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Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Getting Ready

I have had the week off, which I have been really enjoying! I have a list of projects that I have been working on around the house. I could get used to this!

Yesterday I tackled cleaning up the soon to be nursery. While I was gone in Rome, Brian started the process, with stripping the walls. We soon realized that we have an insulation problem in the room. The heat just isn't getting to the room, and the lack of insulation in the walls is releasing any possible heat that is getting in. So, before we start any further decoration we need to resolve this problem.

In the meantime, I knew I needed to tackle the stuff in this room. This room has been the "catch all" for a good while now, so I needed to spend some time in there cleaning things out and organizing things. This was the project yesterday. I was so happy to see the end result yesterday! Granted, we still have a long way to go to get this room "Goober ready," but at least we can walk in there now. I wish I would have taken a "before" picture so you could see the progress, but now you can at least see the floor!

As we make more progress on this room, I will be sure to post more pictures. I am still deciding on the decor for the room. I am thinking monkeys! =)



Posted by at 11:45 AM 1 comments

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Patt Family Tradition

Christmas Eve Dinner has become a long time tradition in the Patt Family. And of course we celebrate it in full Italian style! The first rule: No meat! The tradition is to have 7 different types of fish in order to represent the 7 sacraments, but we decided to have 3 this year, for the Trinity. It wouldn't be a Patt Family traditional dinner with out homemade pasta! Another tradition that has developed over the years is my Dad and I planning and cooking the dinner. this is a tradition that I have loved to be a part of and look forward to sharing it with our children some day. The event usually begins with a trip to the West Side Market to get all of our fresh ingredients, and a stop at Gus Gallucci's an authentic Italian grocery store in Cleveland. We had a huge time crunch this year, so we weren't able to make the ceremonial shopping trip, but will be sure to partake in that in the future.

So, Dad, my cousin Caitlyn and I spent the day chopping, sauteing, mixing, cutting, stirring and have a great time! We made Garlic Soup, homemade pasta with a lemon cream sauce, portabella mushroom burgers, and of course our 3 fishes, smelt, shrimp and halibut. (ya know, "Just for the 'halibut!'" Normally I would also be enjoying a glass (or bottle) of wine while cooking, but this year, had to pass on that for Goober's sake.

Our timing was perfect and dinner went off with out a hitch! We successfully served 22 people with food left over to spare! Except we ran out of fish! Which is a first, so next time we might have to consider the 7 fishes, or at least increasing our quantity of the 3. Bellies were full and smiles were abundant! Another year of tradition on the books! Thanks for the memories everyone!

The master Head Chef at work! Notice the pasta drying before being cut, as he is taking the spines out of the smelts.

Posted by at 11:33 AM 0 comments

Meier Family Picture

Well kind of! Doesn't Goober have a great smile?! =)

Posted by at 11:30 AM 1 comments

Patt Family Pictures


A much needed updated family picture! Although it will be out of date in about 4 months when Goober arrives!


Gotta have a picture of the sisters!


We like to do a serious shot...for fun! =)


The Patt Family Ladies!


And of course Mom and Dad who made this whole family possible!




Posted by at 11:16 AM 1 comments

Monday, December 15, 2008

Couldn't resist

Even though we got some great fall colors, I couldn't resist posting a few black and whites!





Posted by at 10:22 PM 0 comments

Senior Picture Time

I thought I had posted these already, but I guess I hadn't. I did senior pictures for 3 local high school seniors this year. We caught the fall colors just in time! I probably took about 1000 pictures total of these 3 lovely ladies! They were all great subjects to shoot!


Leah Poyo


Bethany Ledyard


Monica Recznick

Posted by at 9:46 PM 0 comments

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Trim the tree

I cued up the Carpenter's Christmas CD before we left to get the tree, so all I had to do was press play when we got home.

Brian got the tree all settled in the stand and I went to town with the decorating! While I decorated the tree, Brian set up the Nativity scene on the window sill in the dining room. It looks great! I love Christmas!

** The whole time I have been sitting here catching up on my blogging, Goober has been squirmin' away! I guess Goober is excited about Christmas too!**BeforeDuringAnd all done...with the Angel on top!

Posted by at 8:41 PM 0 comments

A family tradition

When we were kids, we probably one went to cut down our own tree 2 or 3 times. But I remember one time when I was very young. I am not sure if I remember it so much from the actual night, or from the pictures we have of the event. I was probably on 4 or 5 years old. We were all bundled up and it was snowing. Even though we didn't cut down our own tree every year, we did ALWAYS have a REAL tree! This was always a must in our family. I think us kids would disown my parents if they ever got a fake tree! There is something about the smell of evergreen that says Christmas, that you can't get from a candle!

So, for the past two years Brian and I have gone to cut down our own tree. It's so much fun creating these memories together, and I look forward to the day that we take our children (outside of the womb) on this adventure to create more memories!

