Jenny Snyder

Yes, I am one of those who has a birthday week.  It's just fun to milk it if the opportunity presents itself.  Your birthday is the only time during the year that you get to celebrate you... so why not!??!

Mine fell on Good Friday this year, which was also coincidentally a company holiday for us... so I had the day off.  Mom came in that afternoon and we had the whole weekend with her - through Easter Sunday. 

I kept things low-key again this year... I tinkered with the idea of doing a bowling party at Strike City, but I just couldn't get into party mode.  Birthdays still aren't the same after losing Dad.  Maybe they will never be.  But this still didn't feel like the year for a big to-do.  It just felt like the year for family... and that felt perfect.  We took a few pics after our Easter lunch at the golf club on Sunday:

 

 

At work on Tuesday, Michelle had organized an office lunch outing for me at Greek Isles - I LOVE that place!  Bob treated everyone and it was nice to have a little group camaraderie for the afternoon.  A couple of the girls also gave me few a treats when I came in on Monday... and Kara hung a "word art" bday sign on my desk, which has now turned into a word scramble for passersby.  I've seen strange phrases on there towards the end of the week like "Benji h!ny rad thy papy".  (Let me know if any of you think of any good ones that I can put up there!)

On a different note, we've been doing a TON of work on the house... which really started with an outside landscaping project about 2 months ago (but turned into MUCH more), so I'll post some progress pictures on everything we've done with that soon.  I've gotten behind on my blogging and I've promised myself to get back into it - but it's been for good reason!  Kevin even says he might start a guest blog section on here at some point, too... to add his input in our daily lives.  Stay tuned!

Our beach pictures finally came in today - I made a new album with them.  I've told almost everyone that has seen them that getting Kevin to participate at first was like pulling teeth through his nose.  We were offered the shoot for free on the first day we were there as part of a promotional package, but I made the mistake of booking it 5 days out.  That was FIVE days of my sweet husband holding it over my head (i.e. bargaining:  "I'll do the shoot if we can spend 1 hour every day in Martin's Golf Superstore."); arguing over clothes despite instructions to wear something neutral ("We're at the beach, so why can't I wear my whale shorts for the shoot?");.. and then finally surprising me by looking as handsome as ever when it was time to go.  Not that I was surprised he looked handsome... I was just floored not to see whale shorts!

Once we were there, we (yes, both of us) had a great time.  Kevin saw a bird on his life-list that he had never seen before (a Piping Plover); we got a few great candid shots playing in the water (which unexpectedly RUSHED up on us and got our pants soaked); and some great "posed" shots in a place that is special to both us.  It will be a fun memory for years to come of our 2nd anniversary.

Here are some of my favorites:

    

 

Although it was a couple of days ago, I'm thankful to celebrate two years of marriage to my amazing husband.  He makes me double over in laughter on a daily basis, constantly keeps a smile on my face, supports me in my decisions, pulls me up when I'm down, and has somehow motivated me over the last 5 years to find the person inside myself that I never knew was there.  We've been through so much together... and there is no one else I would rather walk through life's crazy twists and turns with.

I ham sandwich you, Kevin.

Happy Birthday, Dad.  Today would've been the big 6-0.  And I'm sure we would have done everything in our right minds to embarrass you... because that's what you would have done for us.  :)  You and Mom were going to celebrate in DisneyWorld in October... and you and I were going to celebrate in London in September.

I found this picture of you and Curtis being co-Grill Masters at the cul-de-sac cookout we did for your 50th birthday.  I know it's cliche, but it really doesn't seem like that long ago.

We all miss you so much - not just today, but every day.  Love you, Dad.

 

Did I mention Kevin won his golf tournament a couple of weekends ago?  He brought home a glass trophy that is now sitting on our mantel.  And to boot, it was also his career best round - he shot a 78 on a course that he has only played one other time.  Even though he was exhausted when he got home, we ran up to our golf club to have dinner that night to celebrate.

So proud of him....

 

And my littlest boy was so darn cute... waiting patiently for us on the couch when we got home.  He was so sleepy!

 

This is a very belated post, but my mom is in town for the weekend and it made me think of it...

When I went home a few weeks ago for Mother's Day weekend, we started off on Saturday with a family reunion in the basement of the Elks Lodge (I'm not entirely sure that they even allow women on the main floor!).  It was neat to see distant cousins that I haven't seen in years... and meet family that I've never met.  And, of course, no Southern family reunion would be complete without great BBQ and banana pudding - which was plentiful and delicious!  The genealogist in our family also shared with us that the closest translation to the name Nipper (which is Granny's maiden name) - which we know is from Scotland (and explains my inability to tan) - is Napierand would have described someone who worked with linens.  Especially interesting since Granny's middle name is "Lynon".  On a side note, Granny tickled me the entire time... she went around asking all of the folks from her generation line how old they were and then they would tell her, she'd say:  "Thought so.  I'm the oldest one here.  I'm 89."  She was so proud -- and I was proud to be with her!

