Not much...

If you read my post earlier from the day I left you would see that I said how much I was going to miss my precious little girl. She is the love of my life, and every time I see a little kiddo I just miss her dearly. Apparently this is a one way street.

I called a few days ago to talk to her. It was in the morning and she had just woken up. She was laying in bed with Steve watching Shrek before having to get ready for school.

Steve: 'Gracie it's mommy. Do you want to talk to her?'
Gracie: 'Wwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!'
(Translated - 'No I am watching Shrek and I do not want to talk')

Then yesterday, I planned to call when I knew she would have already been up for a few hours and maybe more willing to talk. So I called Saturday morning (her time) before they left for Henderson. 

Steve: 'Gracie it's mommy. Do you want to talk to her?'
Gracie: 'No.'
Steve: 'Gracie, it's mommy. She wants to talk to you. She wants to tell you about the present she bought you.'
Gracie: 'No'

.....after a little convincing she decided it would be ok to talk to me for a few minutes. So we chatted a bit, then I said 'Gracie, I really miss you. I can't wait to see you. Do you miss mommy?'
Gracie: 'I miss you a little bit, but not much.'

Awesome. Love you too honey.

Delivery!

My trip has been going great so far. I am extremely busy but it’s great to be here and know what I am doing and have friendly familiar faces to welcome me back. I spent the first part of the week in Mumbai going back and forth between our different office locations visiting with each of my teams.


On Tuesday, India celebrated a holiday, Republic Day. Most of the staff was out of the office on this day, but there were some teams that still had to come to work. For those teams, myself and the other onsite manger decided to order pizza to say thanks, but also as a treat for working over the holiday. We had about 80 people to feed so we decided to order pizza. Luckily there was someone in the office to help us, because I am almost 100% positive that there would have been no pizza party if we had been on our own. Once the pizza was ordered, we had to walk down to the restaurant to pay....when asked if they took credit cards, the guy said ‘Yes, but you have to come here to pay. We can’t bring the machine to you.’ OOOOkaaaay. So off we went. A five minute walk and since I am writing this today, no I did not get run over. However the guy who help me insisted that he walk on the outside just in case…..awesome.

So the pizza was paid for, we headed back to meet the team and wait for dinner to arrive – did I mention that we ordered 30 pizzas?? We wanted to make sure there was plenty and figured there would be some left over and so other people on the floor could have some too. When the pizza arrived we all went into the café to set it out and let the teams start eating…and then it happened. In about 5 minutes, all the pizza was GONE. 30 pizzas. GONE. The fact that they ate it so fast was not really the problem, it was that some people actually did not get to eat because we had planned to go in shifts. OMG it was hilarious! Luckily most everyone did eat and they were all happy to have the treat. But now we know that next time we will order much much more!

Big thanks to Smokin Joes Pizza for the good dinner!
 

Here I go again

I am leaving today, heading back to India for work. I am excited to go, probably more so than I was last time. I now know what I am doing, people at work, and have done this before. So this round I can spend more time enjoying the trip rather than being in culture & new job shock. This will be true for the first week, because the second week of my trip I will be in Penang, Malaysia. Another place I have NEVER been and probably would have NEVER had a chance to visit. I am excited, but a little anxious - i guess would be the right word. It's a new place, a new experience, who knows what I will encounter! Regardless, I am excited and thankful to have a job that allows me to go around the world.


There is one downside to this, and that is time away from my family and my most prized possession. I love you baby and I'll see you soon!
 

The Dirty Thirties

Yep, Steve is now the big 30...according to his birth certificate. As for the age he acts, well, that depends on the day. (Just kidding Steve!!) We went all out this year for his big day. I planned a night out on the town with lots of friends and family. We went to this great bar Lustre Pearl located in downtown Austin, stayed at Hilton Inn downtown, and had a fancy late night dinner at Le IHOP. The night was perfect! The only bad part was that there wasn’t enough time to visit with everyone. Next year the party will start at NOON!!

Thanks again to everyone who was able to make it out. We love you all and hope to see you again in another 30 yrs!

