Holiday Prep & two four-legged Vagabonds

Since we got home from El Paso, we have had our noses to the grindstone...Nick has been acting commander of his company which has made for some pretty stressful days at work and I have been taking my role as Mommy-to-be and Christmas elf very seriously.

Because of the miserable shopping opportunities here in Clarksville, I made three trips to Nashville this past week, and am proud to report that Emmy's room is stocked and our Christmas shopping is officially done! My plan is to stay closer to home for the next couple of weeks--I would really hate to be by myself an hour away from home when Emmy decides to show up :-P.

Speaking of showing up, we had a couple of unexpected visitors arrive in our garage yesterday afternoon...Nick found an adorable little cocker spaniel and an equally adorable black and white mutt looking for some TLC when he went to take the garbage out. They both had collars without identification tags and the mutt still had a leash attached--which caused us to be rather perplexed. Nick proceeded to walk the two little girls around our neighborhood in hopes of finding a concerned owner, but had no luck. With nightfall rapidly approaching, it looked like we were in for a sleepover. We set them up with food and water and a make-shift bed in the garage and provided some cuddles--the cocker in particular was so distressed she kept climbing into our laps and giving us hugs--it was the sweetest thing.

We made up fliers and posted them all around our neighborhood...Around 9:30pm last night, when I took Molly and Darla out to go potty, I heard someone calling a name--I let Nick know and he ran out to go check with the person. We found the owner! The dogs belong to one of our neighbors who was out shopping for the day and her elderly mother had taken the dogs out in their fenceless backyard and lost grip of the leash. She was apparently unable to come after them. Such a huge relief, we were so worried!! We have our hands full enough right now to take in a couple more dogs even though we were tempted!



Gracie's mug shot for our "Found Dog" fliers.


"Q" on the move.


New friendships created over cheese.


Gracie climbed into Nick's lap every time he would kneel to offer some scratches.

Our last trip without Emmy!

Nick and I are home now from our very last couple trip for a long while! We kept commenting to eachother throughout our travel day..."last time going through security quickly" and "last time sleeping on a plane"...We were so happy to touch down in Nashville, being that we won't leave here again without our baby girl.

Last week was a busy one...After Nick and I arrived home from Indy, I had two days to unpack, do laundry, and re-pack. I also snuck in a doctor's appointment to make sure that we were good to travel. My conversation with Dr. Anderson went a little like this: "I am traveling to El Paso tomorrow, any objections?" He chuckled and told me that I was cutting it a little close (36 weeks is the travel cut-off), but being that this pregnancy is low-risk he said I should be ok. That's all I needed to hear!!

I was so touched that my girlfriend, Taylor is an equal-opportunity bride and graciously allowed me to strut my stuff in a maternity bridesmaid's dress as one of her matrons of honor. Kris was matron of honor (MOH) #2! I flew to El Paso last Wednesday morning to offer up my services (although, I'll be honest, between being unable to lift heavy things or to last long on my feet, I'm not good for much these days :-P). Taylor met me at the airport dressed to the nines (Taylor's sense of style is unmatched by most) to whisk me away to lunch and manis and pedis (something my nails haven't gotten to experience in, um, years). We finished off the night with a delicious welcome dinner at Taylor's mom's house for those family members and bridal party attendants who were in town. It's been a few years since I've spent time with Taylor and her family, but it felt as if no time had passed at all :-).

Taylor, Betsy (one of the other bridesmaids) and I kicked off Thursday by picking up Kris, Alisha and Adam from the airport! So good to have the gang all together!! We grabbed some authentic Mexican food for lunch at a local hotspot and started preparing for the Bachelorette party that night! Of course, Taylor's Bachelorette party was nothing but super classy! The large group of ladies enjoyed yummy drinks and a delectable spread of appies and lots of good laughs at Taylor's mom's house! We capped off the evening by toasting Taylor's Bachelorette-hood over "wedding-cake martinis" and such at a nearby lounge. Fun times were had by all!

