Doggy orthodontics?

She is usually pretty shy about showing off that glorious set of bottom teeth, but we caught her in a weak moment...

I caved.

Have you ever been in a hospital or doctor's office and noticed otherwise normal-looking, often even attractive, doctors and nurses sporting a cute/stylish outfit or scrubs with a pair of less-than-fashionable clog-like shoes? I noticed this trend a long time ago, and vowed I would never let my career destroy my fashion sense like it apparently had for these unfortunate souls.

Fast-forward several years. Unless you are a patient or family member, time spent seated in a hospital is minimal and short-lived. After a full day of standing, your feet and lower back hate you. Slowly but surely, the idea of a blissfully comfortable (albeit, ugly) shoe (that is approved by the American Podiatric Medical Association) starts to sound pretty darn good. 

Goodbye attractive footwear. Hello Dansko. Their slogan reads "Millions of Dansko fans can't be wrong." Next time you are in a hospital, take a look at the footwear worn by the medical professionals. Millions is right.

I am now the proud owner of these beauties... 

Don't get me wrong, it took a long time before I was ready to jump on the Dankso boat. Should one shoe be functional enough to be worn with scrubs, dress pants, skirts AND dresses? (At this point I am only on board for scrubs and pants. Hopefully I will never stoop to the level of wearing them with skirts and dresses, although I can't make any promises). 

Even after the point where I realized they were an inevitable purchase, it was still difficult to take that final leap. Due to an amazing deal on them at Sikes & Kohns Country Mall, my financially responsible husband insisted that I do my emotional grieving quickly for the sake of the budget. Now, my feet long for their presence. Never have I worn a shoe that so wonderfully supports every aspect of the sole of my foot. No more low back pain. No more blisters. They don't even need to be worn in. Even the most trendy of my classmates have caved. Unfortunately for my fashion sense (but fortunately for my feet), I am one of them.

(For some good entertainment and laughs, check out Dankos line of sandals. 

http://www.dansko.com/#CATEGORIES,0,1,3

That's right, sandals. No worries, I will not take it this far.)

A Family Wedding

This weekend Walker and I headed to South Alabama for the wedding of my cousin Britton. The weather was beautiful and our time there was far too short. It was painful heading north to Birmingham knowing the Gulf of Mexico was just a couple of miles behind us. We stayed in a condo in Gulf Shores, and the wedding took place about 30 minutes away in the beautiful town of Fairhope. Here are some pictures from the reception...

Beautiful Mom...

Husband...

So wonderful reuniting with family... (aunts & cousins pictured below)

My cousin Austin (ring bearer extraordinaire) LOVES to dance, and spent the majority of the evening pulling people out on the dance floor with him to cut a rug. 

Mother & son (with baby boy #2 on the way!)

Pausing for a moment (and partially hiding behind best friend Rabbit) to take a picture with Aunt Jeannie and cousin Emily...

Walker & I ate breakfast with mom and dad at a local favorite (Hazel's), shopped for a bit at the outlet mall in Foley, and then made the long trek back to Birmingham. Weekends go by entirely too fast...

graduation & the beach

Last Thursday Walker & I headed to Montgomery to watch the last Fain child graduate from Trinity. Yay Jack!

Friday morning we headed down to the beach for the Memorial Day weekend. The beach does wonders to de-stress life, and despite threatening weather reports, we actually had lots of sun. The house and beach were both dog friendly, so little Bella got to have her first taste of sand and surf. To say she enjoyed herself would be an understatement.

The house...

Racing Walker (he lost)...

Loving it...

Our regal-looking beach dog...

Post-sand-rinsing...