Conversations with a 2 Year Old

Last night I was giving Gracie a bath and the conversation was just to priceless not to share. Enjoy!

The bath started off as normal...bubbles...singing...playing with her ABC letters, etc....then the chatting really kicked off!

(Gracie sees her reflection in the metal faucet)
Gracie: Mommy, I see my boobies.
KQ: Oh really?
Gracie: Yes, mommy. Look my boobies.
KQ: Yes Gracie, I see them.
Gracie: Mommy, NOT LOOK AT MY BOOBIES!
KQ: Oh sorry...

A few minutes go by, we sing the ABC’s a few times...

Gracie: Mommy, I have a booboo on my knee.
(I look, no visible injury)
KQ: Oh no, how did that happen?
Gracie: Daddy hit me.
KQ: Daddy hit your knee?
Gracie: Yes, daddy hit my knee, Bailey hit my knee, Caileb hit my knee, Desiree hit my knee.....
(you get the idea)

More singing, more playing, then time comes to wash her hair. So I put soap in her hair and she is standing up so I can rinse it out using a big cup filled with water.

Gracie: Mommy, not get water in my eyes!
KQ: Ok I won’t. Keep your head back.
Gracie: Mommy, the water is going in my butt!
KQ: What?
Gracie: It is going from my hair to my butt!!
KQ: Oh, sorry....

Not Tell Me NO!!!!

I knew when Steve and I found out that we were going to have a baby that we would have our work cut out for us. I mean, I am bossy, stubborn, loud....Steve is hard headed, devious, and VERY opinionated. So what else can you expect when you have a child together? I’ll tell you what you get, a little girl named Gracie who knows exactly what she wants and does NOT want.

Her latest thing to say....’Mommy, not tell me ____________’. For instance, I might say, Gracie you need to put on your shoes, and she will reply with, ‘Mommy, not tell me I need to put on my shoes.’ Or ‘Mommy, not tell me close the door’. Or ‘Mommy, not tell me go potty’. And what is my reply....”Momma gonna tell you what to do whether you like it or not. The End.’

Lord help us.

Need Help, Will pay

Well again, I have fallen off the blogging wagon…and thanks to friends like HEATHER who seem to find time to blog ALL THE TIME, I feel even worse. ;-) No really, where does my time go???

So what have we been up too? Well....

1. Lots of birthdays...me, my dad, Ethan…he turned 1! And my sister is now 31…..and still a cougar ;-)
2. Several weddings...Mike & Andrea...Kyle & Candice...and Steve’s friend Joe from college.
3. We took Gracie on her first beach trip….and let me just say we had an AMAZING time!
4. living life!

Well that is it for now, because honestly, I should be WORKING!!! I’ll be back soon……I promise.

Gracie turns 2!

Our little angel (or devil…depending on the day) turned 2 on April 4th. She got to celebrate twice, once with The Hand family in Henderson and then again with all of my family in Austin. It just amazes me almost every day that Steve and I have a little child. I think I ask him at least once a week… ‘Can you believe how big Gracie is??’
I remember how much I loved when she was a little baby, but I think this age has been even more fun. Every day something new happens….she says a new word, sings a new song, fits into bigger clothes, tries the big slide at the park, asks you to push her higher in the swing, etc. Every day there is a sign of how much she is growing up. Happy Birthday Gracie!

India: Shopping and Sightseeing

Yesterday I had the chance to do some shopping and sightseeing around Mumbai (Bombay). It has been interesting when I ask people about the town, just how many still say Bombay. It seems to depend a lot on age. Older people grew up with the town as Bombay at it has a great nostalgia for them, but the younger generation has less allegiance to the name Bombay and seem ok with the change. But overall, a majority of people use the name Bombay.
Javed and I started off from the hotel and headed to the downtown area to meet two girls I work with. We stopped a little along the way to do some shopping and then met up with the girls in Colaba. I bought several things there….jewelry, pashminas, etc. The girls did all the bargaining for me to make sure I was getting a good price. I have had some experience bargaining in Mexico, but nothing compared to what these two were capable of. Most of the time, they spoke in Hindi with the vendors, so I was clueless for most of it. But I knew they were getting a good deal when the seller looked less happy about the final price. Then we headed to Bandera where the shops are more current, like Nine West. We didn’t spend too much time there, but it was interesting to see that side of the shopping as well.

