Thursday, December 31, 2009

One of the best parts of my day is coming home to this:

(Picture credit to J.)

No more words now (I think I might be forgiven, seeing how it's currently 2:40 a.m. -- grrr. Don't ask.)-- but look for a couple of fabulous Amy-style lists soon :)

I'm missed you, friends, and I hope your holidays were wonderful.

It's good to be back <3

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

They say picture's worth a thousand words....


...and I think this one may be worth at least 2,000...

Alternate Titles:

"Gracie goes to the dentist"

"This makes me laugh but I do NOT think it's funny..."

"You know you're a cat owner when you see this and dissolve in giggles.... and have to take a picture of it before you get (and HIDE) a new toothbrush..."

"I didn't think I'd have to worry about my little girl 'sharing my toothbrush' with me for a few more years...." (honestly.... I didn't think I'd have to worry about it then :)

and finally:
"At least she didn't get into the dental floss.... (yike.)"


More later, I promise! Happy Wednesday, Bloggies!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Breaking news:

Holy Moly.

If you haven't tried typing "Twilight" in for Pandora, do it.

This is absolutely fabulous "moody-writing music".

love, Love, LOVE.

All right, all right....

First of all, I feel the need to apologize to y'all because I didn't manage to get the "List Day" post up on time (again) this week. Unfortunately, this week I actually had a good reason: On Tuesday night J and I received news that dear friends of ours had just experienced a heart-breaking loss -- therefore, yesterday was spent praying and grieving for them and with them.... and, quite frankly, the last thing on my mind was writing out a good list. So, I hope you'll forgive me for that :) (..and prayers for this wondeful couple are greatly appreciated!)

Anyway, though... I'm hanging in over here, and I am pleased to give you a (somewhat more reflective and heartfelt-- as opposed to the "Thank God for coffee" usual) Good List today:

Good List (Week of 12/6)

1. J. This week was the first time I have ever had to deal with something of this magnitude with him, and he is proving himself to be a perfect partner in this-- truly my rock.
2. Family. I am so blessed to live close to my family. Sometimes it's just comforting to know that a Mom-hug is no more than 20 minutes away.
3. Life is precious. I feel like I complain all together too much about the little things-- my prayer is to shift my heart to focus on what really matters.
4. "Sometimes it doesn't matter what you say-- the important thing is that you said something."
5. Saying "I love you" and taking chances are things that should not be put off.
6. My bed is the perfect height to lean into when I'm praying on my knees.
7. Cats are amazing - they can sense when something is "off". Gracie and Baron were especially snuggly on Tuesday night.
8. I realize that it is time for me to box up all the "what-ifs" in my heart and put them away. There is no room for them anymore. This is a good thing.
9. Every once in a while, something happens to shake me and remind me once again of just how small I am, and just how big my God is. This is also a good thing.
10. "Thy will be done."

List Number 2:

Things I need more of in my life:
  • walking. Like, A LOT more often. I like to run-- but long walks are where I really get the chance to talk to myself (heh.. does that sound bad--- perhaps I meant "listen to myself/my heart")-- and they are prime time to day dream... which lead me to:
  • daydreaming. In an ideal world, I would allow myself at least an hour a day to get lost in my thought :)
  • writing. I really, really desire to write more.
  • to split a bottle of wine and really talk with J. during dinner. (This is amazing-- and we've gotten to do this a good amount recently. I am slightly ashamed to say that there have been some weeks where we eat our dinner in front of Big Bang... which, while funny, does not inspire intimacy:)
  • cleaning the house. Hah. Now before you start thinking that we are living in filth and I never clean the house (and therefore forsake me and the blog forever...) -- it's not like I don't do this. Our house is very tidy-- I just don't "deep clean" as much as I could (should?)-- the crazy part is, this doesn't just make the list bc I have standards to uphold and people to invite over-- I actually love cleaning the house (I HATE doing dishes.... but that's another story.) I just feel so accomplished when it's done :) (Obviously, Laurie didn't give me the nickname "Spaz" for nothing :)
  • baking. For pretty much the same reasons as above-- I feel fulfilled and accomplished when I do it (a resounding "Hallelujah!" for christmas cookie season!!). This may sound a little lame, but the perfect Saturday (to me) would consist of grocery shopping, cleaning, napping and baking. I am confident that J. would support this point whole-heartedly!
  • send cards to people I love, just because I'm thinking about them.