Granny and my little cousin, Hunter

 

Silly faces with Hunter

My cousin, Michelle - Hunter's mom.... and Hunter's Dr. Evil impression

Hunter and Michelle

Me, Mom, Michelle, Granny, and Hunter

Later that night, mom and I decided to go for a walk by the lake in her neighborhood - and had a visit with the family of ducks that lives there:

And then Mom opened her Mother's Day presents.  One of the things I did for her was a gift basket... I've gotten really into putting things into baskets rather than gift bags.  Baskets are great because once you take all of the presents out, the recipient is bound to find another use for them!

Newton made himself into a walrus with the tissue paper from one of the gifts

The next morning before I left, we went for a Mother's Day brunch at one of Mom's new favorite places to eat, Mimi's Cafe.  We had a pretty decent wait and the lobby area was PACKED full of people... but it was my first time in a Mimi's so I was entranced by the beautiful French Quarter decor and ambiance.  We were finally seated and the food was worth the wait - the muffins were the best part... WOW!  A few later, I found out they are building a Mimi's about 5 minutes from our house in H'ville... I'm so excited for it to open!

Its been a long time since I've gotten to spend Mother's Day with my mom.  She and my Dad used to spend the weekend in Amelia Island, FL - they have since I was about 15 years old (I haven't been on the trip with them since my early 20's), so I would combine Mother's Day and Father's Day and celebrate both in June.  It was very nice to spend time with her that weekend.  We had a wonderful time that meant a lot to me.

For Memorial Day, we headed way North to the exotic tropical island of New Jersey.  Rowdy and Kieran were boarded for this trip, so Fletch was the lucky winner - and he did GREAT on his first long distance car ride with us (probably thanks to the Bendryl we gave him before we left).  We got up at 3:30am on Saturday expecting a 10hr trip, but actually made in there in about 8.5hrs.  Still long, but not as bad as we thought.  Here's Fletchie passed out in his bed in the backseat:

Since I have 4 full days to cover, here's a quick summary of each day:

Saturday (Day 1):  Arrived around lunchtime.  Sat on the porch and talked for a while and enjoyed the beautiful weather.  Opened my birthday present from Kevin's parents - beautiful outdoor serving dishes perfect for a cookout and a gift certificate to Target.  And received a new wedding band from Kevin made by the same jeweler in NJ who custom-made my engagement ring!  Went a comedy club that night for Kevin's Dad's birthday.  Had dinner first at the hotel where the comedy club was.  It was prom night, so we watched the prom parade go through.  We were all in shock at most of the dresses that these girls were wearing ("did their mothers REALLY buy that for them?  Their boobs are hanging out!").  My favorite was a beautiful - and tasteful - Lilly Pulitzer black and white dress with a pink sash around it.  Once we were inside the comedy club, we picked a table close to the front - Kevin sat almost ON the stage right at the head of the table and he seemed to fair game for both acts.  The opening lady referred him as a "sonogram in a sports shirt" since he is so young looking.  The headliner, Ben Hague, who was INCREDIBLY funny, picked on him all night... nicknaming him "Chad" and constantly teasing him about being well-dressed in his green Lacoste pants and matching green/white striped golf shirt.  We talked to him for a few minutes after the show and as it turns out, his favorite golfers for fashion are Kevin's favorite as well - Ian Poulter, Luke Donald, etc.

Sunday (Day 2):  Kevin played an early morning tennis match with his Dad while Fletch and I slept in VERY late.  Once I got up and going, everyone was preparing for a small cookout in honor of Kevin's Dad's bday... so I helped a little with that.  Lots of yummy food both made by his family and catered by Whole Foods.  And there were DOGS GALORE!  Ashleigh (Kev's middle-older sister) brought her two Boston Terriers, Violet and Lilly.  Emily (Kev's younger sister) and her husband Marcin brought their Jack Russell, Duncan, and their Boston Terrier, Angus.  And his parents have a Jack Russell, Cubbie, and a Boston Terrier, Minnie.  And a big backyard.  Fletch felt like he was on vacation at the dog park all weekend.  He loved it!  Below is a picture of Ashleigh's babies, Violet and Lilly.

Monday (Day 3):  Outlet shopping!  One thing I love about this area is the amount of AMAZING outlets that it has to offer.  We went to Flemington, NJ to the Liberty Village Outlets because I wanted to visit the Michael Kors outlet there (and they also have a J Crew outlet at that location).  My happy self came away with a new MK  Montauk bag (see picture) that I have been stalking at random department store for 6+ months... at an unspeakable price!  Kevin's Mom and sister ended up getting bags at the MK outlet, too -- the prices were that amazing.  I also found a few cute things at the J Crew outlet as did Kevin (he actually stocked up on a ton of things... pants, critter shorts, several golf shorts - he did great!), and found a couple of pairs of comfy summer wedge heels at the Bass outlet.  Jennifer (Kevin's oldest sister) and her daughter Diana came back over that evening for dinner.  Kevin and Diana played softball in the front yard - and boy can that girl hit a ball!  She's unbelieveably athetic and is playing golf and tennis in addition to T-ball/softball.