In between shopping we stopped at the Gateway of India and a Mahatma Gandhi’s museum. The Gateway was amazing. There were people everywhere and it is next to the Taj Hotel, which is also a sight to see.


Facts about the Gateway: It was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to Bombay in 1911. The Gateway was the monument that visitors arriving by boat would have first seen in the city of Bombay. The cost of the construction was Rs. 21 lakhs (2,100,000), borne mainly by the Government of India. For lack of funds, the approach road was never built, and so the Gateway stands at an angle to the road leading up to it.



Next stop was the museum.

Facts about the Museum: Mani Bhavan is a simple old-style, two storied building on Laburnum Road, Mumbai. Whenever Gandhiji was in Mumbai between 1917 to 1934, he stayed here. It was converted into a museum and research centre. Mani Bhavan is recognised as a Research Institute preparing students for Ph.D. degree in Gandhian Thought and Rural Development by University of Bombay.



Library - consists of around 50,000 books & periodicals in reference and lending sections. It contains books on and by Gandhi, Gandhian thoughts, freedom movements and allied subjects.



Gandhiji's Room: The room on the second floor which used to be the living room and working place of Gandhiji has been preserved as far as possible in its original setting.


The Terrace: A bronze plaque with an inscription now marks the place of the tent in which Gandhiji was arrested in January, 1932. He used to sleep and hold his prayers on this terrace. (This was close while we were there)

It was a great day. I got lots of good gifts and a few things for myself as well. :)

I spent Sunday sleeping late, laying by the pool, and relaxing in my room - a day of well deserved and needed rest. Tomorrow I am off to Pune for three days, to see our other facility.

KQ goes to India

Yes, that is correct, I arrived in India on Sunday. I am here for work. I started a new job this week who’s home office is in India; so I am here for two weeks to complete training. The flight was LONG…..Austin to Atlanta…then Atlanta to Mumbai. FIFTEEN HOURS. But you all know me, I either slept or watched TV the whole time. Three movies in all, Made of Honor, 007, and Slumdog Millionaire. Heather was so nice to loan me several books for my long trip….but I have yet to open one. Sorry friend. :(
So, I got here on Sunday and found my way around the airport and then out to find my taxi. The company has a car service with a very infamous driver named Javed. Everyone told me ‘he is the best!’. So imagine my surprise when I got in the car and we sped off at top speed, honking at everyone, nearly missing people, cars, buildings, etc. Well, now that I have been here almost a week now, I to agree, HE IS THE BEST! But people really should give a disclaimer of how people drive in India.

Everything has been great so far. My hotel is very nice, the service is amazing and the people are so incredibly friendly. I haven’t ventured out on the food side of things, as most of you know I don’t even eat dark meat chicken much less food from a street vendor, but this weekend I have plans to go shopping, visit the Gateway to India, and to various museums so I’ll try to sample some of the local cuisine. But fortunately, probably because of my eating habits, I have yet to get sick. WHOOHOO!

Here are a few pictures I have taken so far. Miss you all! See you soon. :)

(View of the city from my hotel)



(My hotel)


(Looking out the car window....)


(Notice the light is red, yet we are all going through it)

New Addition to the Family

No, we didn’t have another child….well not a human one; we got a new DOG. And by we, I mean Steve. Steve has wanted a big dog for many years now. At first I was able to get out of it when we lived in an apartment. Then we had Gracie so I used her as an excuse saying we didn’t need anything else to take care of and plus we didn’t want a big dog to run her over or lay on her (you know, the normal things parents worry about). But now that she is older and we have a big back yard I had no excuses left.

