Happy New Year!

I say the same thing every time around this time of year... "where has the year gone?" It's hard to believe that 2012 is over already. And what a year it's been! It was an amazing year for us, culminating in the most amazing way... with the birth of our daughter. Who could ask for more? We're all healthy and happy and that's it doesn't get any better than that.

As I reflect on this year, I think about a lot of things. Being pregnant (obviously), and the ups and downs that come with that. I remember like it was yesterday the day I took the pregnancy. I woke Jay up early in the morning and told him that the pregnancy test "thought" I was pregnant. To this day he has not let me live that down and probably never will. As he says, "either you're pregnant or you're not." Sometimes those at-home pregnancy tests are wrong! But not this time!

It was a great year at work. I have an incredible team that I work with, and that makes my job so much easier each and every day. It's not very often that people can say that they have great co-workers, a wonderful boss, and a truly good organization or company that they work for. But I do, and I'm really lucky. I'm looking forward to what 2013 has to offer.

I made the (crazy) decision to run for city council and lo-and-behold, I was elected. What a trip that has been so far. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be an elected official, and I definitely don't want to make a career out of it, but it's been pretty good so far. I love Clear Lake Shores and I want to help make this little slice of paradise a better place to live. Hopefully that's what I'm doing.

Do you make new year's resolutions? I find that they just set me up for failure, so I usually don't. I just look forward to what the upcoming year has to bring, and I know this year will be even better! Overall, I have no regrets from 2012. How could I?! I hope you all had a great 2012 as well. I wish you a prosperous and healthy 2013, and I hope all your wishes come true!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

Merry ho ho!

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. I have the best present of all this year and I couldn't ask for anything more. May your Christmas Day be blessed with love and family. I hope Santa was good to you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Merry ho ho!

I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas. I have the best present of all this year and I couldn't ask for anything more. May your Christmas Day be blessed with love and family. I hope Santa was good to you!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

One month

It's hard to believe that our daughter arrived in our lives one moth ago today. When people told us to enjoy it now because time flies, they weren't kidding! Where did the time go?!?! We've loved every second of it, and continue to each day.

It seems like just yesterday. I remember that day like it was yesterday. And hopefully I will remember it just like that for the rest of my life. I'll be honest... I was a bit fearful of the labor and delivery part. I had no idea what to expect. And for those of you that know me, you know I don't deal well with pain. So I was a nervous wreck. I worked myself up into a tizzy several times, and for what? Nothing, really. It was no where near the dreadful experience that I had thought up in my head. And I'd do it all over again to have the precious gift that we have now. A beautiful baby girl.

It's amazing, and truly a blessing, to become a parent. Some days I still can't grasp the reality of it. It's something I've dreamed of for so long, and never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would feel like this. I'm sure there are going to be days when I just want to crawl under a rock and hide, but so far, it really has been the greatest experience of my life. It's life changing, no doubt about it. And I wouldn't change it for anything.

Why?

Unless you're living under a rock, you know about the tragic shootings that happened today in Newtown, Connecticut. My thoughts and prayers go out to the parents and families of the victims, the first responders who witnessed an absolutely horrific event, and the entire city. I can't even fathom what they are going through. It makes my heart ache and brings tears to my eyes. And it makes me ask why? Why do these shootings continue to happen? What is wrong with these people? And don't tell me it's because of guns. Guns don't kill people. People kill people. I'm a supporter of our right to bear arms. But I think we need to have some sensible gun control in place. We must have some sensible gun control in place. I'm not saying that's the answer... if someone wants to get a gun and go shoot up a school, mall, movie theater, church, night club, or whatever, they will. They will find a way to get a gun, no matter what kind of gun control is in place. I hate to say that, but I think it's true. So banning guns is not the answer. But it's not just guns. Consider what happened in China today... someone injured more than 30 children with a knife. Does that mean we're going to ban knives? I think not.

What happened today in Newtown, Connecticut is unthinkable. As the governor of Connecticut said today, "Evil visited our community." That guy (and no, I'm not going to mention his name... he doesn't deserve that) who senselessly killed 20 young kids and six of their teachers today is evil. But even more he's a coward for taking his own life. We may never know why he did what he did today. And honestly, I don't know that I want to know.

As a new parent, all I wanted to do today was to hold my daughter tight and never let go. And I did a lot of that this afternoon while my heart ached for the parents and families of those 20 innocent little kids who lost their lives today. Those kids will never have the chance to grow up and live their dreams, all because of some crazy idiot who did the unthinkable.

So if you haven't already, hug your kids and loved ones a little tighter tonight. Unfortunately, you never know when it might be the last time. And please say a prayer for the families, first responders, and entire Newtown, Connecticut community. I know I will do both.

It's a girl!

This post has been a long time coming. Sorry! Jay and I welcomed a baby girl into our lives three weeks ago today, and she is absolutely precious. She has completely stolen our hearts! This is probably the most you'll see posted about her on this blog. I'm not posting her name or any pictures, and don't go looking for anything on Facebook because you won't see them there either. We don't want that information online... if she wants to do Facebook when she's old enough, then that is up to her, but we're not going to post her name or any photos online. And we've asked our family and friends to respect this and do the same. So don't go looking for pictures of her on any of their Facebook pages either... just ask my dad... even he doesn't get to post pictures of her on Facebook!

What I will talk about on this blog, however, is how amazing it is to be a mom. Yes, as you moms out there know, it's a lot of work, but it is totally worth it. I am excited to watch her grow up and to see the person she is going to become. She definitely has her own personality already, and I can't wait to see how that develops as she gets older.

The thing I have enjoyed the most over these past three weeks is watching Jay with her. He is a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I have fallen in love with him all over again. That is a feeling I can't describe. It gives me chills just thinking about it. There are moments when I see them together that bring tears to my eyes because it is so incredibly sweet. He is so in love with her, and you can see it all over his face. It's pretty awesome.

So that's the latest on the baby front. I could go on and on, but I won't bore you with details. Just know that mom, dad, and baby are all doing well. We're adjusting to each other and our new life, and enjoying every second along the way!

The waiting game

Baby Fenwick is due to arrive this Friday, Nov. 16. As we all know, babies have a mind of their own and will come when they want to come. So, we play the waiting game. And for those of you that know me, you know that I'm not a very patient person. So this waiting game is not exactly my cup of tea. Especially because I am (technically) off work this week, and don't have all that much to do, so sitting around the house doesn't exactly work for me. And when I say "technically" off work, I started my maternity leave today, but will be going in a couple days for a short amount of time to interview candidates for a position that reports to me. I thought it would be odd to have someone join my staff that I didn't get to interview or who didn't get to meet me. Just my opinion.

If any of you moms out there have tips for me as to what I can do to keep myself busy these days, or tips on how to make labor happen, please, by all means, share! I've tried walking, sitting on a ball, squats, cleaning the house... nothing has worked so far. But at this point it's not about me, right? It's about when the baby wants to come... little does he or she know, but mama wants him or her to decide it's time to join the world!

J.J. "Swatt"

As if Houston Texans Defensive End J.J. Watt weren't already enough of a stud on the football field, he's even more of one on the field. He was on the Today Show this morning talking about how he gives back to the community. Thank you, J.J. Watt for all you do for Houston. Makes me proud to be a Houston Texans fan!!

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Music to my ears!

I love it when I see this headline on the Houston Chronicle's website: "The Texas hurricane season is over." That is pure music to my ears! It was close with Hurricane Isaac (which hit our neighbors in New Orleans), but we made it another year without a major hit. Thank. You. Jesus. Not that we didn't need the rain, because we do, but the fact that Ike was just four short years ago... I could do without a hit for a little while longer.

In case you're wondering, to date we're through the "N" name on the list. Let me refresh your memory on said list.

Alberto
Beryl
Chris
Debby
Ernesto
Florence
Gordon
Helene
Isaac
Joyce
Kirk
Leslie
Michael
Nadine
Oscar
Patty
Rafael
Sandy
Tony
Valerie
William

Now, that's not to say that the 2012 hurricane season is over. It does run through November, officially, after all. But because of a couple cool fronts that have come through Texas over the last week, and a couple more this week, plus the jet stream, and the fact that after Sept. 24 our odds go down significantly - that pretty much does it for us. Hallelujah!

So until next season, I leave you with this...

Good luck to my family and friends in the North with the coming winter season. I hope it's as good to you as our hurricane season was to us!

90 years young

My grandma Marj turns 90 years young on October 7. Even though that's about a month away, we celebrated early last week so I could travel and be there. We had a great time!! All of her kids (my mom, two sisters, and brother) were there, as were seven out of nine grand kids, and a whole lotta great grandkids.

I surprised grandma, and the family, with a proclamation from the mayor of Lima, Ohio, David Berger, proclaiming October 7, 2012 to be Marjorie L. Coby day in Lima. You can click on the link above to read it. I was pretty proud of myself for that one!

While we were in Ohio we also got a chance to see KW, JW, the boys, and the new baby. We met up at the Toledo Zoo and had a great time!

So glad I was able to travel before the baby arrives! Enjoy the pics.

The birthday queen... complete with her tiara!

Yes, we even had 90th birthday napkins.

The gorgeous and yummy cake!

He's so cute! My little cousin Daniel.

Sam and Jake... guess which animal we were about to see?!

 

Baby Shower

So Jay and I have some pretty amazing friends. CK, JK, KK, CK, PB, and TW threw us a kick ass baby shower party over the weekend, and we loved every second of it (even the part where we had to be the center of attention and open presents in front of everyone).

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate baby Fenwick (and even those of you far away who couldn't be there... you were there in spirit!). We are so blessed to have friends and family like you in our lives, and baby Fenwick is pretty lucky, too.

Here are a couple pictures from the day.

The sweets table. Yum!

The AMAZING diaper cake!

We even got personalized water bottles. So cute!

The food spread was freaking awesome!

My wonderful, amazing, talented friends who know how to throw a kick-ass baby shower.

Thank you ladies! We love you!

Happy momma and daddy!

Proud grandparents

Proud grandma

Me and Robyn... one of my dear friends from high school.

So glad she joined us! 

Our adorable niece Ella. She'll be getting a cousin in a few months!

Love you CK!

Love you KK!

Look out! Ella actually let Uncle Jay hold her!

 Yep, we were so rowdy that we had to have not one, not two, but THREE officers there!  :)

CK writing us a message in the bottle. Such a cute idea and we loved them all!

 One of the cutest ideas of a present we have ever seen... a clothesline full of baby stuff.

Slow Cooker Lasagna

These days, I'm all about easy dinner recipes. I have a feeling after the baby comes, I'm going to be even more into easy recipes. So I found this one in an old Quick Cooking magazine, and tried it out. Turned out pretty good, if I do say so myself. And Jay liked it, too, which is always a bonus. The only thing I would change is to add some Italian spices, in addition to the oregano. Enjoy!

Slow Cooker Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 can (29 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 cup water
• 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 package (8 ounces) no-cook lasagna noodles
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 1/3 cups (12 ounces) small-curd cottage cheese
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

In a skillet, cook beef, onion, and garlic over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the tomato sauce, water, tomato paste, salt, and oregano; mix well. Spread a fourth of the meat sauce in an ungreased 5-qt. slow cooker. Arrange a third of the noodles over sauce (break the noodles if necessary). Combine the cheeses; spoon a third of the mixture over noodles. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining meat sauce. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until noodles are tender. Yield: 6-8 servings.

I'm pregnant and I know it!

I know some of you are saying to me, "duh, Amanda! Of course you're pregnant and you know it." I am, and I do. But that's not the point. The point is, one of the girls in my office, who is also pregnant, sent me this video today, and I have to share. Everyone says that being pregnant is so wonderful, and you glow, and look fabulous, and you feel sexy. Well, I'm here to tell you... I haven't experienced that yet. And I certainly don't feel sexy. So extra kudos to this woman who put it all out there for nearly 1.5 million people to see. That takes guts. And yes, I'm jealous, because she does look sexy, and she knows it. Enjoy!

Everyone loves a parade!

The Clear Lake Shores 4th of July golf cart parade was another rousing success. Kudos to the civic club for putting on another fun event!

Here is our cart all dolled up:

Mom and dad participated, too!

Our friends Dave and Adelia won... can you see why?

Hope you had a great 4th!

Happy 4th of July!

Ahhh... July 4th. My most favoritist holiday (yes, I realize that is not proper grammar). How can you not love a day that basically gives you the freedom and independence to do what you do every day? What is better than that? In my opinion, nothing. I love Independence Day because so many have fought for our freedoms, thousands have lost their lives, and thousands more continue to fight for us every single day. So please, hug and thank a veteran or soldier today (and their families!). They are the reason we're here today.

And speaking of today, there's another reason today is so special. Three years ago today we moved back into our house after Hurricane Ike. We were bound and determined to make it happen, and we did. I still remember (like it was yesterday) that first shower back in our house. There is no better feeling. Just one more reason to love July 4th.

I hope you have a safe and happy holiday. We will be participating in the golf cart parade (pictures to follow), and then the island-wide picnic, and then it's WW V (aka Water Wars 5). That is where the battle line is drawn, it's east versus west, and it is on. If you're out in your golf cart between 2 p.m. and 8 p.m., you're subject to getting wet from a water gun. And I'm not talking the little squirt gun kind. It's an all-out water war, and it is so much fun. Reason #468 that I love living in Clear Lake Shores. And then we'll close out the evening with fireworks. Unfortunately, I can't go out on the boat these days, but that's OK. We'll hang with all our neighbors at Chicken Lickin, and watch the crazies in the boats.

Happy July 4th!

Drag Races

Those of you that know me, know that I love the drag races. LOVE them. Jay and I have been going for about seven or eight years every Spring to the race track in Baytown on the Friday of the O'Reilly Spring Nationals. It's tons of fun. Those guys are crazy.

So imagine our excitement when we first heard about the Clear Lake Shores drag races. Jay thought that everyone got together on their golf carts and raced. That would be fun. Probably a little dangerous, but fun. Well, we were sorely mistaken.

It just so happens that the Clear Lake Shores drag races happen every Memorial Day weekend. And for every Memorial Day weekend that we've lived here, we've been out of town, so we've never been able to attend. Until this year. And this is like no other drag race I've ever seen. Take a look for yourself:

Sexy?

"She" is my favorite

Those heels make even my feet hurt!

I really don't know what to say about this

Right before the race

The one on the left is "Crystal Meth." He's one of the ones responsible for this debacle.

Don't ask, because I really am not sure myself

As you can see, there are no golf carts involved, except for those of us watching this spectacle unfold before our very eyes. I about peed my pants on several occasions laughing so hard at some of these "ladies," who, by the way, all have stage names. It was certainly a sight to see. I would say about 200 people showed up to watch. The "ladies" race around Sundial park (yes, in high heels), and then they get to do a sashay / prance / walk / dance in front of the judges. There's a crown, sash, and trophy for the winner. No, I'm not kidding. And speaking of the winner, here he... er, I mean she... is:

"Sunshine" took home this year's drag race trophy... yes, that's what that random leg sticking out on the left is. The trophy.

Yes, this may be a bit whacky and crazy and out there, but it's part of what makes living in Clear Lake Shores so damned fun. I can't wait to see what they do next year! Nice job, ladies!

Happy Memorial Day

While it's great that we all get the day off of work, please, please, PLEASE don't forget what today is about. It's not really about barbecues and hanging out at the pool. It's about our military members and their families, past and current, who have sacrificed so much for us to be able to barbecue and lounge by the pool.

So while you are celebrating, please thank a solider and their family. Because that's what today is really all about.

Oops!

I deal with this kind of stuff every day. Everyone, and I mean everyone, expects that because you are in PR and communications you will never, ever, ever, EVER make a mistake. And my response is always, "that's an expectation that I cannot meet, so you are automatically setting me up to fail." It's true. We're all human. We make mistakes. No matter how many times I look at a brochure, news release, email, catalog, etc., along with three or four people in my office, it sometimes happens. Plain and simple. We're all human.

And it happened at the University of Texas.



I'm not gonna lie. It's embarrassing when it happens. But it just goes to show that it happens. And all you can do is apologize, fix the problem, and move on. After all, it's really not the end of the world. I promise.

And so it begins...

The official start of the 2012 hurricane season is still weeks away, but the Atlantic has its first named storm - Alberto - off the coast of the Carolinas. While it doesn't appear to pose a threat to the U.S., it's still a reminder that those of us who live along the coast need to start preparing.

I went to a pre-hurricane season meeting earlier this week, and the folks from NOAA are predicting not as many named storms as we had last year, which is good, but Texas needs to take heed. Because of the weather pattern and the warm Gulf of Mexico (remember that mild winter we had? yea, not so good for hurricane season) there is the potential for rapidly developing storms in the Gulf. That means we may only get 48 hours notice, rather than 96 or more. Remember Humberto a few years ago?

So, get your water supply ready (I will be picking up several cases tomorrow at the grocery store), get those batteries handy, and have a plan in place. Having been through Ike, and through a couple other tropical storms, it's serious, so please be ready!

In case you're wondering, here are the 2012 hurricane names.

Alberto
Beryl
Chris
Debby
Ernesto
Florence
Gordon
Helene
Isaac
Joyce
Kirk
Leslie
Michael
Nadine
Oscar
Patty
Rafael
Sandy
Tony
Valerie
William

Happy hurricane season, y'all!

What an EGG-cellent weekend!

I don't know about you, but I had a really great weekend! It was rather EGG-cellent, if I do say so myself. Get it? Egg-cellent... as in it was Easter weekend, and Easter is all about the eggs. Ha! I crack myself up sometimes.

So Friday I was off work (yay!), and the weather was beautiful. It was beautiful all weekend, as a matter of fact, which made it all that much better. Jay helped a friend with the bilge pump on his boat, and he in turn treated us to lunch at Bakkus in Kemah. O.M.G. If you've never eaten there, YOU MUST! I've been there before, but it's been awhile, and Friday reminded me of why we should go more often. It was amazing. They have this fire feta cheese appetizer that is to.die.for. We sat outside (did I mention that the weather was beautiful all weekend?), and had a really great time. Thanks, Dave!!

Saturday we got up early and went to the Farmer's Market. One of our new friends on the island owns a flower business, so I ordered some stargazer lilies from her for Easter. Can I just say GORGEOUS!! Wow. They are amazing. And they smell SO GOOD! We had breakfast at our favorite weekend breakfast place, Skipper's, and spent the rest of the day riding around in the golf cart doing a little campaigning (yes, I'm running for City Council in Clear Lake Shores).

Easter Sunday we got up early and went to sunrise service at the park across the street. Yes, you heard correctly... Jay and I went to sunrise service. We've lived on this island for nearly seven years now, and never gone, so we figured it was about time. And we're glad we did. It was gorgeous to watch the sun come up over the channel and to be with our neighbors. After that,we headed to La Brisa for breakfast with Dave and Adelia, and then it was time to get ready for the deviled EGG-stravaganza. The Civic Club was hosting a crawfish boil and fish fry for Easter Sunday, and it kicked off with a deviled egg contest. There were prizes for best tasting and presentation. I was FLOORED! The amount of creative talent on this island is amazing! I took so many pictures that I didn't want to post them in a big long post, so I made a slideshow and posted it below. Check it out. Wow, wow, WOW! Needless to say, I did not win. But that's OK. Grandma's deviled egg recipe is still the best to me! The rest of the afternoon was so nice. About 200 people showed up to the party, and we had a great time, complete with a horseshoe contest that was one by the mayor's wife. No, it was not rigged... she's just that good! With all of the crap that has been going on recently in our little slice of paradise, it was nice that neighbors came together to be neighbors, and put the BS aside. One more reason I LOVE living in Clear Lake Shores, Texas!



Have a great week!

Happy Pi Day!

In honor of 3/14 (that's Pi Day for all of you that don't know), here's a pretty clever video. Enjoy!

Paraprosdokians

I know what you're thinking. What the ??? A paraprosdokian? Allow me... A paraprosdokian is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected; frequently used in a humorous situation.

"Where there's a will, I want to be in it," is a type of paraprosdokian.

Thanks to my dear friend PB, here are a few more.

1. Do not argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level and beat you with experience.
2. The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's still on my list.
3. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.
4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be wrong.
5. We never really grow up, we only learn how to act in public.
6. War does not determine who is right - only who is left..
7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
8. Evening news is where they begin with 'Good Evening,' and then proceed to tell you why it isn't.
9. To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To steal from many is research.
10. A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work station.
11. I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.
12. Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says, 'In case of emergency, notify:' I put 'DOCTOR.'
13. I didn't say it was your fault, I said I was blaming you.
14. Women will never be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a bald head and a beer gut, and still think that they are sexy.
15. Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind the fall of a successful man is usually another woman.
16. A clear conscience is the sign of a fuzzy memory.
17. You do not need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to skydive twice.
18. Money can't buy happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with.
19. There's a fine line between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't get away.
20. I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.
21. You're never too old to learn something stupid.
22. To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target.
23. Nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
24. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.
25. Going to church doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.
26. Where there's a will, there's relatives.

Happy Tuesday!

Soup cook off!

Today the weather was a bit chilly and gloomy... a GREAT day for a soup cook off! The Clear Lake Shores Civic Club sponsors this event every year as a fundraiser for the scholarship committee. We had 11 soup entries this year (including my roasted red pepper soup), and people pay $5 for a chance to taste all of the soups. They award a third, second, and first place, as well as people's choice and best theme. It was definitely a good time, and I even got to meet some neighbors I hadn't met before!

My table