Sunday, October 30, 2011
Goin' to the chapel...
And we got maaaarrried....! October 15, 2011. It's official. And now that we are starting to have a semblance of a real life again, maybe we'll update the blog more. Maybe... ;)
Monday, June 13, 2011
Payin' my dues
I'm sorry, dear reader, for complaining. But seriously, I'm going to be happy when life finally reaches a balance... it will do that, right?? A mere few months ago I was complaining about having too few jobs and not being busy and now I have too many jobs and am too busy! Oh, life. I just hope this wedding plans itself, because at my current pace, our wedding is going to happen 5 years from now...
In happier news... this evening was beautiful. Summer is showing itself to us every once in awhile these days, though not as often as I had hoped. (It still rains an awful lot and is pretty chilly-- this morning even required the heater being turned on!) I just ate a whole huge bowl of peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries with greek yogurt, and it was delicious. I finally finished a couple of paintings that had been sitting in progress on our floor for weeks. I have made some friends at work and have a potential job prospect. And I made it to level 3 of my most recent work out. Life can still be good even when it's crazy. Fingers crossed that one of these days it'll settle down and can be enjoyed without constant worry about money, time to do errands, wedding planning, and a myriad of other things that my mind is constantly swimming with.
And I now have the hiccups for the 3rd time today. Awesome.
In happier news... this evening was beautiful. Summer is showing itself to us every once in awhile these days, though not as often as I had hoped. (It still rains an awful lot and is pretty chilly-- this morning even required the heater being turned on!) I just ate a whole huge bowl of peaches, strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries with greek yogurt, and it was delicious. I finally finished a couple of paintings that had been sitting in progress on our floor for weeks. I have made some friends at work and have a potential job prospect. And I made it to level 3 of my most recent work out. Life can still be good even when it's crazy. Fingers crossed that one of these days it'll settle down and can be enjoyed without constant worry about money, time to do errands, wedding planning, and a myriad of other things that my mind is constantly swimming with.
And I now have the hiccups for the 3rd time today. Awesome.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Our new pets...
Ok, ok we don't have new pets. I lied. That would be irresponsible. But, we do have seals (or sea lions??) that we visit a few times a week. How awesome is it that we can walk down the street and see these little guys out in the wild? We've had some great weather this weekend, so I brought along my camera and snapped some pics of these cuties...
Oh, and I forgot to mention... It was a pretty hoppin' day at the Locks on Saturday, which is where our aquatic friends live. We saw a wedding, and the Boeing Employees Concert band, and a solar storm. That's right, a guy with his giant telescope was out offering a free look at the sun, which was experiencing a solar storm. It was pretty cool, I will admit. And today my friend Cindy from school came into town with her husband after their Alaskan cruise that docked in Seattle. It's always great to see a familiar face! And after a whole year since we'd seen each other, it was wonderful to catch up. All in all, a fantastic weekend.
Oh, and I forgot to mention... It was a pretty hoppin' day at the Locks on Saturday, which is where our aquatic friends live. We saw a wedding, and the Boeing Employees Concert band, and a solar storm. That's right, a guy with his giant telescope was out offering a free look at the sun, which was experiencing a solar storm. It was pretty cool, I will admit. And today my friend Cindy from school came into town with her husband after their Alaskan cruise that docked in Seattle. It's always great to see a familiar face! And after a whole year since we'd seen each other, it was wonderful to catch up. All in all, a fantastic weekend.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Life is good.
Except the fact that it just will not turn into summer around here. We get glimpses of it every now and then, but I'm still wearing jeans and a jacket when I'm outside. Crazy to think that this time last year we were sweating at the mere thought of walking outside into the humid Memphis heat...
Sorry I've totally slacked on the blogging, folks. I'd say I'm going to try to do better, but let's be realistic, life gets in the way of these kinds of things.
