Goodbye Winter, Hellooooo Spring!

Oh, hello there. It's been an interesting few weeks. I'm not sure where to start so I apologize if this post becomes a bit chaotic and unorganized.

I completed my CRIS designation for work, which is thrilling because I now have my evenings and weekends back. When I told my boss I finished the program he said, "Don't forget--you get some money for that!" I told him I'd already expensed each of the courses and he said, "No... you get a bonus for completing the course. Didn't you read the handbook?" ("I er... um... of course I read the handbook.") It was a fantastic surprise and went straight to our New York savings account.

Sticking with the "work theme," there was a shooting in our building last week. My company is on the 16th floor and the shooting occurred on the third floor. It was bizarre. Security came over the speakers and told us to lock the main doors to our offices. About 15 of us interpreted that as "Cram into one tiny office and lock the door." They didn't tell us what was going on until it was all over. We saw dozens of police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, and helicopters. It was a targeted attack and thankfully, those that were shot are ok. Needless to say, I didn't get much work done that day. I wasn't going to tell my parents but Kait told me she saw it on CNN and I didn't want them to see their daughter's building covered in yellow tape on national news.

Last weekend Michael and I drove home to Fort Smith to attend Leslie's baby shower! We had such a great time and I was able to catch up with several friends. The baby shower brings me to my next point. I've debated whether to write about this but let's face it, when have I ever been one to hold back?

I would like to call this segment:

Etiquette According to Meredith

I would say half of our friends have kiddos or are pregnant. We, on the other hand, have a fat cat. Right before we drove to the shower, I told my mom my least favorite question: "So.... (sweet smile) Does this make you want to have a baby?" Unless you are a very good friend of mine, I really don't want you asking me this. Why? Because it's a lose/lose situation for me. If I say, "No, not really," I sound like a bitter person with a black heart. If I say, "Absolutely!" the new rumor is that Michael and I are "trying" (a phrase that makes both of us cringe). My mom told me to simply say, "When the time is right" and just as I predicted, that phrase came out of my mouth several times. So my advice is to talk about the person who IS having the baby rather than those that aren't. Don't get me wrong, Michael and I are so excited to have kids and we adore all of the babies around us, but seeing someone else with a kid will never be the catalyst for us. And frankly, I'm thankful for that. :)

Off the soap box and time to wrap this one up. Hope you all have a WONDERFUL week and enjoy the extra hour of daylight at night. Spring is here!