And, just for fun, a final list. This list is comprised of 7 (some "semi-secret" meaning I have not told many people yet-- and definitely not blogged about them!)) things I would like to work on during the next year. What makes this fun is that I have scrambled the sentences-- so you'll have to do a little work to uncover these desires of my heart :) Enjoy!

  • omarntah a urn
  • a ertwi rtyos
  • 5k nru 25 ntmuie a
  • 8 ntmuie nru na imel
  • a ytusd leda lebbi
  • amet sles tea
  • ot ynemo gnmaea areln ym

All right, that's it for now-- Have a happy Thursday, bloggies!!

It's almost the weekend :)

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Gracie: 1, Christmas Tree: 0

Gracie snuggled up on the christmas tree skirt. ... It's makes me think of Mariah Carey's "All I want for Christmas (is You)". Gracie was definitely my early (and I am not shy to say BEST) christmas present this year:)


So like I alluded to in the last post, this has been a week for christmas decorating in "Amy-ville".
Always curious, Gracie decided she was going to help Mama out with the tree last night. She sniffed around for a little while (and, in true catly fashion, was completely enamored with the box the tree came in!)... and soon, I was eye-to-eye with this dear little face.










Aww.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

It's official:

...I am moving List Day to Wednesday.



Haha, sigh. Ah well, blogger's prerogative, right? This does not mean that I will not post on Tuesdays (and in fact, since "pressure is off" now, I probably will-- my goal is to blog more. PERIOD.)-- it's just that now, if you are solely interested in the Amy-fabulous Lists (... and, selfishly, I hope that my charming and witty entries are always interesting to you... *bats eyelashes*) you only need to show up on Wednesdays.



Whew. All right, now that I've taken care of business.... on to the good stuff!



Good List (for Inaugural List Day Wednesday)


  • J. I love my husband (not first and foremost... but it's up there) for his sense of humor. J can always be counted on for an off-the-cuff remark (most of which HE thinks are funnier than <they actually are> I do-- love you, babe!)-- but every once in a while he says something that totally catches me off guard, and I laugh so hard that tears come to my eyes. ...And when I say "every once in a while", I mean at least twice a week. ...I am a lucky girl :)

  • COFFEEeeeee (I am convinced that without coffee I might not make it through this week...)
  • Christmas Decorations! We put our tree up tonight (Gracie post+pictures to follow soon-- so funny!), and I had forgotten how wonderful it is just to sit and be quiet in the lit of the tree. It's a beautiful blessing that seems new each year.
  • Lists. (Ooops, is it totally lame to lists "lists" on my "good list"? Bwahaha.... I'm done, I promise....) In all seriousness, lists help me to keep my focus, and give me things to look forward to-- as I typically list the "fun tasks" near the bottom, and the "not so fun but completely necessary tasks" near the top... and then work my way down. I am convinced that without lists, people like me would wander around aimlessly... Long live the list!
  • I get to find out if I'm having a niece or nephew tomorrow!! (J's sister is expecting her first child in April-- can you tell how excited I am to be an aunt? :)
  • Yankee Candle: "Home for the Holidays" ... Love, LoVE, LOVE.
  • Hallmark (I need to go ahead and buy some stock all ready... seriously.)
  • Today I went to the bookstore today and wandered around in blissful content for a full hour. (Erk.. well, not quite a full hour... I had to buy cat litter... which is not anywhere near as wonderful... although absolutely imperative. trust me.) Even though I walked out empty handed, something about being around all those books just fills my soul.
  • Gracie has been especially snuggly lately... and I can't get enough of it. True happiness (for me) comes from a lot of things (great book + soft blanket; sitting down to write with a glass of wine; a bath with candles; snuggling under the covers on rainy Sunday afternoons...) -- but near the top of that list is having a small, purring kitten in your lap, so soft and warm :)
  • I am living in a season of anticipation. And, though this frustrates me sometimes, I know I am blessed with the promise that I will emerge from this time with purpose and a mission... and that is worth being patient for.