The main thing going on these days has been work. I'm really loving it, which is great and surprising at the same time. Going into a digital marketing internship, I thought it would be interesting but maybe not my cup of tea. I'm learning so much, though, and really growing to like it a lot. I'm leading my own email campaign now, which is challenging and rewarding at the same time. It's great to be trusted with a project that I will see through from beginning to end. I'm working more and more on our website, and I'm part of conversations involving creative materials and social media. It's been a really fun journey, and I'm excited to see where it leads me.
It's also fascinating to work at a relief organization with all that has been going on in the world. I always had the idea in my head that I would like to work in disaster relief one day, and here I am. Not on the ground, but definitely putting in my two cents. The day I started was actually just a day or two after the Japan earthquakes and tsunami, so I was thrown right into writing emails asking for donations. Now with all the tornadoes, the organization has been in a flurry trying to react. It's really interesting to see something terrible happen on the news and know the next day at work is going to be nuts, as we are one of the biggest organizations responding. It's nice to know that in some way, I am contributing to that relief. It's also just exciting to be on the inside and hearing up to date information and learning more about proper ways to react to disasters like those we've unfortunately experienced this year.
Another awesome thing about this job is getting to meet so many inspiring people. Every week, I meet with around 5 different senior leaders in the organization, and so many of them do fascinating things. A few weeks ago, I met with a man who coordinated Bono's first trip to Africa. Last week I met a man who was country director of multiple countries in West Africa for 15 years (you better believe I reminisced with him about Ghana). My cubicle is right next to a someone who is working with an Olympian track athlete on a partnership with our org. I met another guy last week who used to be "Bill's" top recruiter (right, that's Bill Gates, on a first-name basis). Such cool people.
My favorite is probably this Zambian man who works on my floor. In our meeting he was so sweet and has such a love for his country. He spoke about the moment he started "seeing people with his heart" and about how that's when you really realize that you have a responsibility to make a difference. You may be able to acknowledge that there is poverty and misery, and you may even see it every day. But it is not until you truly see people and these issues with your heart that you are moved into action. It got me thinking about myself... There are multiple times in my life when I feel like I have truly been able to see people with my heart... Mainly my summer as Oxley director and my time in Ghana... but I definitely don't do it all the time. It's something I'm really trying to work on, and I guess something that would just make the world a lot more peaceful. If we can learn to see each other, not just the poor, with our hearts, then we'd all be more sympathetic, more understanding, more loving. We'd know how to encourage people in the right ways and how to interact with them in positive, constructive manners... It would just be better, right?
Anyway, I'm clearly just babbling now. My point is that I'm loving it. There are definitely places for improvement, but that doesn't mean there's not potential :)
Hope you all are well.
Sorry I've totally slacked on the blogging, folks. I'd say I'm going to try to do better, but let's be realistic, life gets in the way of these kinds of things.
The main thing going on these days has been work. I'm really loving it, which is great and surprising at the same time. Going into a digital marketing internship, I thought it would be interesting but maybe not my cup of tea. I'm learning so much, though, and really growing to like it a lot. I'm leading my own email campaign now, which is challenging and rewarding at the same time. It's great to be trusted with a project that I will see through from beginning to end. I'm working more and more on our website, and I'm part of conversations involving creative materials and social media. It's been a really fun journey, and I'm excited to see where it leads me.
It's also fascinating to work at a relief organization with all that has been going on in the world. I always had the idea in my head that I would like to work in disaster relief one day, and here I am. Not on the ground, but definitely putting in my two cents. The day I started was actually just a day or two after the Japan earthquakes and tsunami, so I was thrown right into writing emails asking for donations. Now with all the tornadoes, the organization has been in a flurry trying to react. It's really interesting to see something terrible happen on the news and know the next day at work is going to be nuts, as we are one of the biggest organizations responding. It's nice to know that in some way, I am contributing to that relief. It's also just exciting to be on the inside and hearing up to date information and learning more about proper ways to react to disasters like those we've unfortunately experienced this year.