Steve searched for months until he found just the one he wanted. He settled on Jake, a 7 month old American Mastiff/Anatolian mix. Although we have gone through a few frustrating adjustments to having a BIG dog, he really is the sweetest dog. Very good on a leash, loves Gracie and Scooter, and super friendly. Here are some pics of Jake and Scooter. I promise Scooter is very happy even though the picture does not show that. ;-)

Running Update

My goal to reach 200 miles is going good. I hit 137 just the other day so I am ahead of schedule. I have been trying to run as much as possible but I need to do better. RUN Kristina RUN!

2008 Wrap-Up

Welcome back to me! I have been so busy the last couple of months that I have really neglected our family blog. I promise to do much better in 2009! With that being said, I wanted to give a rundown of what else happened in 2008.

Christmas:
We had a wonderful Christmas this year. We started out in Austin at Adrienne and Bryan’s house for Christmas eve and day. Everyone came over and stayed the night. The grandparents as usual bought way to many gifts for everyone. Ethan and Gracie could not keep up with all the presents they had to open, but they had such a great time. All the guys played several games of pool which resulted in Steve losing all of his money. Thanks Dad & Bryan!!







Then we packed up and headed to see Steve’s family in Henderson. We spent several days there and got to see Steve’s brother Scott & his fiancé Jennifer, plus Aunt Kristy, Uncle Kelly, and Carter. We opened more presents, ate even more food, and had several more good days of the holiday break. Gracie got some more dolls and a doll stroller and pack-n-play. She really loved it for new babies and HERSELF!





Christmas this year was wonderful.

Christmas by the Lake:
We took Gracie to see the Christmas lights in Marble Falls this year. We set off on a Friday after work, and met Mom, Mormor, and Dad at the good ‘ole Blue Bonnet Cafe for dinner and pie. After dinner, we loaded up and went down to the park to walk through the lights. Gail and her daughter met us there too. The lights were just a beautiful as I remembered; and I think Gracie had a good time too.




Thanksgiving:
We headed down to Henderson this year for Thanksgiving as we always try to alternate holidays with each family. The time there was lots of fun. Gracie loves to go see her Papa & Granny and all the goats!

Gracie & Carter spending some time together coloring. Looks like Gracie is bossing him around about something...

Birthdays, Baptisms, and BOO’s (Halloween that is)

Man it has been busy. October is always a busy month for us. We have lots of birthdays to celebrate: Steve, my grandmother Mormor , my uncle Gary, and my cousin Elizabeth. Work is ALWAYS crazy in October, and this year was no different. Steve’s parent came to visit one weekend. Ethan was baptized; and to top it all off, it is Halloween.

So now that you know what happened…here are some pics incase you missed any of it.

Steve’s Birthday: Steve turned 29 this year. We celebrated by going downtown with friends to Maggie Mae’s. It was the same night as the Texas vs Oklahoma St. game, so Austin was crazy! Luckily the Horns won so everyone was in good spirits. Lot’s of people showed up, and we had a great time ….even though we were escorted out by the police at the end of the night….never a dull moment with the MF crowd! ;-)

Ethan’s Baptism: It turned out to be a beautiful Sunday day. The whole family made it. Ethan was on his best behavior. It was such a special moment. We love you Ethan!

Halloween: We moved into our new house on Halloween day last year, so there was no time for trick-or-treating; but we made up for it this Halloween. Gracie had a full week of fun. On Tuesday, Steve took her up to his office for their Halloween party. She wore her outfit the whole time and everyone loved her. She really made her daddy proud! And today, they partied at daycare, and then we went trick-or-treating all around the neighborhood tonight. It was so much fun. She walked all by herself to every house carrying her candy basket. She even knocked on a few doors as well. Unfortunately, we did learn that she is not afraid of strangers since she tried to go inside several people’s houses; as well as wanted a hug from our neighbor that she has only met once! But at least she had fun!

Well, that is about it. Even though it has been busy, it has been a great month. Let’s hope November turns out to be just as good!

Gracie Marie: The Crazy Dance

I came home today and Steve and Gracie were hanging out in the back yard, which if you don't know, is Gracie's favorite place to be these days. Anyways, she was running all around and then started doing her new 'dance' as we like to call it. I finally got a little of it on video. Enjoy!