List #2 . I know this next list is a bit of a cop-out (since EVERYONE is doing it)-- but it's terribly fun... and I am not one to miss out on an opportunity like this... soo:


Amy's Christmas List (pay attention, J!)


1. A new computer. Hoo Boy do I need one.... A mac book please, Santa!

2. A (omg, I can't remember what these things are called for the life of me!) "cabinet" for our dining room to store china, wine glasses, etc. in -- I loved this one from Pottery Barn.... but sadly, it is no longer available....

3. One of those big snuggly "no-sew" fleece blankets

4. The Twilight Soundtrack

5. A Spi-belt :)

Hmm... Actually, that list was a little harder to compile than I think it should have been :) It's not that I don't want anything for Christmas (unfortunately, I'm not that self-less ;)-- it's just that (and I don't know why I never remember this!) every year when it gets to December I have an extremely hard time naming what I want. I think it probably comes off the "Ooh, it's almost Christmas, so I shouldn't even think about buying anything for myself" mentality... but it's kind of inconvenient ... Perhaps the key is to make my list early so that I can beat this "mini-mental shut down" :) ....Next year, look for my Christmas list in October (*cough-J-cough*)

Let's see... I guess if I had though about it earlier, I would have told you about Thanksgiving before I got into Christmas :) This is definitely a problem with posting only 1x a week-- I have way to much to talk about! J an I had a wonderful 1st Thanksgiving together :) I woke early to do a 4mi race with my family (J. and the kitties stayed warm in bed and enjoyed the day off!) The 4 miler was awesome-- I think everyone had a great time, and I have high hopes that this will become a family tradition (... I'll have to bribe J. out of bed next year, too!) After the race, Laurie came home with me and we watched the parade and napped for the rest of the afternoon (heaven!)

In the evening, I got to enjoy my first Thanksgiving EVER with J's family, and it did not disappoint! Not only was baby Aiden perfectly delightful (at 4mos. he is really starting to interact-- love Love LOVE the baby squeals of delight!), but J. and I had a wonderful time laughing and catching up with everyone (heh.. we have been somewhat "hermit-y"-- since the wedding we have not seen any of J's extended family until now!)-- and Oh the FOOD! We enjoyed turkey (of course), stuffing, yams, spinach balls, peas, a relish tray of fresh veggies (prepped by yours truly :), cranberry salad, mashed potatoes, and cinnamon-y crescent rolls. Dessert was a choice of pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie or ice cream (or any combination of the above-- I enjoyed a small slice of both pumpkin and pecan pies!) Glorious food coma :)

The rest of the weekend was delightfully lazy-- although I did (as promised) hauls myself out of the house on Saturday to get coffee and see "New Moon" with Laurie (Squeal!!!!! A.MAZ.ING. I was very much less than thrilled with the first movie-- but this was AWESOME. I want to see it again!) I'm SO excited for Eclipse (Which was, hands-down, my favorite book in the series. 6.30.2010.)

And now, it back to the grind :) We seem to have a mysterious "December 15 deadline" here at work... so things will probably be a bit nutty for the next few weeks-- at least I'm won't be bored! All right... bedtime.

More later-- and much "bloggy love" until then <3

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Happy "Day Before"! (alt: Another Wordy Wednesday)

Is it just me, or is there anyone else out there that things "Days Before" (ie: Day before Christmas, Day before New Years, Day before Your Birthday...) are wonderful in their own right? I mean, don't get me wrong-- I LOVE celebrating on the actual day, but anticipation can be pretty wonderful, too :)



I digress...


And now, friends, I would like to present you with the weekly "Good List":



Good List: Thanksgiving Edition


  1. J. While I would never proclaim that things are perfect-- things are really, really good. I truly love being married. (Perfection is overrated, anyway...)

  2. I am blessed with a stylist who makes me feel like a million bucks everytime I get a haircut (for, I'd like to point out, significantly less than $1,000,000 ...)

  3. Kitties. I am so in love with my fur-babies, who provide hours upon hours of amusement, and offer me unfailing love.

  4. When tasks that you have been dreading for the past week end up being completely painless, and taking less than an hour, start-to-finish.