Another awesome thing about this job is getting to meet so many inspiring people. Every week, I meet with around 5 different senior leaders in the organization, and so many of them do fascinating things. A few weeks ago, I met with a man who coordinated Bono's first trip to Africa. Last week I met a man who was country director of multiple countries in West Africa for 15 years (you better believe I reminisced with him about Ghana). My cubicle is right next to a someone who is working with an Olympian track athlete on a partnership with our org. I met another guy last week who used to be "Bill's" top recruiter (right, that's Bill Gates, on a first-name basis). Such cool people.
My favorite is probably this Zambian man who works on my floor. In our meeting he was so sweet and has such a love for his country. He spoke about the moment he started "seeing people with his heart" and about how that's when you really realize that you have a responsibility to make a difference. You may be able to acknowledge that there is poverty and misery, and you may even see it every day. But it is not until you truly see people and these issues with your heart that you are moved into action. It got me thinking about myself... There are multiple times in my life when I feel like I have truly been able to see people with my heart... Mainly my summer as Oxley director and my time in Ghana... but I definitely don't do it all the time. It's something I'm really trying to work on, and I guess something that would just make the world a lot more peaceful. If we can learn to see each other, not just the poor, with our hearts, then we'd all be more sympathetic, more understanding, more loving. We'd know how to encourage people in the right ways and how to interact with them in positive, constructive manners... It would just be better, right?
Anyway, I'm clearly just babbling now. My point is that I'm loving it. There are definitely places for improvement, but that doesn't mean there's not potential :)
Hope you all are well.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Destination Friendship
We got our engagement photos! They're great. And we're super vain and love to look at ourselves. At least we're honest, right?
The past few days here have been gorgeous. Combine that with a visit from my mother last weekend, a purchased wedding dress, a new job (retail, don't get too excited), and a delicious dinner in my belly, life is good. On the way back from dinner tonight a pigeon almost flew into our heads. No kidding, its wings clipped Brian's hair, and I could feel the flapping on my forehead. Crazy pigeon. But what a story it would have been had we actually been hit in the heads by a bird. Ridiculous.
Then we saw a motorcycle with the name "Destination Friendship" writing in blue cursive. Excellent. New theme for life.
The past few days here have been gorgeous. Combine that with a visit from my mother last weekend, a purchased wedding dress, a new job (retail, don't get too excited), and a delicious dinner in my belly, life is good. On the way back from dinner tonight a pigeon almost flew into our heads. No kidding, its wings clipped Brian's hair, and I could feel the flapping on my forehead. Crazy pigeon. But what a story it would have been had we actually been hit in the heads by a bird. Ridiculous.
Then we saw a motorcycle with the name "Destination Friendship" writing in blue cursive. Excellent. New theme for life.
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| Huge thank you to Ryan Flynn, the photographer who made us look more attractive than we probably do in real life. |
Saturday, April 30, 2011
The Food Trials
I just logged on to write a post of my own and was surprised to find that Brian actually wrote one this week! That boy always has something up his sleeve. But it's also funny that he wrote about food, because the is the precise thing I was going to talk about. Can you tell that it's a pretty constant subject of conversation for us?
We were walking around Trader Joe's, our grocery store, this morning, and I was complaining about Brian's lack of good taste and he was reminding me of all the things he has tried this year. And it's true, he has tried quite a bit, and it is one of my life goals to get him to expand his palate. If you don't know him, you should know that Brian is historically one of the pickiest eaters on the face of the planet. And that is only a slight exaggeration, people. He likes carbs and chicken, and that's about it. In college, he ate terribly. I'm not sure that he ate any vegetables or fruits in an entire week.
But now he eats them daily! I am proud to say that this week he has brought fruit salad to school almost everyday. And the other day he told me that he took carrots and hummus for lunch, and I didn't even nag him to do it! He's getting healthier and healthier by the second.