My Nick arrived on Friday morning! After picking him up from the airport and tucking him into bed at the hotel (I booked him on the earliest flight available and therefore robbed him of adequate sleep), Kris, Alisha and I were off to the Bridesmaid's luncheon. The event was just beautiful! We enjoyed a catered lunch poolside and opened Taylor's thoughtful bridesmaid's gifts. She had picked out the perfect accessories to go with our dresses :-). We then changed for the western-themed dress rehearsal and dinner...After running through the ceremony, Kris notified Nick that he should start saving for Emmy's wedding now, because she went NUTTY during the rehearsal (and also the actual wedding). She clearly shares my love of weddings ;-). We had a huge celebration dinner at the best steakhouse in El Paso! JP arrived from the airport just in time to join in the fun and put away some serious food!! Adam very observantly noticed that I had the giggles that night, despite my non-alcoholic Shirley Temple drinks. I just love it when we are all together! There is nothing like spending time with old friends...

Saturday was the big day! The boys left early to make their tee-time at a super-nice new golf course in town...Unfortunately, I was not up so early being that I had over-indulged on my steak dinner the night before, leaving me with a bit of heartburn and nausea. Not the day to be feeling crummy....but Lish and Kris came to my rescue! They gathered me food and meds and patched me up in time for our hair appointments! Taylor had thoughtfully arranged for (handpainted) boxed lunches to munch on as a bunch of us girls took over the salon! After getting beautiful, we headed to the church to put the finishing touches on the former Miss Taylor B and then to send her down the aisle to her hubby-to-be. They shared the most beautiful and emotional vows, and before we new it, they were Mr. and Mrs. Danny and Taylor Moreno! Hooray!! We celebrated their union with an exquisite party at Ardovino's Desert Crossing :-). Taylor has the midas touch, which was very apparent with the stunning decor...Best of all was seeing the gigantic smiles plastered across both she and Danny's faces!

The next morning Nick and I joined Taylor and Danny and all of their family and closest friends for a delectable Mexican brunch and to say our goodbyes. I hate that part of traveling. We then jetted off to the airport to head home :-). We are looking forward to holing up here in Clarksville and getting everything ready for Miss Emmy! Next project: Christmas preparations!


The Bride and her maids! Betsy, Kris, Alisha, Taylor, me & Kyleigh


The celebratory kamikaze shot that made Kris' legs tingly :-P


Bridesmaid's luncheon...I'm taking notes on the beautiful decor ideas!


Kris and Taylor with their champagne-based beverages (not too much longer & that'll be me!)


Kris, me, Taylor & Lish


Kris' hair looking as if she'd stuck her finger in an electrical outlet...but still manages to look beautiful along with the giddy bride!


So great to see Lish so happy in a hair stylist chair! ;-D Her hair looked beautiful!


The dress fit! Getting big at 36.1 weeks!


Laughing away any pre-wedding jitters!!


The blushing bride :-)


Our fun multi-colored shoes--courtesy of Taylor!


Emmy getting kisses from Auntie Lishy and Auntie Kristi :-D


Go Team Horn!


JP, Kris, Adam, Lish, Taylor, Danny, me & my Nick...can't wait until we're all together again!


The head table...only Taylor and her mom would dream up such an awesome concept.


MOH speech...it didn't take long for the shoes to come off :-P


Taylor and Danny sharing their beautifully choreographed first dance.


Taylor dancing with her grandfather with the help of her brother, William. One of my favorite highlights of the night...

On the road again

We are packing it in to this last week that we are able to travel before being house-bound. After Nick finished up work on Friday afternoon, we hopped into the car and headed to Indiana to celebrate JP's big 3-0!! We arrived late in the evening, but that didn't stop Nick and JP from hanging out and catching up until the wee hours of the morning :-). Just like old times...

Saturday morning came earlier for JP than for Nick, who woke up with the sun (and Andy)...Not too long after, the boys were off to soak in the gorgeous fall weather and play some golf!! Us girls (and Andy) had different plans for our morning...We went shopping with a mission: finding matching outfits for our children for Christmas!! Oh my gosh were we successful!! The Children's Place had a big sale on dress clothes--so we got Claire and Emmy matching outfits down to the tights and headbands and Andy will compliment them perfectly with his sweater vest and page-boy cap! As if those outfits weren't prefect enough, they also had a big sale on jammies...You see where this is going...We were positively giddy with excitement over our purchases!!

Saturday night, after the kids were sound asleep and in the care of their babysitter, we went out for an adult dinner at Meridian in downtown Indy! We had a delicious four-course dinner and enjoyed lots of great laughs to help ring in JP's 30th year!