  5. Wedding pictures. I know I have gushed about how much I love mine (I love how looking at them brings back so much of the day for me!) but I really (still) love looking at pictures of really beautiful weddings (that aren't mine) -- and being inspired.

  6. Snuggling under our down comforter :)

  7. RACE SWAG. (Woah. If you are in the Central, OH area, the Flying Feather 4 Miler is a must. Why? 1 word for you: Wine.)

  8. Vitamin C. (...and no, I am not talking about the artist...)

  9. Dreams. And (maybe even more so!) turning them into attainable goals.

  10. Did you know that every year the president pardons a turkey? Corny, perhaps, but it still warms my heart <3
Yike... must get back to work... but, since I probably won't get back here until after-the-fact, have a really wonderful Thanksgiving, everyone :)

Monday, November 23, 2009

I know I dreamed I was being chased last night....

... but it is ridiculous how tired I am. Gahh.
...And the copious amounts of coffee don't seem to be making a bit of difference. Maybe a brisk walk will help me?

Anyway, no more complaining allowed because:

IT"S HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK!

I don't know if I've ever had a reason to mention this before, but I love, Love, LOVE Thanksgiving. It is, hands-down, my favorite holiday of the year. I think perhaps the reason why it edges out Christmas (bc I really love giving gifts, too....) is because it is a bit more relaxed. When I think of Thanksgiving, I think of eating harvest bread* in front of the Macy's parade with Laurie, in my pajamas. Heaven!

* For those poor souls out there who do not know what harvest bread is, it is a pumpkin bread base, which contains some or all of the following ingredients: chocolate chips, nuts, raisins... my personal favorite combo is choco. chips and nuts!!

Anyway, so even though I am (exhausted) tired today, I am very excited about the upcoming 4 day weekend, and I am doing my best to let my holiday cheer propel me through my "2 days short but packed to the brim with things to do" work week. And also, dear bloggies, in honor of this week of thanksgiving, I am doing my part to "cultivate gratitude"-- and I'm giving you a MONDAY LIST :) (... or 2... I'm not sure I will be able to stop with just one... YaY, lists!)

Wonderful things that I am looking forward to this Thanksgiving week:
  • sleep over with Laurie!
  • New Moon--- omg, omg, omg!!!
  • sleeping in on Friday!
  • Flying Feather 4 miler-- bright and early on Thursday morning!
  • The Macy's Parade-- so thankful for DVR :)
  • Pumpkin Chili! My mom always made us vegetable soup for sinner the night before Thanksgiving-- I think I will make pumpkin chili my tradition!
  • Thanksgiving dinner, prepared by Grandma J.
  • Cuddling baby Aiden at Thanksgiving dinner :)
  • The Thanksgiving Paper---- love the 3" of ads!
  • Seeing "The Blind Side" with Laurie and J at some point
  • and of course.... TURKEY!

You may notice that conspicuously absent from the list is "Black Friday/ Day after Thanksgiving" (pick your poison) shopping. Ugh. I realize that it may go against every girly-bone in my body to say this, but I HATE SHOPPING this time of year. (Actually, when I went out yesterday it was pretty bad all ready... perhaps store are employing a new sales- strategy this year to combat the economic slump?) I realize that if I was a "true-hot-blooded-bargain-hunter", I would be all over these sales, but honestly... apart from saving $$-- black Friday sales are fundamentally against everything I stand for. I am all about quick, efficient, happy shopping trips-- and for me "day after Thanksgiving sales" are none of these. ...I mean, obviously the quick and efficient parts are out-- and, inevitably, standing in mile long lines = cranky Amy. I would much rather sit down with the ads and dream-- planning my shopping strategy and then executing it later (like, at 7am on a Sunday morning, when the crowds are relatively under control!) I'm not going to lie... Christmas season forces me to completely change my shopping routine.. but it's okay :) I really enjoy singing along with Christmas music while I shop-- even at crazy hours in the morning/night -- as long as it's not "super-MORE-crowded" (whew--grammar patrol!) than normal, I am happy as a clam.

All right... Must run for now -- but happy Monday, everyone-- make it a good one :)

I'll be back tomorrow for Tuesday List Day!