In the past year, he has tried pomegranates, kiwi, plums, grapefruit, pineapple, huckleberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, avocado, bell peppers, mushrooms, butternut squash... and I'm sure there is plenty more that we can't remember. The point is, this is awesome. And he's now enjoying so many of my favorite things! So yay. Congratulations, Brian.
On another note, it is an absolutely beautiful day here today. We walked down the street and got some coffee and sat outside this morning. We also got to pet the most adorable apricot-colored poodle pup. And then walked to the grocery store. Now I'm going to go work on some homemade pizza for lunch. Yum yum. Hope ya'll are enjoying your Saturday!
We were walking around Trader Joe's, our grocery store, this morning, and I was complaining about Brian's lack of good taste and he was reminding me of all the things he has tried this year. And it's true, he has tried quite a bit, and it is one of my life goals to get him to expand his palate. If you don't know him, you should know that Brian is historically one of the pickiest eaters on the face of the planet. And that is only a slight exaggeration, people. He likes carbs and chicken, and that's about it. In college, he ate terribly. I'm not sure that he ate any vegetables or fruits in an entire week.
But now he eats them daily! I am proud to say that this week he has brought fruit salad to school almost everyday. And the other day he told me that he took carrots and hummus for lunch, and I didn't even nag him to do it! He's getting healthier and healthier by the second.
In the past year, he has tried pomegranates, kiwi, plums, grapefruit, pineapple, huckleberries, raspberries, blackberries, peaches, avocado, bell peppers, mushrooms, butternut squash... and I'm sure there is plenty more that we can't remember. The point is, this is awesome. And he's now enjoying so many of my favorite things! So yay. Congratulations, Brian.
On another note, it is an absolutely beautiful day here today. We walked down the street and got some coffee and sat outside this morning. We also got to pet the most adorable apricot-colored poodle pup. And then walked to the grocery store. Now I'm going to go work on some homemade pizza for lunch. Yum yum. Hope ya'll are enjoying your Saturday!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
My mind is telling me, 'No'...
Dear friends, if you know me, then you know that I am an incorrigible chocolate addict. Most specifically, the chocolate chip cookies that Katie has perfected over the last 2 years. And I just ate some a few moments ago, that made me feel the need to share that with you. And also the fact that Katie will no longer be making them, as we* have decided to try to continue improving the health balance of what we consume. And apparently, entire batches of cookies in a day has no place in 'healthy consumption.' Vegetables are gross; yea, I said it. It's just too obvious to not. Now don't go throwing out carrots, celery, lettuce, or even broccoli as tasty vegetables, because we all know those aren't the really healthy ones. The worst offenders are the beans, and peas, and greens; all of which have remarkable vitamin contents, when raw. But to make them the least bit appetizing, they are generally cooked or steamed in a way which degrades active, complex compounds like the enzymes and vitamins they are valued for.
But really I don't even want to talk about those abominations, I'm really just here to tell you that we took our engagement photos this weekend, and we will have them in about 2 weeks to share with the world. But if Katie wants to, she can post 4 'teaser' photos the photographer sent to us already. So, if you want those to be posted, you will just have to nag her to do it.
Well I think I should probably get back to planning some more experiments and compiling information. bye bye.
*She insisted, I consented. And concurred.
But really I don't even want to talk about those abominations, I'm really just here to tell you that we took our engagement photos this weekend, and we will have them in about 2 weeks to share with the world. But if Katie wants to, she can post 4 'teaser' photos the photographer sent to us already. So, if you want those to be posted, you will just have to nag her to do it.
Well I think I should probably get back to planning some more experiments and compiling information. bye bye.
*She insisted, I consented. And concurred.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
The Countdown
Woah, we haven't blogged in quite awhile. Sorry about that, people. I feel like we go through periods of time where we have tons to blog about followed by times when we have absolutely nothing to say. I promise, I'll try to be better about it.
Let's see... what can I tell you? Brian has been busy with school. He's taking 1 class right now, which is (hopefully) his last actual class he will attend as a student in grad school, and after this quarter it will just be lab research and the occasional teaching assistant-ship. For those of you who may not know, Brian is in school for a PhD in Chemical Engineering. So he's a smarty pants and is working hard.
