Lacey came to visit...

Walker was out of town this past week on business, my research is nearing an end so my free time has increased dramatically, and I wanted some added entertainment for the week, so I requested a week-long visit from my canine niece, Lacey. Matt agreed, and alas, I had another dog for the week! I am not too fond of being alone at night, and I went from having a guard dog that looks like this...

to one that looks like this...

Bella is two months older than Lacey and they have essentially grown up together. Here they are at 4 and 2 months...

And this week...

Lacey has come along way from this...

to this...

She is 75 lbs of muscle, energy and affection. She thinks she is a lapdog and will do whatever she can to be close to you. Where Bella loves to lounge on her bed on the ground, Lacey prefers to curl up next to you on the couch with her head in your lap. Matt has done an excellent job training her, so she was a breeze to take care of. I thoroughly enjoyed our temporary family addition!

Destin & Dobb's Birthday

Over the fourth Walker and I headed down to Sandestin for a few days. All of the Fain siblings + spouses were present with the exception of the Norris's, who were missed greatly. We stayed in a condo at Baytowne Wharf, spent everyday down at the beach (and let's be honest, 90% of that time was spent in the water b/c it was so ridiculously hot), and ate delicious seafood. 4 days at the Gulf go by entirely too quick...

@ the Red Bar (where we got a free meal due to a sudden storm that arose as we ate on the patio: free Red Bar = zero complaints from the Fain's/Griesheimer's)

brothers

siblings + me and Eric

the whole crew...

brother & sister

Last night we hosted a cookout for Jennifer's 24th birthday. About 30 minutes prior to the party starting, we lost power (frequent power outages are one of the VERY few negatives of living in Homewood), which resulted in some creative cooking (i.e., cooking Rotel on the grill - it worked brilliantly) and cupcakes that melted to look like this (don't worry, they were still delicious - any other funfetti cake + rainbow chip icing fans out there?)... 

the birthday girl

my husband the grill-master

we love Brad!

Dobbs & Fran

(side note: power was restored about an hour and a half into the party - hence the electricity present in the indoor photos)

the past 2 weekends...

2 weeks ago Walker & I celebrated our 1 year anniversary! It is hard to believe over a year has gone by since our big day...

Bella celebrated our anniversary by picking up a viral infection and giving us a couple of nights of less-than-restful sleep while we took care of (read: cleaned up after) her. After a trip to the vet for anti-emetics and rehydration, and several days of rest, she has since made a full recovery.

Last weekend Walker & I went home to visit mom and for Father's Day. We got to spend a few hours with my niece Lauren, and I attempted to continue playing with/learning the ever-difficult but always-important manual setting on my camera (it doesn't hurt to have such cute subject matter).

Happy weekend to everyone!

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!