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Wordy Wednesday

Yup.. This is how my day started :) Luckily it continued by laughing with J about it later....



Oooooh.... bad blogger, Amy! I realize that it has been well over a week since I last wrote (and that *gasp* I missed out on 2 "List Day Tuesdays"--- yeah, I'd be worried about me, too...) ... And for that, I apologize. Unfortunately (or fortunately, I suppose, depending on how you look at it!) I don't even really have a good excuse. Stuff has been crazy and busy... but just in a "normal life" sort of way. I feel like I have been fighting off something (cold, I'm sure... no flu, please!) for the past couple weeks (armed with lots of vitamin C... which, while I can't say it's been great on the stomach, has seemed to be pretty effective in the immuno-defense department...)-- so I feel like I've been extra tired-- but nothing unmanagable.
Honestly, I think I am just experienceing a case of the "(almost)-winter blahs". We've been having amazing weather lately (lots of sun and freakishly warm for Ohio in November), though-- so that has helped immensely.

Anyway, never fear, my bloggy friends! Immmmm Baaaaccck! :)

And to try to make up for my temporary hiatus, this promises to be one wordy post :) Not only do I have 2 weeks worth of Good Lists for you.... but I'll give you a general catch up of all that has been happening over here in the world of Amy.

Enjoy!

Good List (week of 11/8): (note: I actually did write this last week, and had every intention of posting... but obviously I didn't.... Here it is now for your reading pleasure)

1. J. I love living with my best friend! Thursday's early morning heart-to-heart conversation is only one of many treasured A+J moments this week.
2. Sushi (!!) and
3. Girls' Night! Emily and I had a fabulous time on Monday evening-- we went out for dinner, and then came back home to look at wedding pictures and for some girly chat :) Glorious. I can't wait to do it again soon!
4. I got my new glasses on Tuesday. Love, love, LOVE (will post a pic soon-- I feel uber-trendy and cute in them!)
5. New opportunities to serve. I got an invitation from Pastor Bud on Wednesday to join the Staff Parish Committee. I'm very excited to see where this leads.
6. Pizza night. Oh, how I LOVE pizza night :) (which, this week, fell on Wednesday!)
7. Checking things off my to-do list-- today and tomorrow I am running name change errands. My goal is to have everything done (on my end) by Thanksgiving. (On this note: I am also very thankful for Google Calendar/ Google Tasks... lifesavers!)
8. More deep soul searching, inspired by this book.
9. My mother's cooking. I know it's cliche, but when I think comfort food, this is what I think :) I am very blessed to eat dinner with my family once a week.
10. Lovely, lovely Fall days. We have definitely been spoiled this week with all the sunshine. I love it!

Good List (for Today, Wednesday, Nov 18)

1. J. I love the man. And that's all :) (And that is enough.)
2. I AM DONE WRITING THANK-YOU NOTES. ... SO thankful for that!
3. Coffee. Which, for the past couple of weeks, I have been drinking black. Yup, folks... I am officially hard-core.
4. My dear little Gracie Lou. She makes every little task so much more (complicated) fun!
5. Post-it notes
6. G-chat :)
7. I'm being proactive and getting involved in some things that are really REALLY exciting to me. No details yet, but stay tuned.... hopefully I will have more to tell you soon!
8. Red pens. I know they have a bad reputation (think "grading pens").... but you have to admit, they are perfect to draw hearts with.
9. PB & pb (peanut butter + pumpkin butter) sandwiches. A.maze.ing.
10. Getting into the holiday spirit!