I've been busy with work! It's so good to finally be able to say that! :) I like it a lot. I have learned so much about the digital marketing world and about nonprofits. It is so different from working with Periclean Scholars in college. That experience provided me with a great basis of doing this kind of work, and now I'm seeing how such a huge, far-reaching organization does it, and that has been really exciting. It has also provided me with the chance to really evaluate what I want to do with my life and different options I want to explore. I will meet a lot of senior leaders from all over the organization soon, and I'm excited to learn about what everyone and all the departments do. I'm having a lot of fun learning about different things and being so engaged with work that, in the end, I know helps a lot of people all over the world.
In other news, it is exactly 6 months until Brian and I get married! That is wonderful and stressful all at the same time. I can't wait for it, and at the same time, we still have SO much to do! It'll all come together though... We have a photographer and someone to marry us... That's all we really need, right? We'll feed our guests on paper plates and have a BBQ and we're good to go. I can probably scrounge up a white dress, we'll text all the guests directions... Good, right? Haha, if only. That's okay. It's been crazy trying to pull this thing together, but it will happen, and it will be so very fun.
Today as a celebration of 6 months until our wedding, Brian took me on a picnic to the beach, and he surprised me with some of our friends who showed up to picnic with us! It was grand. I wish the weather had been better better, but the sailboats were out, and that is something about which I cannot find any reason to complain. Oh, and someone had THE cutest little puppy. I wish I had gotten a picture of it. It was roughly the size of a football and looked like a teddy bear. Seriously, I need one.
PS- Can you believe there are normally mountains on the other side of this little sound? This is what we mean when we say that mountains disappear around here... Literally one day it looks like this and the next, you can see the most majestic Olympic mountain range in all its snow-capped shimmering glory. We decided today that the mountains just migrate south for the winter. Those tricky beasts.
Let's see... what can I tell you? Brian has been busy with school. He's taking 1 class right now, which is (hopefully) his last actual class he will attend as a student in grad school, and after this quarter it will just be lab research and the occasional teaching assistant-ship. For those of you who may not know, Brian is in school for a PhD in Chemical Engineering. So he's a smarty pants and is working hard.
I've been busy with work! It's so good to finally be able to say that! :) I like it a lot. I have learned so much about the digital marketing world and about nonprofits. It is so different from working with Periclean Scholars in college. That experience provided me with a great basis of doing this kind of work, and now I'm seeing how such a huge, far-reaching organization does it, and that has been really exciting. It has also provided me with the chance to really evaluate what I want to do with my life and different options I want to explore. I will meet a lot of senior leaders from all over the organization soon, and I'm excited to learn about what everyone and all the departments do. I'm having a lot of fun learning about different things and being so engaged with work that, in the end, I know helps a lot of people all over the world.
In other news, it is exactly 6 months until Brian and I get married! That is wonderful and stressful all at the same time. I can't wait for it, and at the same time, we still have SO much to do! It'll all come together though... We have a photographer and someone to marry us... That's all we really need, right? We'll feed our guests on paper plates and have a BBQ and we're good to go. I can probably scrounge up a white dress, we'll text all the guests directions... Good, right? Haha, if only. That's okay. It's been crazy trying to pull this thing together, but it will happen, and it will be so very fun.
Today as a celebration of 6 months until our wedding, Brian took me on a picnic to the beach, and he surprised me with some of our friends who showed up to picnic with us! It was grand. I wish the weather had been better better, but the sailboats were out, and that is something about which I cannot find any reason to complain. Oh, and someone had THE cutest little puppy. I wish I had gotten a picture of it. It was roughly the size of a football and looked like a teddy bear. Seriously, I need one.
