 hours, I was able to see tons of the city….the Statue of Liberty, 5th Avenue, Wall Street, Rockefeller Center, the Brooklyn Bridge, Central Park, Time Square and so many other places. I took every bit of that 11 hours to take everything in and I absolutely loved every second of it! I did not get to see any shows, but that will be on the agenda for next time! Because yes, the next trip is already in the planning! :)

Here are some of the pics....

I'd love, LOVE to hear any advice & recommendations for my next trip ;)

Welcome Spring!!

Who else is excited about Spring?!?!

The flowers, the warm weather, the baby animals, picnics, of course, Easter....I love it all!! This winter has really, really made me miss warm weather so I'm ready to take in all Spring has to offer - starting with flowers! I'd really like to grow lots and lots of flowers this season...stay tuned to see how it goes! Since I'm not great with plants, I'm hoping this year things will be different - and if not, I guess I can always get some from a nursery. ;)

Just to help ya get in the Spring mood, here's a poem (from one of my favorite poet's!)

A Prayer in Spring

Oh, give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest; keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh, give us pleasure in the orchard white,

Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;

And make us happy in the happy bees,

The swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird

That suddenly above the bees is heard,

The meteor that thrusts in with needle bill,

And off a blossom in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,

The which it is reserved for God above

To sanctify to what far ends He will,

But which it only needs that we fulfil.

~ Robert Frost

Our Washington DC Trip!

We had such a lovely time in DC. Kevin was busy with meetings during the day leaving me solo to do some sight-seeing and….some shopping!! ;) So Kevin and I would head out in the evening to do some exploring. Here’s a few pictures from the trip.....

Luckily, we were really close to Georgetown where I found this great Barnes & Noble. Surprisingly, I really did get some great studying done - always a plus!

Sight-seeing at night was kinda challenging but, we managed to take advantage of every minute of our trip.

Here we are in front of the White House. Sorry it's so blurry, those one-handed pics are kinda hard to take. ;)

Yay! The Cherry Blossoms are starting to bloom!!! So prettyy!

I couldn't pass up one of my favorite stores!! I *heart* Betsy Johnson!!


Fellow blogger, Lolaberly at not all those who wander are lost, recommended this awesome piano bar. We had a great time & Kevin even ran into an old Virginia Tech friend - very fun!! Thanks again for the recommendation!! :)

I took soooo many more pictures but, I didn't want to bore you ladies with all my silly pictures. :)

Happy Friday Everyone.....Is anyone else super excited about this weekend?!?!

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2009!!

This is my first St. Patty's day with an Irish last name & I'm sooo excited to take full advantage of all things Irish!! Unfortunately, I'm in class until 9pm tonight....but, something tells me that I will find a way to enjoy the day no matter what. ;) I can't wait to see what everyone else has planned for this fun holiday!! Wishing Everyone all of the luck of the Irish on this beautiful St. Patrick's day!!!

P.S. Trip update with lots and lots of pics to come!!

Super Quick Post

Hello Blog Friends!!!

Even though it's only been a few days, I feel as though I haven't blogged in weeks - lol! I'm having the best time out here in DC. Kevin and I have been able to spend some great down time together. We love just wondering around new places, popping into little stores and restaurants - I really think it's the best way to get to know a new place, ya know. And in all of our wandering we have stumbled into some pretty tasty restaurants and have been devouring some fabulous food!! ;) I had the most amazing terra misu for dessert the other night - Oh, wow!! It was the best terra misu I've ever had (and I'm pretty picky about sweets). I honestly think I could have a piece of that everyday for the rest of my life! Isn't that what vacations are for?

Well, I really just wanted to pop in to say hi. The big NYC train adventure is tomorrow so I should probably turn in pretty soon....lots, and lots of pictures to come though so stay tuned. Lol!

I hope everyone has a great weekend!!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

The Hubs and I are heading out for our trip to the Washington DC/Maryland/Virginia area! Yay! We 're just going to spend the week hanging out with friends and family while we kinda get a feel for the area and maybe...possibly think about where we'd like to live - soooo exciting if you ask me! ;)

I hope everyone has a fantastic Monday!!!

Quick Recap for the 1st Weekend of my Spring Break

It's officially my Spring Break!!! Yay!!!

Sadly, the first weekend of my break was pretty uneventful though. BUT, my husband came home so that's always exciting for me! Plus, we leave tomorrow for our little vacation - yippee!!
With the exception of an awesome Saturday night/Sunday morning in the ER, my weekend was pretty boring.