And now, the new list for the week: 28 by 28. This idea is by no means an original one-- in fact, I hae seen it pop up several times this week in the blog world (although, I can't remember to tell you where....) The drawn out title of this list is "28 things to do/accomplish by the time I'm 28". I love this idea!! I've been seeing a lot of "30 by 30" lists lately, and so I've decided to create my own personal edition! (28 because that will give me 5 years! --After that, I'll move on to 30....) ...but enough talk. I give you:


(Amy's) 28 by 28:
(in no particular order)
  1. Visit Carlisle, PA with J.
  2. Go to San Francisco with J.
  3. Go to Boston
  4. Go to an all-inclusive Sandals Resort with J (perhaps for our 5th Anniversary?)
  5. Run a marathon
  6. Write out a life plan and start making it happen.
  7. I'd really like to attend a Healthy Living Summit one of these years :)
  8. Buy a house with J
  9. Have a baby
  10. Help out with a Chrysalis Flight
  11. Host a holiday dinner for my family
  12. See my all-time favorite band in concert.
  13. Do a TTD/ Fearless Bridal portrait session with Kelly.
  14. Go hiking in the Rocky Mountains
  15. Go back to Gatlinburg with J.
  16. Start playing guitar again.
  17. Get involved with a "young adult" bible study. A real one :)
  18. Run an 8 minute mile.
  19. Run a sub-2 hour half marathon.
  20. Visit the Napa and Sonoma Valleys-- Tour lots of wineries!
  21. Go to a Country Music Concert :)
  22. Go on a roadtrip with J. (This is something he's always wanted to do-- I think it would be fun to go with him!)
  23. Go to Europe.
  24. Keep a garden
  25. Learn to fold a fitted sheet
  26. Bake a cake from scratch
  27. Go see "The Nutcracker" downtown at Christmastime
  28. See a Broadway Show


That was fun! (I definitely almost forgot to stop at 28... hehe....)

All right... well I'm not sure if that counted as a real "check-in" for what's been going on over here... but I think the "Good Lists" should have given a good glimpse at least :) ...Actually, I need to get going for now (lots of errands to run-- I definitely thrive on checking items off my to-do list!)

Happy hump-day, Bloggies! Make it a good one :)

(and yes, I promise my next post will not be so far down the road....)












Thursday, November 5, 2009

Crumble!

Ooops, my bad. I guess I may have never technically had Apple Crumble.... But I have had Pumpkin Crumble (when I was in WI) and it was phenomenal. You'd better believe J and I will be enjoying this sooon!

Recipe from COOKS.COM

Enjoy!

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

...it's all in the details :)

Hi, Bloggies-- Happy Wednesday!

I am snuggled up in my bathrobe (bathrobes are amazing things when you live in the northeast US. I live in mine from approximately October through April...) drinking a glass of wine and enjoying a square of Ghiradelli "Twilight Delight" chocolate. Mmmmmmm... Heaven :)

Anyway... what makes it even more heavenly is that (as I type this), my 512 be.a.utiful. wedding photos are downloading to my computer (haha... geez. I just had to pause for a 5 minute convo with J. about upload vs. download... I'm going to blame the wine...) ...and I'm getting to spend some quality time blogging-- which also makes me happy.

I guess (since I've only made you wait about... oh, 24 hours...) I'll start with list-y goodness:

Good List

1. J. (Argh. Who just right on cue fell asleep in the middle of our conversation... Sigh-- I guess maybe I am old and boring now?!)
2. Pictures (Surprised these made the list?) They say pictures are worth a thousand words, and, in the case of my wedding, the pictures captured a thousand thoughts and moments that I will treasure forever.
3. Homemade applesauce. So good!
4. Snuggling with Gracie under the covers. This is something new she's been doing every morning at about 5:15 am. Love, love, LOVE it :)
5. Slippers **
6. Sunday was the kick-off of POTM 2009! yAy for a great start to a fun challenge!
7. DOWN COMFORTER. enough said.
8. "The Soup" with Joel McHale-- why oh why did it take me so long to find this show? Definitely laugh-out-loud funny :)
9. Fuzzy gloves and scarves
10. Girls' nights!