PS- Can you believe there are normally mountains on the other side of this little sound? This is what we mean when we say that mountains disappear around here... Literally one day it looks like this and the next, you can see the most majestic Olympic mountain range in all its snow-capped shimmering glory. We decided today that the mountains just migrate south for the winter. Those tricky beasts.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Yes, that is a bald eagle flying over our heads...
Today was the most perfect spring day we ever could have wished for. Spring keeps popping up here, which I am just loving. I also love that we live someplace that never actually stops being green... so spring just means the addition of flowers, and most importantly, sunshine, to the green that always sticks around. We went back to Discovery Park today, one of our favorite places, and actually got hot while we were hiking. Crazy. We also caught low tide and found some little friends, as well as a lovely feathery one...
Sunday, March 20, 2011
6 Days to 3 Years
It's been a while since I've contributed to this endeavor, so I'm going to throw in my two cents here once again. Most importantly, I have some pictures to share with the world from all sorts of hiding places they've been (my camera's memory card.)
Like this gem from today's Farmer's Market. Tons of people came out to enjoy the shops and music today in the relative warmth and sun.
We took our time listening to some of the performers do their thing; and of course pet a few dogs. We got a discount on the ice cream we always buy, I'm guessing since we are such consistent and loyal customers. But it could well've been just because the people who sell it are just that nice and friendly.
This picture is from Christmas back at the Swift house in Germantown. The traditional 'Jesus birthday cake' took an urban turn this year, since we ran out of candy 'S's to use.
I think I have one more picture to post up here. But first I will say that all my b-ball teams in the tourney are getting robbed. Just had to rant for a second there, justified or not.
Also, if you haven't watched the show Modern Family yet; you definitely should. Especially if you want a sneak preview of how Katie and I interact (Claire and Phil) and what our life will probably be like in the future. Hilarity ensues.
this picture is of the ever-lovely Katie in a swing at the Memphis Botanical Garden. I think it is supposed to be a cocoon.Well that's all I really have to share with you folks today.
bye bye
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Ahhhhhh... Porch Picnic
The perfect day for a porch picnic... Ok, it was a tad chilly, but I am so happy for this little sign of spring...
Monday, March 14, 2011
Zing! Cranberry Lemon Squares
Hello there, everyone. I hope you had a wonderful weekend full of sunshine. We did not. Well, it was wonderful, but it was not at all sunny. Not even for a second. I am so sick of the rain. So, I decided to drown my sorrows with baking, which is, I believe, a great solution. Introducing Cranberry Lemon Squares... Brian didn't enjoy them so much, but he isn't a big fan of fruit. I love them though, and I thoroughly suggest you follow this link and make them yourselves :)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Sunny Day = Zoo Day
Today was unexpectedly beautiful. It's so nice when I open the blinds in the morning, gearing myself up to see gloom and rain, and then it's sunny! Instant happiness. Today was like that, so we went to Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo, which is about 10 minutes away from us. This zoo was a lot different from many we've been to, in that it had impressively natural habitats for the animals to live in. It wasn't elephants in a cement enclosing; the elephants have their own forest and free reign of this whole section of the zoo. It was really cool.
To make this day even better, we stopped at a produce stand on the way home that's right near our apartment, but we've never been. The 39 cent grapefruit signs lured me in, and we discovered a wonderful produce haven. $13 later, our lives have been greatly enhanced by the most delicious strawberries and blueberries I have ever eaten, avocados, and grapefruit. Yum yum. I love our city. But then the guy at Starbucks gave me a vanilla latte instead of a caffe latte. Sadness.
To make this day even better, we stopped at a produce stand on the way home that's right near our apartment, but we've never been. The 39 cent grapefruit signs lured me in, and we discovered a wonderful produce haven. $13 later, our lives have been greatly enhanced by the most delicious strawberries and blueberries I have ever eaten, avocados, and grapefruit. Yum yum. I love our city. But then the guy at Starbucks gave me a vanilla latte instead of a caffe latte. Sadness.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Nothing and Something
Sometimes I have absolutely nothing to write about, so I don't blog. Sorry, kids. I know you check anxiously every day to see if there is new and exciting news from the crazy kids who live far away from you. But today I have something.