Sunday morning, JP and Andy invited Nick to join them for their man-breakfast at their favorite local joint. While the boys put away some grub, us girls got to enjoy the quiet and kick-back and chat...Later on, we reunited for a family walk on the Monon trail--such a great way to cap off our celebration weekend! Just a couple of days at home before I head to El Paso for Taylor and Danny's wedding (Nick will join me later in the week!) Wish me luck for an easy travel day!!!


35.1 weeks


Dysfunctional prom pose


Andy LOVING the leaves!


Silly boy :-)





Sibs :-)


Clairey picked up some leaves with her death-grip


The Sacksteder Family

Horn family Halloween

Nick and I decided to begin our own Horn family Halloween traditions this year, being that this is the first that we've celebrated together. We still have to iron out a few kinks, but I would say that, all in all, we did a decent job honoring the day! In true Horn fashion, we shopped for candy at the very last possible moment, which actually proved to be a smart move so that we were unable to consume any unnecessary calories in advance. Nick decided that in addition to a couple of variety packs of small candy bars and blow pops, we should also buy a box of king-sized candy bars for those kids who have the best costumes. (I might save that tradition for the years that Nick is around--I'd rather not witness the reactions of the group while awarding one kid a king-sized bar while tossing the others some mini treats. But, I like where his head is--very creative tradition!)

Then we went to go see a scary movie: Law Abiding Citizen. Nick said that it was suspenseful but not scary...All I know is that I experience the same visceral response to suspense as I do to fear, so I considered it to be a scary movie. I put aside my distaste for both of these movie genres in the spirit of the holiday...Nick was ever-so appreciative knowing what a huge concession that is for me to make :-P. I think I can open my mind up to non-romantic comedy flicks once a year in the name of family tradition.

We spent the evening munching on Cheddar-Cider fondue with all the trimmings and Halloween candy while jumping up to answer the door and greet our many trick-or-treaters (and also to run out the door to chase down a couple of opportunistic dogs named Molly and Darla who made a break for it--hopefully this will not be a recurrent behavior)! The only thing missing from our Halloween celebration was a pumpkin presence on our doorstep or any photo documentation...Maybe next year!

Here is the yummy fall recipe for our fondue dinner (I slightly altered an original Food Network recipe)--we highly recommend it!

Cheddar-Cider Fondue

• 1 (12-ounce) bottle apple cider
  
• 3/4 cup chicken broth, low-sodium canned
• 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 pound Gruyere, grated
• 1/2 pound sharp Vermont cheddar
• 3 tablespoons corn starch
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt to taste

Fondue Dippers:

• sliced baguette
• beef sausage slices
• steamed red potatoes
• steamed broccoli & cauliflower
• apple slices
  

Directions:

Heat cider, broth, Worcestershire, and garlic in an electric fondue pot over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Toss the cheeses together in a medium bowl. Sift the corn starch over the cheese, and toss to coat lightly.

Using a wooden spoon, sprinkle some cheese mixture into the warm liquid and continue to stir in small amounts of cheese until it is all incorporated and the fondue is smooth and melted, about 15 minutes. Stir in cayenne and salt.

*You can use a medium pot on the stove to prepare the fondue over medium heat and then transfer to a non-electric fondue pot or double boiler.

Sweet Home California

Whew! Molly, Darla and I just arrived home from a jam-packed trip to Indiana, California and back to Indiana! We started the first leg of the trip on Monday the 19th after Darla was discharged from the Vet. We arrived at Kris and JP's house just several hours before we needed to pack up the kiddos and head to the Indy airport. Kris and I doubled as mules hauling three excessively full carry-ons, two carseats, a double stroller, one very excited Andy and one very happy-go-lucky Claire Sacksteder through the airport (THANK GOODNESS for JP who got us to security!) We pretty much looked like a freak show and were reminded more than once how very fertile we are. Gotta love the TSA security people.

Andy could not have been more excited about going to the "gate" to board the "airplane", that is until we got to the threshold of our aircraft, when he changed his mind..."Andy done now" was what he said as we carried him onto the plane and Kris and I shared a look that screamed "oh my gosh this is going to be a very, very long day". Fortunately, after about twenty minutes of Kris frantically offering up all of the goodies she'd packed for him, he settled down when Kris agreed to hold his hand. It was too sweet for words. The rest of the day went relatively smoothly, despite moving the equipment from gate to gate... But we made it, all in one piece!!