Amy's Top 8 (still saving 10's for the Good List!) Favorite Foods:
(... alternatively titled: "And this is why I could never be a food blogger...")
  • Apples (and pretty much everything that can be made with apples: apple pie, apple crisp, apple crumble which is different from apple crisp! I'm not totally sure how, but it's awesome... maybe I'll google the recipe and post my findings!, apple sauce, apple dumplings... I could go on and on...)
  • Pizza. Love, love LOVE. The more veggies the better :)
  • BBQ. Wow.... I could probably eat this stuff every day for the rest of my (short if this is all I'm eating!) life... That's the country girl in me, I guess.
  • Sugar cookies!! (Although sue me-- I'm not a huge fan of the store bought ones....I can easily pass them up, although they are always so pretty. Give me a homemade sugar cookie, though, and I'll eat at least! one!)
  • Bread.
  • Pasta. (I'm a runner who religiously carbo-loads before all long runs and races:)
  • Dairy Queen Blizzards. OMG, love, Love, LOVE. MY absolute favorite is the pumpkin pie blizzard, followed closely by an oreo blizzard with peanut butter mixed in. Mmmm...Come to think of it-- I haven't gotten a pumpkin pie blizzard this year! Ahh! Tragic! (Does anyone know if they're still in season?!) ...It's a good thing they close at 9... otherwise I would have to wake J up and get one...
  • Macaroni and Cheese. I don't think I've ever had a kind that I didn't like. J.Alexander's is particularly delectable, though (thank you Gary and Sachiko for introducing me to this treat!)

*Drools* Anyway... Moving right along to this gem of a story (read: This is, in all honesty, a totally pathetic story... but funny. Even I can respect the humor, even if I do have to take it with a sigh and an eye roll.) You may have noticed that "Good List" item #5 was slippers**-- with two stars. While it is true that I happen to think very highly of my slippers, and tend to live in them when I'm hanging out at home, the stars did not indicate my enthusiasm... but rather a story: Tonight my slippers are especially wonderful and comforting because.... I think I broke my little toe. Aaaagh. I wish I was kidding :(

It happened like this: Lately, dear little Gracie has been all about closets. Obviously, since the doors are closed most of the day, Mama and Daddy must be keeping something really great in there... (Yeah, a great mess, kitty....) But so any time a closet door is opened, no matter where she is, she will race into the room at warp-kitten speed, and dive into the closet.

Which has been cute... Until today at approximately 7am.

I had my work clothes and shoe in my hands, and was on the lookout for Gracie as I was stepping out of the closet-- when she magically appeared right.under.my.foot. Now, if it had been Baron, I probably would have just yelled and done my best not to step too hard... because really, he is old enough to know better, and he's a big sturdy cat-- he would have been mad, but fine. --Little Gracie weighs all of 2 lbs, and so (and here was the fatal mistake) I did everything I possibly could to move my body out of the way and not step on her-- which meant slamming my foot into the closet door frame (with, I swear to goodness, every single pound of my body weight's force behind it.) Holy Moly. From there, I found myself on the floor, uttering words that no 3 month old (kitty) should have to hear-- trying not to cry. Not fun, folks, not fun at all.

What was even less fun was tottering around all day at work (it would have been a little better for me if I would have done this in the summer-- I could have at least worn sandals. I don't care how comfortable your work shoes are-- if you have a broken toe, everything hurts it.)

So anyway... this development should make the POTM challenge exciting... at least for the next day or so until the swelling goes down. Booo... Black toes from running high mileage is hard core, but this is just lame. (I hope maybe it made you giggle, just the same :) Like I said... it hurts, but I learning to laugh at myself... especially when it is absurdly funny like this is. Also, you can breathe a sigh of relief that I will NOT being showing you a picture of my foot. The story is funny, but the toe itself is decidedly not...


I know this is turning into a marathon post, but I did promise you some wedding pictures, and I like to deliver on my promises...


Pictures and Wedding Talk: it's all in the details

I know that this expression is over used, especially when it comes to talking about weddings, but honestly, that's because it's true: "...it's all in the details..." Yes, I did do a lot of little, behind the scenes detail work for my wedding. Yes, I did get stressed out about it a couple times (just ask J or Laurie!) But was it worth it: YES. And do I remember it ...NOT QUITE. About this point you are probably scratching your head-- so, let me explain:

I never wanted a huge elaborate wedding. In fact (and I don't know if I've mentioned it on here before): J and I didn't even do dinner and dancing. However-- which I didn't want big and elaborate, I wanted warm, friendly and family oriented-- simple and elegant was my ultimate prerogative. Above all, I wanted the wedding to be a celebration of our lives-- of who we were and the promise of who we will become together.