Wahooo! I have an internship. For a really great organization. So I'm excited to have something to do, and I know I have lots to learn, and I bet Brian is pretty excited to get some alone time. :)
In other, less exciting news... My curtains fell down the other day. Sadness. Of course, it may have been my fear of drilling holes in the wall that did it. I really want to get our security deposit back when we move out of this place, so I have been careful not to put any holes in the wall. So I put the curtain rod up with Command strips (love 'em). The curtains hung there for a solid 3 or 4 days before tumbling down one evening. Sadness. I guess I'll have to make those holes.
Also, I don't know what kind of weather ya'll have had recently, but this is crazy town in the weather department. Yesterday it was rainy, then sunny, then SUPER windy, then it hailed, then it rained (and poured), then it was sunny and windy. And then today it was nice and even a bit warm in the sun, and then it thundered (that doesn't happened here), and then the bottom fell out of the sky again with hail, and then it was rainy for the rest of the evening. Hail? Really? Every time it has hailed I have gotten really worried that a tornado was coming. And then I realized where I was. Still weird though, right? Can't wait for summer.
Wahooo! I have an internship. For a really great organization. So I'm excited to have something to do, and I know I have lots to learn, and I bet Brian is pretty excited to get some alone time. :)
In other, less exciting news... My curtains fell down the other day. Sadness. Of course, it may have been my fear of drilling holes in the wall that did it. I really want to get our security deposit back when we move out of this place, so I have been careful not to put any holes in the wall. So I put the curtain rod up with Command strips (love 'em). The curtains hung there for a solid 3 or 4 days before tumbling down one evening. Sadness. I guess I'll have to make those holes.
Also, I don't know what kind of weather ya'll have had recently, but this is crazy town in the weather department. Yesterday it was rainy, then sunny, then SUPER windy, then it hailed, then it rained (and poured), then it was sunny and windy. And then today it was nice and even a bit warm in the sun, and then it thundered (that doesn't happened here), and then the bottom fell out of the sky again with hail, and then it was rainy for the rest of the evening. Hail? Really? Every time it has hailed I have gotten really worried that a tornado was coming. And then I realized where I was. Still weird though, right? Can't wait for summer.
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| Just because I like blog posts with pictures. This guy got me through the Egyptian dessert. And then I couldn't sit for days. |
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Kimmy Kim Kim
Kim is my future sister-in-law (woot woot) and she really wants a shout-out on the blog. I actually do have a reason for this though, because one day when we were skyping I gave her a little virtual tour around our apartment. When we got to the bedroom she suggested that we needed curtains. I had been thinking about them for awhile but figured no one would notice, but then she did, so I had to get some. So I made these out yesterday, Kim. Just for you.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
It's snowing!
WHAT?! How on earth could it be snowing?! I just want it to be spring (insert sobbing here)!
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| This photo is deceiving... it's from when it snowed in November. But that's how much it is snowing right now. Thank goodness none of it is sticking. I hate snow. |
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Crazy talk.
Who doesn't like chocolate covered strawberries?! No one in their right mind, right?? Yesterday I thought I'd be cute and semi-healthy (haha) by making chocolate covered strawberries. But Brian apparently doesn't like them, so looks like I have to eat them this week. I guess it's not that bad. I'll take the burden for both of us. Look at that relationship working.
Thai dinner followed by strawberries followed by the movie "Grumpy Old Men" = a pretty stellar evening. Which was also the first Valentine's Day we had celebrated together. Woot woot. First time for everything.
Hope ya'll are good. It's raining here. Again. And I'm struggling with being awake today.
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| All mine, muah ha ha! That was my plan all along. |
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| The most sexist gift ever, right?! It's okay though, I asked for it after I completely destroyed one of my favorite shirts while cooking one night. |
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| If you haven't seen "Up," you should probably go do that. |
Hope ya'll are good. It's raining here. Again. And I'm struggling with being awake today.