I wished there was a little more snow on the ground today, as we went out to get our tree, but I was grateful that it wasn't very cold outside. It took us a little longer than last year to pick out a good tree. The pickin's were slim, so the fact that it was warm helped me to stay focused and not pick out a Charlie Brown tree."You want me to do what? Use my muscles?!"
Our tree while it is still in it's "womb" soon to be transported to our living room!Us with the tree before Brian took a saw to itTIMBER!!Draggin' it off!I love this picture! They give you a sled to drag the tree back. If there were snow, and if we had kids with us, it would have been so fun to drag them around in the sled as we looked for a tree!

Posted by at 8:16 PM 0 comments

Friday, December 12, 2008

Staff Christmas Party

I always look forward to our all Staff and Faculty Christmas Party at Franciscan University. It is always a good time...get dressed up all fancy, get to visit with people who work on campus that I don't get to see very often and always lots of yummy food! Being that I wasn't drinking any wine this year, I think I ate more food than normal! But, OH was it GOOD!

Of course we had to take some pictures to document the event.Me and the girls. Kathleen, Christi & Kristi.
My Kristi and I!
Daddy loves Goober!
The Meier Family!

Posted by at 7:44 PM 0 comments

Monday, December 8, 2008

18 weeks and lots of movement!

I am now 18 weeks along and the baby was moving around a ton last night!! It was so cool to feel it, that I wish others could feel it too.

We had some friends come and visit this weekend...Becky, Trevor and their adorable little son, John Paul. It was so fun to hold him and play with him. It of course, made me very excited for our little one!!!!

Here is the 18 week belly picture, and a cute photo of John Paul!

Posted by at 8:32 PM 0 comments

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Finally some belly pics!





Well, I was only going to post my most recent belly pic, but then I thought it might be fun to see the progression. I will be taking an 18 week picture this weekend. I can't believe I almost halfway there!!

Posted by at 10:28 PM 0 comments

Will my patience last...

Will my patience last for this whole pregnancy!? I have been a pretty impatient person my whole life! I always wondered how I would fare through pregnancy and being patient to wait for the baby to be born...not that I have much choice in the matter! =) I am just so excited to meet this baby!

I am loving being pregnant...I have been feeling the baby move around for the last few weeks...which is amazing! I was at Mass the other day and saw my friend with her little baby girl, and just watched them interacting each other and just made me so excited to meet our little miracle! I have always wondered what our kids would look like, what kind of personality they would have, what would be their favorite things, etc? I can't wait to meet this amazing gift and discover all the pieces and parts of their life!!

Posted by at 10:03 PM 1 comments

Monday, November 24, 2008

Sigh of Relief!

We had our 16 week check up at the OB today. Nothing to abnormal: stand on the scale, pee in a cup, how are you feeling. They did do a DNA swab, but no need to get into the details of that. I am not even sure exactly what they were testing with that.

We also got to hear the heartbeat! 140 beats a minute strong! (between 110 and 170 is what they look for, so Goober is doing good!) I love that sound! I must say, I breathe a sigh of relief every time we have an ultrasound or get to hear that heartbeat...knowing that everything is going ok!

We declined to have the tri-screen testing done, (this tests for downs, spinabifida, and other abnormalities) for the fact that it wouldn't change anything for us. We would never chose to terminate the pregnancy given the results of the test. So, to save ourselves the money and the anxiety of getting ourselves nervous about false postivies, we opted out.

Our next appointment is in 4 weeks and we have another ultrasound scheduled. I can't wait to see little Goober swimming around!

I keep waiting to feel movementts. I think that I have felt movements a few times, but am unsure if that is what I am really feeling. Could be gas! =)

Posted by at 9:37 PM 1 comments

Sunday, November 23, 2008

Oh the food!!!

I could go on and on about the food that we ate while in Rome and Assisi. I couldn't get enough of their pasta! Oh Man was it yummy!!! Most of it homemade of course! The first place we, The Paradissio, in Assisi was simply fabulous! The first pasta was a lemon cream sauce on ravioli. Then came regular spaghetti with such good marinara sauce. And a cream puff for dinner, but not as good as the ones my dad's friend used to make. I couldn't resist taking pictures.

Then at our first dinner in Rome, the food was just as good!! Again the pasta was amazing! The noodles that we had were called "Choke the Priest". We didn't eat pizza there, but I thought it would still be fun to take a picture of it.
Being that I am pregnant, I just had a small sample of wine at each place we ate, so instead I was downing the water, "no gas". Usually these bottles in front of me would be empty wine bottles. Not this time!

In true Italian style the food always kept coming! Just when we thought we were done, another course was on its way to us. We always knew we were done when we ran out of forks!

Posted by at 9:53 PM 0 comments

Proof that I was there


Often when I am on these trips, not only do I not take very many pictures of people, there are usually few pictures of me. (Expect on everyone else's camera)

Every once in awhile people will offer to take a picture of me on my camera, so here is a picture of me in front of San Domiono Church. This is where St. Clare lived and where the San Domiono cross was when it spoke to St. Francis. (It has since been moved to St. Clare's Basilica.)

Posted by at 9:07 PM 0 comments

Great way to grow grapes...




We stopped at a Winery in Assisi. We had a great time!!! It was a beautiful afternoon, actually the first day that they sun came out while were in Assisi.