Had I written this post Sunday afternoon, this is where the story would have ended. But alas, there is more to tell. Late Sunday afternoon as I sat on the beautiful porch reading (A Thousand Splendid Suns - a fantastic book if you have not read it!), I noticed several large, fly-like insects buzzing around. They kept landing on my legs and feet and had quite a little sting to them, but I thought, "how much damage can a fly bite really do?", and kept on enjoying the last bit of sunshine at the beach. As it turns out, this was a grave mistake. Late Sunday night and all day Monday the bites began to swell. I stayed in Montgomery on Monday night, and after looking at the bites and hearing my description of the bugs, my beach-native mom promptly made the diagnosis: yellow fly bites. I turned to the internet and learned that these horrific little creatures come out in northwest FL during the months of May and June, and pack quite a punch. Several rounds of sleep-inducing Benadryl and half a tube of hydrocortisone later, I am still miserable and swollen. I have counted 29 bites, although some on my legs have swollen together so I'm not sure how accurate my count is. How does it feel? Like poison ivy on steroids. 

Entomology lesson #1: if you are ever in a similar situation, trying to soak up the last little bit of the beach that you can, and you see this

buzzing around you, run as fast as your little legs can carry you back inside and stay there. It's just not worth it!

Thank you...

The past week has been a constant reminder of the some of the wonderful friendships the Lord has blessed me with... thank you sweet friends for your love, prayers, and support!

Lifelong buds...

Blessings from the Plains...

My sanity the past two years...

Alas, our trip comes to an end

(disclaimer: this one is loaded with pictures)

Day 5 of our Cali trip turned out to be both of our favorite, even though a large majority of it was spent in our rental car. We woke up early and headed south on Pacific Highway 1. It runs right along the Pacific Ocean and has miles and miles of unbelievable ocean views. If any of you are ever out in SF, it is more than worth the trip. We drove through Big Sur (a town famous for its huge cliffs and amazing coastal views), and continued south for another hour or so before turning around and coming back up the coast.

We stopped just south of Monterey in Carmel-by-the-Sea for a late lunch and to walk around the picturesque town. The beaches there are dog-friendly (we missed Bella terribly), and for those of you who are imagining how potentially disgusting that could be, know that there are VERY strict rules about picking up after your pet. 

The cottages along the coast are unbelievably cute...

What will one of these cute little cottages set you back? We were curious and pulled a flyer on one that was for sale - a 3/2, non-ocean view - $3.8 million. Yikes.

We then drove through of "17 Mile Drive", a stretch of beautiful homes and golf courses, including Pebble Beach. Here is the "Lone Cypress", the emblem of Pebble Beach Golf Course...

We saw a deer near the road grazing along the course and in front of one of the giant homes.

We then headed back to Monterey and enjoyed a lovely dinner along the wharf at a delicious Mexican restaurant. The salsa, entrees, and margaritas were fantastic. Our only complaint - they did not serve cheese dip (gasp!). (For those of you who do not know, Walker and I take down at least 2 cheese dips on any given visit to a Mexican restaurant.)

Sadly, we flew out the next morning. However, we were returning to B'ham relaxed and with huge academic/work burdens lifted from our shoulders. So for the moment, life in the Fain household is relaxed and wonderful :).

Day 4: Alcatraz/Palo Alto/Monterey

We spent the morning touring Alcatraz (a small island located in the middle of San Francisco Bay that served as a federal prison from the 1930s-70s). After taking a ferry from the city to the island, we had free reign to explore the island and prison at will. From the island there are beautiful views of the city and of the Golden Gate Bridge.

(the trendy headphones and lanyards around our neck are part of the audio tour of the prison)

After our Alcatraz tour, we picked up our rental car and headed south to Palo Alto, home of Stanford University. We had been told the campus was beautiful and worth the visit, and we agree. It is completely different from any university I have ever seen, and while I will always be biased to the beauty of Auburn's campus, Stanford's campus had a different sort of charm. 

We left Palo Alto and hopped on Pacific Highway 1 to Monterey. We arrived late afternoon, settled in our hotel, and headed to the downtown/marina area for dinner. Walker was instantly taken by the city's charm, and it was a nice change of pace from our miles and miles of walking in San Francisco.