I did it!

It's still very preliminary as I figure it all out, but I just set up my very own Etsy shop! Check me out at http://knmorgan.etsy.com/ and let me know if you have any pointers.

More Onesies

Our good friends are having a baby girl (any day now!) so we invited them to the house for dinner last night for a chance to hang out before she arrives. I wanted a gift that was out of the ordinary to help celebrate their new addition, so what better than my painted onesies?!
Here are the latest creations...I swear, I'll be working on an Etsy site soon.

The baby's initials, in a monogram to match her nursery.

Since we live in sunny Florida, an itsy, bitsy, teeny-weeny, yellow polka dot bikini.

A mini Florida gator to appease the new dad.

And a mini Georgia bulldog for the new mom's side of the family (which made me feel better about painting a Gator).

We can't wait to meet little Carson soon!

Big Day!

Yesterday was an amazing day for me. Not only was it my birthday, which was a lot of fun and more than I expected, it happens to be my parents' anniversary as well! They have celebrated 31 years of wedded bliss together and continue to show me how wonderful their marriage is through the love they share with each other and with me and my sisters. What fantastic role models to have throughout my life. I only hope that Ryan and I can follow their example and enjoy such a successful, loving marriage!

To top the day off, which was already pretty spectacular, we went to watch our Orlando Magic play the first round of the NBA Eastern Conference finals against Lebron and the Cavs. It was electric to watch the game in a packed sports bar and cheer along with all the other fans. I was a little nervous toward the end but the Magic pulled through and beat Cleveland in the last second (literally). What a great way to end the night!

Why did the rooster cross the road?

...to get to the ATM of course!

I had an amazing time this past weekend! We started off at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, where I was such a marketing nerd and was uterly impressed with the branding throughout the hotel. Everything was leopard print to show the edgy rock side, including the ironing board in our closet! After a yummy dinner, we spent the rest of the evening watching the Magic beat the Celtics amongst Boston natives. It was a great night!On Friday, we drove down to Key West and I was in awe of all the shades of green and blue the water looked on the way in. We stayed at the Westin, which was a perfect location right in the heart of Mallory Square. We walked around and grabbed some drinks at Fat Tuesdays before changing for dinner and watching the sunset celebration from a restaurant out on the pier.

I woke up early on Saturday morning to buy beach passes to the resort's private island. After debating with the not-so-friendly concierge about the weather report, I bit the bullet and bought the tickets (she was trying to convince me it was going to rain all day). We laid by the pool to test the sun and decided it was worth the boat ride over to enjoy the beach. I am so glad I didn't listen to that concierge! It was gorgeous and we had a relaxing afternoon sun bathing and floating in the crystal clear water.
We spent a quiet evening together after walking to the southernmost point of the U.S. (a bit of a hike from the hotel) and enjoying a Cuban feast near the hotel. We stayed in, watching "Marley and Me" in bed. It was a great movie but made us both bawl like babies and miss our own pup, who was back in Orlando enjoying doggie camp. It was so relatable to watch Marley grow up in their family, since Jax is really our start to a family. So sweet!

Sunday had spotty weather so we stuck to the hotel pool and enjoyed our books - I finished "Angels and Demons" and am now really psyched to see the movie. We walked around some more that afternoon and got caught in the rain trying to find the Zachary Taylor fort...not so much fun. We grabbed some pizza for an early dinner and watched the Magic again beat the Celtics to advance to the Eastern Conference finals.

Sadly, we said goodbye to the Keys on Monday morning and made the long drive back to Orlando to pick up the pup. It was a great weekend and a much needed vacation for us. What a fun way to celebrate my birthday!

Hitting the road

Today, Ryan and I are leaving for a long weekend to celebrate my birthday (a little early). We're driving down to Hollywood (Florida, that is) this afternoon to spend a night at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Then, Friday morning we are making our way down to the southern most point of the U.S. and staying the weekend in Key West. I am super excited!
I won't be posting while we're gone but stay tuned for all the fun details when I get back. Have a great weekend!

Graduation and the Lake

We traveled to Lake Oconee on Friday afternoon to spend a wonderful weekend with my family for my sister's graduation and Mother's Day. And, since a picture is worth a thousand words, here is a recap of the trip in photos...
We headed out early on Friday with Jax in the back seat, lounging in her green bed. She did pretty well for the first half of the trip but got pretty restless towards the end and I ended up jumping into the back seat to keep her company for the last bit.
Once we arrived, she made herself at home right away and loved the new assortment of toys available from her cousins.

My sister's graduation from Georgia College & State University on Saturday morning was held on the lawn of their north campus and it was a lovely day to be outside for the ceremony. We're so proud of her for making it this far and can't wait to see what she does next!

We got back to the house in the early afternoon and relaxed outside on the deck. Jax loves hanging out with her aunts and uncle, especially when one of them insists on trying to get her drunk. (Don't worry, she only got a few drops...I hope!)

Then, after some serious puppy playtime in the "dog park", it was time to veg with a huge bowl of water.

Of all the pups there for the weekend (there were 7 total!), I think Jax got along best with Link. He is a new dachshund puppy that my aunt and uncle adopted not too long ago, and such a sweet little fella! Jax really wanted to play with all of the pups, but Link was the only one willing to participate...although, cousin Westin tried to play referee the entire time and barked anytime it got too rough.

After a yummy Mother's Day brunch and some more relaxtion, it was already time to go home. But not before a family photo opp. Bailey, the chihuahua in my lap, was my "first" dog but has lived with my parents ever since I adopted her. She basically looks like Jax's mini-me, with the same coloring and big pointy ears, too!

And a weekend with the family wouldn't be complete without a group shot...so here are the "moms" with their babies for Mother's Day. What a crew!

It was a great weekend and, although most of the focus was on the pups, I am so glad I finally got to spend a Mother's Day with my own mom for the first time in a long time. She means the world to me and I am lucky to have a mom like her!

Home again, home again, jiggity-jig

We got back late this evening from a (too) short visit to the lakehouse to celebrate my sister's college graduation and Mother's Day with the family. While I wait for my mom to send me all the pics from the weekend, this one sums up how we are all feeling from such a whirlwind trip...

(Jax, asleep in the car the whole ride home, snuggling with Lion)

We had a great time, though, and were so happy to see everyone (including all 6 other pups)! I'll post more about the trip tomorrow. In the meantime, Happy Mother's Day to my mom and all the other great mommies out there.

He's Back!

Last summer, we were visited by a little guy I fondly named Franklin. Well, I went to plug in the back patio light earlier while taking Jax out, and look who I saw!

Ah, the joys of living in Florida. Critters everywhere!

What really happened

So, I definitely did not end up looking like a Cirque du Soleil dancer. But going to aerial silk class was a blast and a tremendous workout! I wasn't expecting cardio and strength, but my heart was pumping the entire time and I worked up a good sweat. I was also completely sore for the next three days, so I know it worked my core!

Here are some shots of me attempting the final "stunt" or whatever the position is called...obviously concentrating very hard.

(Our instructor put us all to shame, by the way, being pregnant and still doing a complete split in the above pose. Wow!)