We had a great afternoon of wine tasting and a light lunch that complimented the wine very nicely. I left there with a bottle of wine, a bottle of organic olive oil and an apron. ALL FREE! Gotta love the perks of the job!

One of the things that I loved was the roses at the end of each row of grapevines.

Posted by at 9:01 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

A pilgrimage to...a closed door!

I was so excited to visit this church in Rome that a few people told me about. It is St. Augustine's near Piazza Navona. The reason I wanted to go there, was because there is a statue of Our Lady there, that women go to to pray for a healthy birth of their baby. So, I was going to pray for myself and a bunch of my friends who are pregnant. Also, there is a Carvaggio painting there, (he is one of my favorite artists) and the relics of St. Monica. I was soo excited to go there!!

I finally figured out how to get there, and had a few others from our group join me. So, we had about an hour and a half of free time to make our way there. We were told that it was about a 15 minute walk from our hotel, so off we went!

We finally found the church, and were so excited to head up the stairs to find.. A CLOSED DOOR! Silly Italians close their stores and churches at lunch time!! It was about 2:00pm when we got there and the church was not going to be open again until 4:00!! I wanted to sit on the steps and cry!!! I was so sad. So, we decided to kneel on the steps in front of the door and pray there instead. I know our prayers were still heard, but I really wanted to see that church!

Posted by at 9:47 PM 0 comments

Monday, November 17, 2008

Moved to tears...


We had mass in the crypt of the Vatican this morning and as we were walking to the chapel, I passed John Paul 2's tomb!!! I stopped in my tracks and put my hand over my mouth in awe!! I didn't realize I was going to turn the corner and there he was!!

I had to move quickly because we had to get to mass, but i went back after mass. I stood there for a good while, and was just brought to tears. He is so special to me! I took out my list of prayer intentions that I had for everyone I am praying for and prayed for everyone at his tomb. I then asked him to give our little Therese Marie a kiss from Mom and Dad! I didn't want to leave.

I have a little free time this afternoon so I finally found an internet cafe, and am about to get some lunch and then we head to the Scavi tour, which is said to be the best tour in town! Sign me up!

Last night when we arrived in Rome....I went out for some yummy pizza with some of the group, found some gelati, and then took a walk to the Vatican. It was a beautiful night...cool crisp air, but not too cold. I walked into the arms of our church and was welcomed HOME! It was beautiful! I called Brian as I was standing there looking at St. Peter's and of course, again, was drawn to tears, wishing he could be standing there with me.

Our time in Rome as just begun, but I know it will go fast.

More to come...

Posted by at 6:11 AM 1 comments

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Mucho Pax!


Assisi has been wonderful!! Our time here is almost through and then we head off to Rome. It has been a beautiful visit. The weather hasn't been great, but the sun has shined a little bit each day.

Yeasterday I was in awe of seeing the tunic's of Francis and Clare. Something about seeing these articles of clothing that were so old and worn by these wonderful saints, just amazed me. I stood there with my mouth open for a long time. I didn't want to leave!

Today we went to LaVerna mountain, which is where St. Francis would often go for 40 day retreats. This is the mountain where he was when he received the Stigmata about 2 years before he died. It was a beautiful place with a beautiful view! It was cold and foggy when we arrived, but when we were outside as part of the tour at one point, the sun came out and the view of the valley was magnificent! Again, I just wanted to stay there and soak in the grace and the peace!

This is where I stood and enjoyed the view:


Tomorrow we are going to St. Mary of the Angels church where the Portciuncula is, which we have the replica on campus of. I plan to go sit in the back corner like I do during my holy hours at the Port on campus!

Oh and just a quick word about the food.....AMAZING!!!! The homemade pasta and the homemade sauce that we had last night...I could have eaten it forever!! I think I need to move here to learn some more recipes and cooking skills!

I will post pics as soon as possible. Until then, I have posted some from online of where I have visited already.

Posted by at 5:06 PM 1 comments

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Another trip going on the books...

I am about to be leaving for my Rome & Assisi pilgrimage. I am waiting in the Pittsburgh airport now for my flight to JFK and then I will be hanging out there for a few hours before we take off for Rome. Let's hope they have free i-net in JFK, too!

I am really excited about this trip. What a blessing to go on pilgrimage to two such wonderful places!! Last time I went to Rome was in 2000 for WYD and was working so much the whole time that I didn't get to do a whole lot of site seeing. Site seeing will be a major part of this trip, so I will get to work and site see! I didn't even get to the Sistine Chapel last time, so it was a good excuse for me to go back some day!

I have never been to Assisi, so I am really excited about that! I have heard so many wonderful things about this place and how incredibly peaceful it is there!!! Know that I will be keeping everyone in my prayers! If you have any special prayer requests, let me know.

I will be updating my blog as much as possible while I am gone.

Posted by at 9:51 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Starting to Show...


It's not the best angle...but you can see that I am starting to show! Brian took this picture of me at the rehearsal for the wedding in Florida. I will post more pictures as Baby Goober gets bigger!

Posted by at 9:55 AM 0 comments
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