Seven Quick Takes

I couldn't let a Friday go by without putting in my two cents...

1. I'M MEETING RASCAL FLATTS TONIGHT! And I'm pretty darn excited about it. I hope I don't make a total moron out of myself. We will see. Why at 28 years old this still excites me, I will never know. But I am pumped. :)

2. Big Brother last night was AWESOME! Totally the best episode of the entire season. Amanda and Elissa left the Big Brother house. Finally! Seriously, I didn't like Ginamarie in the beginning, but after pulling off such a power move, she totally deserves the win the whole thing. I'm hoping her alliance doesn't turn on this week. We will see. It was nice to actually enjoy watching the show again. Okay, so Brian and I always get a kick out of it. But last night just took it back to old school Big Brother when Mike Boogie and Dr. Will used to play the game. It was a great reward to be able to come to it after a LONG night of tutoring.

3. I only got to the gym three days this past week and am feeling like a total slacker. I took a long walk yesterday and took another one today. Plus, I still do the ab challenge every night, but there's nothing like sweating it out at the gym. Oh, well. One rough week won't kill me. I'll get back into the swing next week. But I only realize how much I love working out on the days when I don't have the time/ability to do so. I guess it's good that I miss it since that means I actually like it.

4. Now that you're totally falling asleep, we can just skip to the next one.

5. Matthew finished his first week of preschool. He goes two mornings a week, and he LOVED it! Yay! He happily ran off each morning, and he has slowly been telling me more about what he actually does at school. Yesterday they practiced making the letter "A" and painting with water colors. He likes going to the Bike Room the best, and they try to do that each morning. No wonder he is exhausted! He napped for three hours yesterday afternoon and then slept from 830-730 last night. Poor guy. Happy Mommy. :)

6. NFL season kicked off last night and I am thrilled to report that the Ravens LOST!!!! Woohoo!!! Now all the Steelers need to do is win their home opener and we're already a game ahead of the dirty birds! What a great way to start off the season...ahead of Baltimore. I love it. Thank you, Peyton Manning, for totally rocking it with 7 touchdowns last night. You, sir, are my new favorite person. I'll finish this quick take with: HERE WE GO STEELERS HERE WE GO!

7. The weather in Pittsburgh the past few days has been glorious. Totally starting to feel a bit like early Fall. I'm loving every second of it. I've had great hair days because the humidity is totally 0. Awesome. That being said, even though the temps drop into the 40's at night, I still have our window unit AC cranked on high. I love sleeping in the ice cold. It's better that way. Brian thinks I'm strange, so if you might think that, too, right about now, I can't say I blame you.

Have a fantastic weekend!

Seven Quick Takes, Volume 1

1. So some of you may be wondering who is this Abby I keep referring to? Abby is short for Abigail Grace. She is our daughter who passed away at just six short weeks into our pregnancy on February 2, 2009. Everyone deals with miscarriage differently. For us, it was important that Abby always be remembered as a part of our family. Her birthday would've been September 28, 2009, so every year we celebrate that. I proudly consider myself a mom of 3 - 2 on Earth and 1 in Heaven. And you may be wondering how we knew we were having a girl? We didn't, but when I first started having complications with the pregnancy it felt natural for me to start referring to the baby as a girl, and by that point in our pregnancy Brian and I had already discussed how much we loved the name Abigail. I figure if we never got to hold or see our baby on Earth, at least we got to decide the gender. ;) In all seriousness, she is part of our family, and we love her very much. We are thankful to have our own personal angel in Heaven. Click the link below to hear a song that perfectly describes how we feel about her. :)

See You Again

2. Speaking of children, I adore seeing Matthew and Noah grow up together and interact. They are two years and two months apart and just this summer have really started playing together. Noah has adored Matthew from the very early days of his life, and Noah is slowly growing on Matthew! The more Noah can do with Matthew, the more Matthew enjoys his little brother. It is so dear to watch them together. And Matthew is already fiercely protective of Noah. I overhear him at events with other children many times saying very firmly, "That's my brother!" There's something to be said for having two boys that close together. (Although I'm pretty sure they are taking years off of my life and sanity.) I pray they will be lifelong friends.

3. This Ab Challenge is AMAZING!

Seriously, try it. I did it for the month of June and since then, I've chosen five sets every week to do (taking rest days about every two days.) Doing this combined with my workouts from my fabulous trainer, Christi (let me know if you want her number. She can even train you in your home!) I have lost inches from my waist. I mean, let's face it, I will never be a size 2 again in my life (sad day. I miss being that skinny), but at least my baby pouch is toned and in place and not just sagging all over anymore. It is a ton of hard work, but so worth it. And it's fun to see results. Try this workout. It will change your life.

4. My hubby and I are going on a double date tonight with on my closest friends in Pittsburgh and her husband. They are a great couple, and we very much enjoy their company. We are headed to a Japanese Steakhouse (way different than mine and Brian's normal date night at Applebee's lol). We are all excited to get out without the kids and be able to have a conversation. And let's be honest. I'm looking forward to a good Long Island, too! :)

5.

Carrie Underwood said this in an interview with People Magazine in the Spring. I cut it out and have it hanging on my mirror in the bedroom. I see it every morning when I am getting ready. Obviously, the statement is a bit exaggerated, but it keeps me motivated. I want to look good for my husband. I have always feared letting myself go and blaming it on having kids. I don't think that's right or okay to do to your hubby and all of the moms I hang out with look great every time we get together. (That helps call me on more than this quote!) But as I'm spending time putting on make up and straightening my hair, I can read this and realize that what I'm doing at that moment is important. And it reminds me that if at all possible, the first stop after daily Mass needs to the be the gym. Brian would love me no matter what I looked like (and not a day goes by when he doesn't tell me I'm beautiful), but I want him to be proud to say I'm his wife and be excited to come home to me looking half decent on a daily basis. 

6. So Monday was our first day without Brian around after 9.5 straight days of his company. It wasn't a terrible day, actually, and what made it even better was getting an email in the afternoon saying I had won a backstage pass to meet Rascal Flatts! Woohoo! I am 28 years old and super pumped about this. (hey, I never claimed to be super mature. *NSYNC is my workout music of choice, after all.) I get to meet them before their show in Pittsburgh on September 6. Brian and I were already looking forward to the concert and now it's even more exciting. Plus, the kids are staying at my parents that night. Yay for sleeping in on a Saturday morning! Oh, and I should add that we definitely got tickets that have seats with them for the concert. You know you are pushing 30 and 40 when you swear you will never go to a concert again without seats!

Gary, from Rascal Flatts. He is my fave member. And I kinda think he looks like Brian. :)

7. I have been obsessed with The Band Perry lately. Their song, "If I Die Young," reminds me of Abby in so many ways, but lately their new, rockier stuff really makes me happy. And while I am out tutoring, I totally jam to it in the minivan with the windows rolled down. (I tried to get Brian and the boys to jam with me a few weeks ago, but no go. Well, at least Matthew asks to listen to Carrie Underwood's Good Girl on a daily basis.) Nothing like a good break up song blaring from a minivan adorned with a "Baby on Board" sign as it rolls through the quiet streets of Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Clair. Hey, at least it beats "If You're Happy and You Know It." Anyways, if you're not familiar with them, check out the links to the YouTube videos below:

The Band Perry with Done

The Band Perry with Better Dig Two 

Have a fantastic weekend! Please pray for us and the couples who will be attending the Engaged Encounter Retreat this weekend. We are giving our NFP talk tomorrow and defending the faith at the Wrap Session tomorrow night. Prayers are greatly appreciated.

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