We deplaned to GORGEOUS California-fall weather (mid-70s and not a cloud in the sky). We lucked out and enjoyed similar weather ALL WEEK!! Nick joined us on Saturday afternoon, not even 18 hours after he had landed stateside. We took full advantage of the outdoor conditions with plenty of walks and playing at a few different parks. We visited Mom at her classroom, took Andy to a pumpkin patch (where he got a pint-sized pumpkin we named "George"). We had a super yummy breakfast at Denny's with Grandpa and Mom, celebrated Aunt Kerry's birthday with Grandma and the Odell clan and prepared for my BEAUTIFUL baby shower!! Kris and Mom hosted a gorgeous "sugar and spice" shower...It was so wonderful to see so many of my favorite people who absolutely spoiled Miss Emmy rotten!! She will undoubtedly be the best dressed little peanut in town and has a very impressive collection of children's books already! Nick and I were also able to catch up with some of our high school friends over ice cream...The trip, as usual, went by entirely too quickly and we weren't able to visit with nearly everyone that we had wanted to :-(.

Nick flew home on Monday night to get back to work and to prepare for the upcoming memorial services of the fallen soldiers who perished in the most recent helicopter crashes in Virginia and Afghanistan. Please keep these men and their families in your prayers....

Kris and I headed home with the kiddos on Tuesday morning...Between rude airport personnel, long lines and individuals hogging the family restroom to smoke (meanwhile juggling two small children both with "blow-out" diapers) Kris and I were left never wanting to step foot in an airport again...Needless to say, we were overjoyed to see JP standing at the security gate waiting to help. I swear I saw a halo over his head...

I stuck around yesterday to watch Andy and Claire so that Kris and JP could enjoy a much-deserved date night in celebration of JP's big 3-0!! Molly, Darla and I enjoyed the beautiful drive back to Tennessee this afternoon, and are very excited for Nick to walk through the door. :-)


Kris has the golden touch.


Flying Sacksteders


Looking positively haggard after our travel day, but loving Andy's kisses and Clairey's cuddles!


Kris and her babies :-)


Clairey will, in all likelihood, have smile lines before she's 2.


Andy directing traffic at the swan park at Blackhawk Plaza.


May I take your order??


Swan park boo-boo...the down-side of running everywhere you go.


Andy, Grandpa Jack, Mimi and Clairey...three generations together!


Mimi and Claire


BABY SHOWER!!!


Everything was pink and green :-)


Kris' beautiful, sugary favors complete with pink lemonade packets labeled with Emmy's initials!

That was the extent of the pictures I took, luckily, my mother-in-law is always camera-ready--the unfortunate part is that we don't get many pictures with her in them! :-(


Kris and I both wearing Kris' clothes :-P


The delicious spread courtesy of Mom, Kris, Joni, Mrs. Horn & Becky!


Linda, Becky, me, Jess, Lindsay & Joni


Jess, Kris & Annie


Aunt Kerry, Grandma & Pam


My Nick under Clairey's spell.


Marty, Aunt Annette, me & Laura


The Ladies


Papa and Andy overwhelmed by all the estrogen in the room.



Eliana, Ben, Mr. Horn, Grant, Lamar & Becky

Good News!

Thank you all for your concern about our sweet little Darla...She is doing so much better!! I am in California right now with Kris and the kiddos (more stories and pictures to come!) Darla and Molly are staying with my rock-star of a brother-in-law, JP, in Indiana right now. Word on the street is that Darla is thoroughly enjoying her prescription diet (she doesn't even chew her food, she eats it so fast for fear that Molly might steal it) and is back to energetic self (poor JP)! Such a huge relief!!

In other good news, Nick should be on his way back to Tennessee (I haven't heard from him, and I always choose to believe that no news is good news)!! Provided everything goes smoothly, he should be boarding a California-bound plane in about 17 hours! For now, we are keeping our fingers crossed that there aren't any unforseen delays--you never know with the Air Force...:-P Another deployment down!! HOORAY!!