Tuesday (Day 4):Kevin's Mom and I ran a couple of errands in the morning after we were up and going.  They gave me a Lord & Taylor gift certificate for Christmas after Kevin told them there was an L&T in Charlotte - the closest one is actually in VA, so I had been excited to go to the one up in NJ while were were visiting.  I found the most adorable French Connection shirtdress in a color called Limoncello that I was in LOVE with, but unfortunately... thanks to the trendy empire waist cut which doesn't flatter girls with big boobs and little waists... it didn't work on me.  HUGE disappointment as I still don't think I'm over that dress.  If it pops up on Ebay at some point down the road, I still might get it!  It was just that cute!  I did, however, find a great pair of brown mock croc heels that are uber-comfy (rare find for my picky feet) and an lime green tie with golf tees on it for Kevin.  Mission accomplished and I left L&T a happy camper!  We then went to a pet boutique up there called "Dogs & Cats Rule" where I found a cute sailboat leash and collar that I had intended for Rowdy, but when Kevin saw it - he asked if it could go to Fletch.  I forgot that poor Fletch is the only one without a decorative set.  So its now his.  Good thing, too... I looked at the manufacturer's website and found a LOBSTER one that I can get for Rowdy!  Yesssss!  Below is the pattern... as well as Kevin showing Fletch his new collar.

 

Wednesday (Day 5):  Up at 5:30am, on the road at 6am.  We hit rain somewhere around VA, so the drive took at little longer.  Fletch slept the whole way again - he's an amazing travel companion.  He was certainly excited when I brought his siblings home from the kennel, though - everyone sure did miss each other!  Traveling is great and we certainly had a wonderful time with everyone in NJ.... but it was nice to have our little family back home and snuggle up with all three kids.  Home sweet home.

My cousins, Mike and Diane, just flew to Seoul, Korea about a month ago to adopt a 9-month old baby boy they have named Kaden.  (This process has taken them well over a year... and they were given very short notice when it was time to actually fly over to get Kaden, so there has been a LOT of anticipation for his arrival from our family!)

She sent me a few pictures of him last night.  My Granny, pictured with him below, is thrilled to be a Great Grandma again! 

So much for spring.  We must really be trying to live up to that whole "April Showers Bring May Flowers" stuff... it's 52 and rainy today.  Did I mention it was 70-something and sunny yesterday?!?!  Sandals and white pants yesterday... tights and a wool dress today.  Booooo!

April 3... one year ago today was when we lost Granddaddy.  I always laugh when I think about Kevin saying that the first words out of Granddaddy's mouth when he saw Dad walking up to him in Heaven were:  "Well what the heck are you doing here right now?"  Granddaddy used to LOVE to tell me stories about his travels... and especially of all the famous people he would run into:  Don Ho, Sophia Loren, Gene Kelly (he even said he wasn't as nice as you'd think!).  His list went on and on and I loved to listen.  One of my favorite presents to pick out for him were books of Hollywood stars and starlets from his time... and then I would stop what I was doing just to watch him open those books and thumb through the pictures.  I could just see the wheels turning in his head of all of the stories he was remembering - the ones he had encountered himself, the things he knew about them, the movies he had seen them in.  Maybe Granddaddy is where I get my celebrity gossip afficiando from!

The picture below is one of my favorites from the wedding.  I love the smile on Granddaddy's face in the background - so truly candid.  I love the interaction between Grandma and I while she is looking at my ring.  I just love the moment that was captured.

Love you, Granddaddy.

These boots are made for puddle jumpin'!  Pink wellies with high heels, lipstick, and martini glasses?  Be still my heart!!  I've been dying for a pair of really adorable Wellies for a couple of years now.  I came close last year at J Crew when I found a pair with pugs on them, but couldn't pull the trigger since I don't have a pug in my dog collection.  But this pair might just be too cute for me to pass up!

On a different note, today is the 6 month anniversary of Dad's passing.  I told Kevin last night that I couldn't believe the last conversation we had was 6 months ago [the night before he died].  I talked to Mom earlier today - she was going up to the gravesite this afternoon to put fresh flowers on his headrest.  We were saying that it just didn't feel like that much time had gone by - it was so hard to believe.  Mom has just amazed me... she's so strong and has really learned to keep her chin up and make the best of her new life.  She knows that's what Dad would want for her. 

And funny thing - Dad and I always picked our NCAA brackets together when we entered our respective pools.  What a week for me to be missing him... who is going to help me pick my brackets!?!?!

Love you and miss you, Dad.