Monday, February 14, 2011
Spreadin' some love
Happy Valentine's Day, yall! But especially to this guy:
An oldie but goodie, this was taken almost 4 years ago, when the magic all began... Try not to contemplate the pudginess of my cheeks or the fro-ness of Brian's hair for too long (some people used to call him "Mr. Tumnus" that year. See the resemblance?). We've grown up since then.
Also, a very happy birthday to Brian's dad! With a Valentine's birthday, does it feel like the whole world is celebrating your birthday with you? We definitely are!
An oldie but goodie, this was taken almost 4 years ago, when the magic all began... Try not to contemplate the pudginess of my cheeks or the fro-ness of Brian's hair for too long (some people used to call him "Mr. Tumnus" that year. See the resemblance?). We've grown up since then.
Also, a very happy birthday to Brian's dad! With a Valentine's birthday, does it feel like the whole world is celebrating your birthday with you? We definitely are!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Meet Spike
Brian's birthday was yesterday, which was complete with pulled pork bbq (made by yours truly), beer, brownie pudding pie, our friend Beth, and Spike. All in all, it was wonderful...
And to think, this is how he started...
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| Brian had to come home from school and get in some birthday video games with the boys. |
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| Deliciousness. Brownie pudding pie. |
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| He liked it. |
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| And here's Spike! Our new triceratops... |
And to think, this is how he started...
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011
Craft Time
I've just decided, people, that when Brian and I have a house (long time from now) and have kids (WAY long time from now), we're going to need an official craft room or table or something designated just for arts and crafts. I mean really, people talk about what a mess their kids made on the kitchen table with their finger paints... I'm just as bad, and my previous roommates will attest to that. I pick out a spot on the floor and designate that as my "art studio." Currently, I have a spot that's right in between our desks, near the window, so I can bask in sunlight when it appears, that is my painting spot. Right this minute there is a half-finished painting sitting there with tons of paints, brushes, palettes, etc. surrounding it. Good thing it's too cold to walk out onto the porch because we wouldn't be able to get to the door. Also, the bar on our kitchen counter (a.k.a our dinner table) is covered in a mess. An absolute mess. And it will remain there for at least two more days as I work on this guy:
My Valentines Day gift for Brian. Believe it or not, it's a tad difficult to hide a soggy Triceratops head in a 600 sq. ft. apartment. There's been progress made since I took this picture... We had some surgery earlier to take out a mid-section of the obviously disproportionate snout, and tomorrow he's going to get a hanger stuck into his head to stabilize the neck frill stuff (what is that called? I'm not an expert). And he's eventually going to get painted a crazy color, given a name, and put on our wall like a deer head. I'm pretty excited. But totally convinced that if we have kids who are into arts and crafts (which they will be, if I have anything to do with it), we're going to need a lot more room for the mess.
My Valentines Day gift for Brian. Believe it or not, it's a tad difficult to hide a soggy Triceratops head in a 600 sq. ft. apartment. There's been progress made since I took this picture... We had some surgery earlier to take out a mid-section of the obviously disproportionate snout, and tomorrow he's going to get a hanger stuck into his head to stabilize the neck frill stuff (what is that called? I'm not an expert). And he's eventually going to get painted a crazy color, given a name, and put on our wall like a deer head. I'm pretty excited. But totally convinced that if we have kids who are into arts and crafts (which they will be, if I have anything to do with it), we're going to need a lot more room for the mess.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
It's Okay...
... For you to be jealous... Today the weather cleared up just long enough to enjoy the outdoors. We went and explored Discovery Park, which is a beautiful and natural 350 acre park right in the city. We hiked through the rain forest to get to the beach. Please excuse the huge pictures, but I was so excited about them and our day that I just felt like they deserved to be super-sized.
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And because I know you miss seeing our lovely faces...
Hope your day was as great as ours! :)
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