Who can talk more than Kristina…….

Yep, it’s Gracie! She is talking up a storm these days (mainly words that only Steve and I can decipher). She says: NO, daddy, momma, do (aka. Dog), gotcha ya, shoe, juice, bobby (her name for pacifier), Shhh, and on and on. And as much as she says, she can understand and remember 100 times more. We can no longer say BATH, EAT or BOTTLE, because if you aren’t planning for one of those to happen when you say the word then look out, because the tears are coming. She understands simple commands too like, go get a book, let’s go to daycare, or take this to momma/daddy.

Independence is also her newest thing. She likes to do everything herself. We can’t feed her anymore; instead she holds a fork in one hand and grabs the food with the other hand. Although it is a messy way to eat, that is the way she likes it. She also enjoys playing in her room by herself sometimes, even closing the door for privacy; which now has a weight in front of it so she can’t do that anymore.

She is growing by the minute, learning every day, and becoming a little person before our eyes.

Running, Part II: 50 miles and counting

I am still running; and actually, I am running a lot. Last week I uploaded my runs to Nike.com and got a note saying ‘congratulations you have completed 50 miles!’ WHOOHOO! Ok, so after I gave myself a pat on the back, I had to remind myself that I have had my Nike+ pedometer for over a year. So although I was proud to have completed 50 miles, I wanted to make sure my next 50 does not take me so long. My goal is to reach 100 by the end of the year. Wish me luck!

Where is the green frog?

Gracie will be 17 months old tomorrow. In my mind that seems so young, mainly because it is, and yet she surprises us everyday with how much she is learning. A few days ago, we were in the living room. Steve was watching The Rangers, Gracie was playing with her toys and I was doing dishes. Since Gracie loves to pull out all the dishes that you put in the washer (especially knifes), Steve was trying to distract her. He said, ‘Gracie, where is the green frog?’ Now, to everyone but Gracie, this means nothing. But she has a book that she and Steve read, and he will ask her to point out things. Where is the yellow duck? blue pond? And green frog? And most of the time she will turn to the correct page and show him. So Gracie looks at Steve, and then the wheels start turning. She begins to wonder around the living room, at first looking in the place where her books used to be. But of course her crazy mother (me) had cleaned and reorganized, moving the book basket to the other side of the room. She paced around the living room a few more times….searching….and then in almost an instant, she goes to the basket, grabs the book and opens to the page of the GREEN FROG!!!

We couldn’t believe it! We clapped and cheered for her, and then she clapped for herself. It was amazing.

And then, as if to remind us that she is just as normal and funky as everyone else’s kiddos, she picked up something off the floor and ate it.

Weekend with the G-parents

This weekend we packed up and headed to East Texas, Henderson to be exact, to see Steve’s family. We left early on Friday afternoon. Gracie did pretty good in the car; she slept a little bit, played a little bit, and cried a little bit more. But we made it there in 4 hours thanks to the wonderful new tollway that helped us miss all the I-35 & Round Rock traffic. We arrived at their house around 8:00 PM. Joy had gone to town and picked up BBQ. We had dinner, visited for a while, and then went to bed.

On Saturday, we loaded up again and headed to Tyler to see Kristy, Kelly and Carter (Steve’s sister’s family) at Kelly’s parent’s house. They live just out side of Tyler on the lake. The weather was great; breezy, warm and cloudy. Perfect for sitting outside and enjoying the afternoon. We had lunch and then went out on the boat for a drive around the lake. This was Gracie’s first boat trip. We suited her up in a life jacket and jumped on the boat. She enjoyed the ride, except for the part that she couldn’t run all over the place. That does NOT make her happy. Once we got back, the kids played in the kiddie pool for a while. Then it was nap time….so we headed home.

Sunday was much like Friday; breakfast in the morning, a little time to play in the back yard and then back on the road for another 4 hours. We had a wonderful weekend. Now if we can just get the grandparents to move to Austin so we don’t have to drive four hours to see them.

Gracie playing in the pool with Carter:

Sitting outside with Papa: