Baltimore...

We are now "officially" married for "over 5 years" since this weekend has past. Baltimore was amazing, but it wasn't just the city itself. We had a fantastic time relaxing and not worrying about a thing in the world. We got massages on Friday, sat in the hot tub at the hotel and went to dinner at Legal Sea Foods. What a way to celebrate an anniversary. There is no one in this world that I would rather spend my time with than that handsome man right there.


I wish life was as uncomplicated everyday as it was this past weekend. We stayed up late, slept in, ate where we wanted to, shopped without thinking about money (well, a twinge inside me did!), we had NO real plans and just winged it.

We're back to reality since Monday, but I wish the weekend could have lasted forever. The good part is, that everyday with Patrick is just as wonderful even if we're sitting at home on the couch.

5 YEARS!!!!

"For hearing my thoughts, understanding my dreams, and for being my best friend. For filling my life with joy, and loving me without end...I do."


Christmas 2001



June 2002



Cruise 2004



Boston 2004



December 2004

Blast from the past...

While in the middle of my morning routine on Tuesday, Mom called me to inform me that she had received a message for me on her machine the night before. I wondered to myself who in the heck would be calling my Mom for me, seeing as how it's been 5 years since I lived there. She says "It was Korynne, and she'd like to get in touch with you." Talk about a blast from the past. I hadn't heard that name in about 7 or 8 years.

I finally had the opportunity to call her last night and we had a brief, yet informative conversation. Turns out we both work in Insurance; however, she has her Life & Health and is going for her P&C, and I have my P&C. While she doesn't keep in touch with anyone from high school, she is still friends with Geneise. I told her the only people I've kept in decent contact from school were Brian and Maria at this point. She brought up Cindy and said she had spoken to her a few years back, but lost touch just as quickly as they got together. I told her I had spoken with her about 6 years ago, but the same happened to me.

It was nice to catch up with her, and she sounded happy. She was surprised to hear that I was married, and asked the inevetiable "So, do you have any kids?". She was busy helping friends, so she said she would call back another time.

Today, we have a meeting with the claims supervisor at Travelers and then they're taking us out to lunch. I *love* being the person Marketing Reps try to cater to, I end up getting a ton of free stuff from them. :) Makes work worthwhile. Tomorrow we leave for Baltimore and it will be a much needed break from reality. Can't wait to get there and relax with my favorite man.

Me and my favorite little girl on Sunday:

Still tired...

I was half tempted to turn off my alarm and call in this morning so that I could sleep a little longer and spend the day by the pool. However, I have this stupid thing called a conscience that would never allow me to do that without reason.

The weekend was nice. Nothing exciting to report. We had BBQ'd pizza on Friday and went shopping for Diddy's new clothes with his birfday gift card. I was extremely excited that I tried on, fit into comfortably, and bought my first pair of size 4 jeans. Sarah swears I wore a size 4 in high school, but chose to be frumpy and wear clothes 3 sizes too big for me. Did I mention that I love the Gap?

Saturday night was date night. We had Patricks BBQ'd ribs, which I swear somehow is an afrodesiac cause they're that damn good, and went to see "Four Brothers". Doug highly recommended this movie, and I can honestly say that he did NOT let us down. It was the BEST movie I have seen in a *very* long time. I now consider it to be one of my favorites. I have not held my breath so much during a movie in my entire life. It was truly great.

Yesterday I went out to the mall and had dinner with Diddy at the clinic since he was on duty. I hate being in this house alone at night. In East Hampton, there is no crime, etc, so it was easy there. Here, I swear people are trying to break in at night. I may need to take sleeping pills when he's gone now or I'm never going to sleep.

Back to the grindstone. Happy Monday...

ESP - or something...

Is it possible that after being together so long, you and your significant other can actually read each others minds?

The other night we were sitting on the couch after I had the best day and Patrick had the worst. We had just finished eating BBQ'd chicken, and the only way I could think to celebrate/make a bad day good was going to Cold Stone for some ice cream. Just as that thought crossed my mind, Patrick says "You wanna go to Cold Stone to celebrate?". Coincidence? Maybe.

Yesterday, Jacob FINALLY sends me pictures from their wedding. I forward them along to Diddy (Patrick PDiddy, not Sean "PuffDaddyPDiddyDiddy") so he could see. When I get home from work I asked if he had seen them, he looked shyly up at me and said "Yes, and there's something I have to tell you. I've already seen them before." I immediately get all defensive and say "I can't believe you kept those from me". He says "There's a reason. I've been working on a scrapbook for you for our anniversary". Wh-wh-what? I move from defensive mode to instant laughter because I have been working on a scrapbook for him, too. Seems as though he had the same idea at around the same time I did, and he was getting all the pictures from our friends and relatives. I showed him the receipt of the scrapbook kit I bought and told him how I spent hours going through our pictures, picking them out and putting them in sequencial order.

We got quite a laugh out of the situation, and it made us think that "somehow" we were able to read each others minds after 5 years (next Friday) of marriage. Maria recently wrote about people being psychic, and from recent events (hers and mine) I gotta believe it's somehow true.

So, yesterday I had just about the best day in a long while. Actually, it was the biggest day of my professional career, to be exact. I had been working on a Collector Auto policy for a guy who has mega-money and some *pretty* nice cars to insure. (The words "pretty nice" are an understatement...perhaps the understatement of the year). He called yesterday to tell me that he would be taking the proposal I'd worked up for him, and thanked me for all of my hard work and excellent efforts to get this done for him. The premium for this policy is $10,000...the biggest sale that Personal Lines has had in a very long time! WOO HOO! Too bad we're on the Growth Bonus Pool now because I would have gotten a spectactular commission check for this one!

On Monday, we went to Captain George's with Ryan, Shannon and McKynzi and much to our dismay, because of our diets our stomachs shrunk and we were unable to stuff ourselves with crablegs like before. This doesn't mean to say that we didn't end up sick because of all the food we did eat...it just wasn't up to our usual par. A good time was had by all, and I just *adore* that little girl. She was so big sitting there in her high chair, she swore for a few minutes that she was an adult like the rest of us.

Our exciting life takes us to the grocery store tonight, and it's a good thing since we're in need of food in this place. This weekend will be spent at Water Country and possibly by the pool since Patrick has duty on Sunday. The weather has finally started to cool off, which is a major relief. I can't wait for fall around here.

We had such a good time at home for our *very short* visit. Everyone at work kept asking me if it was worth it to drive over 20 hours in 3 days just to see family...and my answer is always yes. There's something about spending time with the people who've known you the longest, and love the dearest, that rejuvenates you. Nothing compares to seeing how excited my Mom gets when we pull up after that long drive.

I *love* spending time with Sarah and Doug. I am often reminded of how awful I was to have as a big sister growing up, but somehow all is forgiven now. My sister is so drop dead gorgeous that she makes you stop in your tracks. My brother is SO good looking it's scary. Both have grown into wonderful adults, despite my efforts to torture them as kids.

On a sad note, our new friends Jason and Angela called yesterday to ask if we could keep their German Shepard for the next couple of weeks because Angela's dad died unexpectedly. The similarities of her situation and mine are eerie. They *just* moved here a few weeks ago, and she just started her new job when she found out. It's a mirror image of me almost 4 years ago. It brought back so many memories, and I wish this kind of pain on no one. All I could tell her was that I was here for her if she needed anything, because I KNOW that no one wants to hear anything else during those moments. I just pray that they get to Texas safely, and that she has the same type of support system we had when we lost Dad. Your friends and family make the biggest difference when it comes to getting through the worst tragedies of your life.

Pictures from home...

The Labadie Kids

My BEAUTIFUL Momma

Our nephew Cameron

Bear Hugs...

Every morning, the first alarm goes off in our house at 5:42, alerting Patrick to get up. What the routine has been for 5 years is that I am the one who controls the alarm clock and snooze, and I am the one who forces him out of bed. I am always able to fall back asleep until my alarm goes off at 6:20, but the excitement of coming home tomorrow has got me all wound up and I couldn't fall back asleep.

Patrick and I now have a routine in the morning that is a tremendous help during the day. We stand in the middle of the room and "Bear Hug" before he leaves for work. In that moment I am relaxed and protected, and nothing in the world seems that bad. When things get rough at work, I think back to those few moments in his arms and my problems fade away. I highly recommend a "Bear Hug" to start off your day. Even if things aren't that rough and you are content with life, there's a feeling in it that no normal morning routine can compare to.

Tonight is the Kenny Chesney/Gretchen Wilson concert. I paid a pretty penny for these tickets and all that matters is that Patrick is super excited about it. I could maybe sing ONE Kenny Chesney song, but that doesn't matter. (He's got paybacks coming since this is my 3rd Country concert in 3 months.:) ) We're going tonight with the Dawsons and Shannon's sister Jaimie. It should be a lot of fun. I am so thankful that the Dawsons are back in our lives. We have had our rough moments in the last few years, but being able to overcome that is a testiment to the fact that we were destined to be friends. Nothing is better than being able to sit around with your friends and talk about life and laugh outloud.

We are all packed and ready to hit the road first thing tomorrow morning. I can't wait to get home and see my family. Even thought it's only for a few short days, it's enough to rejuvenate a person.

Despite my efforts to try and make the most out of yesterday, it turned out to be a bust. However, I shook my mood off on the commute home by screaming some Limp Bizkit in the car and by the time I pulled into the parking lot I felt a lot better.

Last night we had dinner with the Dawsons at their apartment. I walked into this high ceiling, large room apartment and a twinge of jealousy came over me. :) Not that there's anything wrong with our place, but there's was just nicer. It felt like a "home" -- and that's possibly because of the fact that they have the cutest baby living there with them.

Motherhood has got to be the most rewarding thing to ever happen to a person. I saw the way that baby looked at her Mom and I saw the way she smiled at her, and it made my heart melt. Being a Mom is the single most important job in the world. There is no benefit package or pay scale that could even compare to watching your child grow.

The Cloud...

As expected, yesterday was a horrible day. 2 of us to do 5 people's jobs. My phone rang off the hook, and it seemed as if the second I would get up out of my chair to do something there was some sort of sensor that would go off alerting everyone that it was at that exact moment that they needed to call me. I could barely get my ass to the bathroom.

Then, I came home to call Mom to discuss our arrival on Friday, thinking this might bring me out of my funk, and we end up in a fight. I even threatened not to come home if she didn't stop taking HER bad day out on me. Real mature. How old am I? 3??

So, I go to make dinner because Patrick was playing golf and lo and behold - we have no flour, a key ingredient in Buffalo Chicken Bites. You would have thought the world had stopped turning as I made my way to the store half in tears.

The worst part of it all is that I took it out on Patrick. I am an over emotional mess these last few days. I don't know WHAT my problem is. I can't seem to shake this cloud I'm under. I managed to make a mountain out of a molehill while we were reading last night, and ended up making HIM feel like shit...which made ME feel worse. It's a never ending cycle with me.

I need to get out of this mud, and I need to do it now. I have to find a way to turn things around or I'm going to end up going nutty. Patrick doesn't deserve this and neither do I.

Monday, Monday...

I am oh so excited that it's Monday...can't you hear it in my voice? This week is going to be rough for several reasons:

1) Patty is gone all week on vacation. Her clients are pains in the asses to deal with because she lets them get away with ANYTHING.
2) Vanessa is also gone today, which leaves San and myself to run our department. 3) The new guy starts today and we really have no way to start training him.
4) There are only 4 days and a wake up till we go home!

I've prayed and prayed that the days go by fast and Friday comes light lightening.

This weekend was fun. We went to Coast Guard Day at the Training Center on Saturday. It was hot and sticky, but the food was good and we made new friends...so it wasn't all bad. We also played in the Sand Volley Ball Tournament. We got a bye into the second round and then got our asses handed to us...but that was to be expected. I told Patrick that I had never played 2-man before, but I ran my ass off trying to get whatever I could. It was fun, and Patrick promised we would practice beforehand next time.

Back in action...

Technology is a wonderful thing. Circuit City was having a sale on Digital Cameras, and since I've been without one since March, we bought one. They were only on sale online, so I figured we'd have to have it shipped. (Mind you, we lived in "No Mans Land" in The Hamptons for 3 years, nothing was close or convenient). Much to my surprise, they had In Store Pick Up! I purchased my camera at 9:40 pm, got in the car and drove 3 miles to Circuit City to pick it up! Now, I'm back in action...and who do you think my first pictures were of?



You can't tell me you wouldn't do the same thing!

Growing up...

Yesterday, I got one of the best surprises a person could ever get. While emailing plans to Tonya about our upcoming visit, her response had a little more than I was expecting...

Here's a message typed from Jac: .... HI LEAH. I MISS YOU AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE YUO...LUV YUO. JAC

And right there, at my desk at work, my eyes swelled with tears and I started to cry. I promptly printed the email and taped it to my wall, with the words highlighted so they will always catch my eye when I need them to.

Just as soon as life seems to be taking a faster rotation as I get older, I'm slammed with the beautiful joy of realizing that the babies I spent my days with for years are now little people. All of the sudden, life seems faster than before, but with a wonderful twist.

I remember Jac learning to walk, and how we'd call him a "Drunken Sailor" because every step had an uneasy lean to it...with the eventual face-first spill at the end. I remember taking him outside to play and the fact that he detested blades of grass touching his skin, so as soon as I'd put him down he'd begin to scream. I remember his jibberish and how much I loved how we would carry on conversations in his "language".

I will never forget walking into Providence Hospital with Jac the day after Brendan was born, and him saying "Where's my baby brov-er??". My heart melted at that moment because I now had two little ones in my life who would change me forever. Jac was such a trooper when things got hectic with Brendan being a baby, and he would *always* help me with bottles or cleaning up his toys. He was born to be the Big Brother.

Brendan was an amazing baby, and he tugged at my heart strings with every smile. While I only got to spend the first year of his life with him, every day was worth it to me. I would feed him on the couch, my arm propped up by a pillow, and I'd stare at him, just knowing that this kid would be something some day. I remember when I saw his first tooth, and when he took his first steps. To be there for those moments is a gift that I will never take for granted.

What means most to me in this world is that almost 4 years after leaving home, these children STILL know who I am. They are STILL a part of my life even though I'm across the country. I can never repay Tonya & Jeff for that, and I don't know if they'll ever know how deeply that has affected me. These people have become our family in every sense of the word. They love us as much as we love them, and I wouldn't miss an opportunity to see them.

If God doesn't have plans for us to be parents, I can know in my soul that those kids love me as much as they can...and for me that's enough. To have been a part of their lives changed me forever, and nothing can take that away.


Jac & Leah - May 2003


Leah & Brendan - May 2003

And the countdown begins!

WE ARE COMING HOME!!!!!!!

Tminus 11 days and counting. It's a short weekend trip, but home to Michigan nonetheless. We will leave the hot, humid state of Virginia on Friday August 12th and drive straight through to Michigan...only to turn around and come back on Sunday August 14th. At least we'll have Saturday! Patrick's birfday will be stuck in the car, but at least he'll get to see his Momma on his birfday!

Man, the dog is gonna be pissed when he finds out he's not coming! :)

The Dating Game...

So, Mom went on a date yesterday. She was introduced to "Boring Man" by friends of hers. I call him "Boring Man" because that's what he is, apparently. I have taken to only referring to her dates by title and not names, and it's become quite funny. There was "I Lied About Being Married Man", and "Way Too Much Baggage Man", oh, and who can forget "Lumberjack Cat Man" - the man who worked at the lumber store and had 6 cats. Seriously. Sometimes I don't know where she meets these people.

When she was introduced to "Boring Man", she already decided that it wasn't going to work. He asked her out and she reluctantly said yes. I begged her to just give the man a chance before she wrote him off. During their date, he talked endlessly about the things he wanted to talk about, only asking about her life once or twice. When she saw a Coast Guard station she eagerly said "My Son-in-law is in the Coast Guard!", obviously thinking this might strike up some conversation about her life, to which he replied "Oh, nice".

She said he asked her out again and she could hear me screaming in her head to "give him a chance", so she said yes, reluctantly. She has managed to totally misconstrue my advice in this situation. Her time is precious and she has very little of it, considering she works 3 jobs, she doesn't need to waste her time on men that don't do anything for her.

I told her that I want her to marry Mike from work. Mike is a lawyer and he basically runs the court she works at. He has been around our family for many years and is the most kind, wonderful, thoughtful man. He's a true gentleman. However, Mike is married. He's been miserable for years, and his wife is pretty much an ogre, but that doesn't make him any less married. So, I will pray that Mike comes to his senses, divorces that wife of his, and marries my Mom. Hey, a girl can dream, right?

After listening to my Mom's dating disasters, it makes me even more thankful to be so happily married. You couldn't PAY me enough money to be trying to date at this point in my life. It's very rough out there, but I know that some day she'll find a man who makes her almost as happy as my Daddy did.