Kristie and Avery

My beauties. :-)

Gems From Kristie Regarding the RNC, 2

On the possibility of Cindy McCain as First Lady:

"Maybe she'll get Botox covered under health care."
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Gems From Kristie Regarding the RNC

McCain says: "I wear his [a dead soldier's] bracelet, and think about him every day."

Kristie says: "Mr. Support-Our-Troops should be wearing about 5,000 bracelets right now."
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Dec. 13 Is. . .

KATE'S BIRTHDAY!

Happy birthday doll. Can't wait to be with my girls next weekend.

Meeting Avery for the First Time

Went to Albany this weekend to meet my newest love--Miss Avery. Kristie came home from Texas to spend the winter months with her family in New York while Tony's deployed. Avery gets to hang out with her cousins and Kristie gets a hand from her mom and sister. This little girl is the sweetest baby. I don't even think she minded that I thought her pacifier was for teething though she's only 8 weeks old. But seriously, how do you know that kind of stuff if you don't have kids? I could've held her in my arms forever.

Avery Has a Middle Name

Her name: Avery Mae Chase. Too cute. :-)

Welcome, Little Avery

So Kristie finally had this little cutie yesterday, Sept. 29, at 1:30 AM. Her name, Avery Chase, is incomplete--they have yet to decide on a middle name. (Any day now, guys, clock's a-tickin'. . .) She made her grand entrance weighing in at 8 lbs. 2 oz. And of course, Kristie is already almost back at her pre-pregnancy weight. Amazing. Anyway, congrats to the new parents! I can't wait to meet the lil' tyke.

Kristie's Baby Shower

My girls. . . . Kristie with a 7-and-a-1/2-month-old bun in the oven. I think Kate's still getting over the shock of the size of her tummy.

Kristie shows off some of the clothes she received for her unborn daughter.

Little Fiona (one of Kristie's nieces) helps with the presents.

Me with my new little friend Aidan, who, as I was sitting on the floor, kept on running up to me and plopping down in my lap, thus winning my heart. He's such a cutie!

They All Leave

Well. Another of my very closest friends is moving away. It's strange that leaving the area has been such a trend with the people I've become the most attached to.

Each time this happens, it just breaks my heart.

First it was Jan. He moved away to go to grad school in Louisiana, and he's still there, teaching at LSU.

Next it was Travis. He got into grad school at Cornell, which was very convenient, since that's the area where his little girl, Isobel, lives. So he moved, then moved back for a little while when he was working for the Senate, but he recently bought a house out west (in Montour Falls, to be exact) and so he lives there fulltime now.

Next was Kristie. She decided to marry an army guy, and therefore, now lives in Texas of all places.

Among my other friends who have moved away from here: Rebeccah (to Vermont), Brian (to North Carolina), Cecilli (to Seattle).

And, of course, there's Aaron, who moved to Florida this past fall.

Now, another one of my favorite people ever (and I must thank Travis, because not only would I not know her if it hadn't been for him, but we wouldn't be so wonderfully close either--our friendship was cemented when he was away in Afghanistan)--Kate--is leaving.
The story, for those of you who are interested, is that Kate's from Rochester, and she's been looking to move back there over recent months/years to be closer to her family. She got a job offer for a publicity postion from the University of Rochester, and she took it. She starts her new gig in early April.

Now, I know that these people aren't leaving me--I'm much more rational than that. But that doesn't make it suck any less. And no matter what, when so many people leave, you can't help but feel a little left behind--even if this is where you want to be.

Kate the Great

Right, I'm talking about Kate Perry, who took me out for dinner and drinks early in my birthday week (on election day, actually) to celebrate me turning 27 (again, oy ve). She surprised me with cake, friends and presents! Here, Heather and Kate smile for the camera.

My yummy vanilla-raspberry-chocolate cake from the Vanilla Bean!

Jeb eats birthday cake. I like this picture because you can see Kate and Heather in the mirror. (I believe Heather's texting Joe here.)

It was a great time. The only thing that was missing (besides Joe, obviously) was. . .

Kristie.

The Girls

Kristie was home for a week but Kate and I were only able to visit with her on Tuesday night because Kristie had a death in the family that she was dealing with and I was away in San Fran for the majority of her time home. We went to DeJohn's for drinks and caught up for a few hours. It was lovely.

I Miss My Girls

Where are you? :-(

Everyone's simply too far away from me.

Together Again

Kristie's in town, so she and Kate and I went out for dinner and drinks last night. We discussed, among many other things, marriage (specifically, Kristie's new one, Kate's potential one, and all our parents' crumbled ones). I love those girls.

The Wedding, Cont.

(Kristie's nieces, Maeve and Fiona)

The Wedding, Cont.

The Wedding

3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . . LIFT-OFF

OK, folks, here we go! In an hour I'll be heading into a huge 30-hour abyss of wedding revelry. I'll post pics of the blessed event on Monday.



Oh, by the way, Happy Easter to those of you who are into that sort of thing, and Happy (?) Passover to those of you who are into that sort of thing.

Counting Down

We are exactly 48 hours away from Kristie and Tony's wedding ceremony. Tomorrow is the wedding rehearsal, dinner, and then the ladies will stay in a suite at a hotel for the night. Then on Saturday, we'll get ready at the hotel and the bride will get hair and makeup done at the salon, and then voila! Wedding! Exciting. All this planning for one day. Crazy!

More Party Pics

Kate, Niki and Kiera: Sooooo patriotic!

Kristie completes one of her missions: To dance on the bar. You go, lady!

Rockin' out on her last night out as a single gal.

Me and my girls. Yes, Kate's holding a penis straw in front of me, but I pretend not to see it. Or I was just too loopy at that point to do anything about it.

Kristie with sister-in-law, Kathleen, and sister Michelle (maid of honor).

Some Bachelorette Party Photos

Kristie plays with Kate's Pippi Longstocking hairstyle.

Kristie, adorned with her tiara and hand-sewn army-green veil, reads the directions for BACHELORETTE BOOT CAMP.

Kristie reads one of her TOP SECRET clues.

Sweet pic of Kiera and Kristie at DeJohn's.

Kiera and Kate: Army twins!

Kiera and Niki drop and do 10 pushups for being bad and leaving a gear pack outside.