Friday Night - I spent the majority of Friday afternoon leisurely preparing dinner, and catching up with friends and family.....and of course a large amount of that was spent talking to my BFF who just had her adorable son!! Yay!! Since Saturday was my first night in the ER I knew I would need to prepare myself for a night shift ahead of time....so, after dinner, I did my very best to stay up as late as possible. I really, really tried! I rented some movies and was doing really well until 3am and wow, did I hit a wall! I don't think I lasted much past 3:30am.


Saturday - I didn't do much Saturday (I'm so boring - lol!). I mainly drifted in and out of sleep, alternating between watching a movie and napping. My plan was to sleep as much as possible. When Saturday night finally rolled around I was so ready! I absolutely LOVED my time in the ER!! I can't tell you how nervous I was (not really sure about what though) but, it was hands down one of the best first days!!! I had a great time and can't wait to go back! In fact....if it goes this well every time I may have to apply there after graduation! Which is just so nuts, I never thought of myself as an ER nurse - lol! I'm soooo glad I've been blessed with the opportunity to try out lots of different areas in the hospital. :)

Sunday - Well....I think the most exciting thing that happened today is that Kevin came home!!! Yay!!! I did manage to get in a brief nap though. :) Kevin and I didn't do anything too spectacular - just your basic hanging out stuff and going to church. We did happen to see Desperate Housewives this evening though....of course.

Kinda boring, huh? Sometimes it's nice to have a weekend that not a whole lot is going on though and this weekend was definitely that type of weekend for me.

Wedding Video Trailer!!!

Our videographer just posted our wedding video trailer! Yay!! I just love it!! She did such a fantastic job!! Kevin and I couldn't be happier!!

Hello Weekend!!!

I don't know about you but, I'm so happy the weekend is here!!!

Next week Kevin and I are headed East to check out our potential new hometown - woo hoo!!! We are so excited about this opportunity! Not to mention we are excited that we will have some down time together! I'm sure I will have tons & tons of pictures from that adventure to share! :)

Hope You Have A Great Weekend!!

Baby News!!!

My best friend, Christina, just had her son. He was born March 5th and weighed in at 9lbs and 13oz! I think he is just the most adorable baby boy ever...but, I might be a *little* biased. ;) I'm so incredibly thankful that God has given them such a wonderful blessing and I feel very lucky to be so involved. I just can't wait to meet this little man!!

*Pink* Martini Glass Swap

Ashley at, According to Ashley is hosting a Martini Glass Swap - how fun!! Since I love martini glasses so much I thought I'd share the news. :)

It finally happened....

it was above freezing today!!!

Just when I was beginning to wonder if I would ever see warmer temperatures....or if my flip-flops would ever see the light of day. I began to give up hope for Spring all together, BUT it actually got above freezing today!!! Yay!! In fact, I think we reached 44 degrees (that's pretty warm for Omaha) - yippee!! I actually went out without a coat....now once the sun went down and I found myself without a jacket I decided that I may have been a bit to eager - lol!! :)

Oh! And, I got the cutest hair cut today! Isn't it great how a new hair cut can really lift one's spirit?!?! I have the sweetest hairstylist, I just love her to death so going to see her is like visiting a friend, which always makes me happy. :)

Just one more thing...today is one of my Twitter friend's, (Jennifer) birthday. She has an adorable blog that I highly recommend visiting so, if you happen to stop by, be sure to wish her a happy birthday (or, belated birthday - lol). Happy Birthday!!

I hope everyone else had a great day too!!

What I should be doing vs What I want to do

I have lots to do today, like: study, do homework, start my papers, & attend our first Financial Peace University class (we are trying to be proactive about our finances and I really pretty excited about this one actually). But, no matter what, I find my mind drifting to other topics making studying, trying to write my papers or just concentrating impossible - so frustrating. I think maybe I'm having a late onset of ADD...I'm not sure if that's even possible though - lol! Here's what I'm thinking about:

Having a Spa Day

Playing with my Lab Puppy...yes, that would be the Lab we don't have yet

Relaxing on the beach with a good book & cool drink


Exploring the streets of Italy

Sipping coffee with Kevin at this adorable cafe - in what looks like warm weather

Napping outside in this comfy hammock/daybed

Just hanging out with my husband

What about you? Any problems staying on task? Any suggestions on how to keep my concentration on one thing???