But with that said, of course I still wanted it to be uniquely mine. Everything we did was very Amy+J. From the dress to the programs, I truly felt that everything was perfect. I could not have asked for more for my special day. My goal was to be completely present-- once we reached the morning of September 19, everything was out of my hands and I was just along for the ride. I did my best to soak up every.single.moment so that I can treasure each memory in my heart forever. Even so, there is much that I have forgotten-- a wedding day is just incredibly intense: so many sights, sounds, people, emotions.

And this is why I absolutely adore my wedding pictures (and my photographer, Kelly Heasley. If you haven't all ready, visit her site: kellyheasleyphotography.com She comes with the highest recommendations from me.) Kelly (and Emily, her helper) were able to immortalize for me all the beautiful wonderful details: both the physical and emotional ones. Below is just a small sample. I am so looking forward to filling our home with such happy memories!



Tuesday, November 3, 2009

A temporary delay to List Day....

... Because I got the disc of wedding pictures tonight!!!


These are amazing :) I promise to share pictures and lists very soon!


...really, what more could you ask for?


Here's a teaser:





Tuesday, October 27, 2009

List day + "Mission Possible"

Happy Tuesday, friends!

I apologize in advance if there might be (more) typos (than usual) tonight-- I'm wearing my 7 year old glasses (SeXXy... lucky J.), and can't see that well out of them... I am working on getting a new pair (more on that later!)

Okay.. so first things first:

Good List

  1. J.
  2. Apple pie. The homemade kind. Enjoyed with a hot cup of tea, while snuggling with Gracie. Heaven.
  3. New books!! Love, love, Love. I'm currently being inspired by Donald Miller's "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years." This is a great one, folks.
  4. Daydreams.
  5. Online banking + automatic transfers. Though this will take some getting used to, this tool will ensure that J and I can buy a house together in 3 years... Rest assured, I will be dreaming and planning said house up until that time :)
  6. Mmmmm... Coffeemate peppermint mocha creamer... Tastes like Christmas!
  7. Black Box wine. So far, it has definitely lived up to the hype.
  8. New challenges and goals (read on...)
  9. Our wedding pictures are online!! Now I'm just (impatiently) awaiting the arrival of the disc of images... I promise to share more when I get them!
  10. Fuzzy socks (which I love, love LOVE, and am determined to wear, despite the fact that Gracie (who has entered the "munchy" phase of kitten-dom) seem to think they might be a small fuzzy animal, and insists on attacking them every chance she gets...)
The top 7 reasons I love Fall*
  1. Apple cider
  2. Bright trees against a dramatically dark sky
  3. Pumpkin Spice Lattes
  4. Cute coats, cozy sweaters... and BOOTS!
  5. Halloween (my favorite thing to do is go for a run on trick-or-treat night... before things get too crazy. I love seeing the little kids prancing around in their outfits because they are so excited that they are ready way too early, and I love looking at the decorations in their full, unadulterated glory (read: before overzealous mean adolescents smash the jack-o-lanterns).
  6. Hm... J. would probably gag if he read this, but fall means that I can start thinking about Christmas. If you know me, you know that I LOVE giving gifts... so this is the beginning of a fun time for me :)
  7. The smell. I love, love, LOVE the smell of fall: smoky, crisp and earthy. If I could bottle it up and keep it with me year round (that and the sharp, sparkly smell of the first snow...)-- I think it could perk me up even on the gray-est, rainiest days.
* 7 things rather than 10, because I like the number 7... and when I said "Top Ten", all I could think of was Letterman....

All right... now onto "Mission Possible"! I have found that lately I am pretty much completely lacking in my motivation. For a little while, I was able to rationalize it by saying, "Amy, you've been through a lot of big life changes recently (getting married, moving)-- you should go easy on yourself-- and you can't possibly tackle everything at once." (my sub-conscious is very lenient like that...) But in fact, I think I let things slide for so long that it's starting to seem easy to let them go... And there's something in me that rebels against that. Now, it's not like I am talking about running a marathon (which I DO want to do someday... but I do not feel guilty about saying "not now" to that one...)-- I'm talking about little life changes (like getting up an hour earlier and getting into the habit of working out before work...) -- but little changes that I know can mean a world of difference. For the most part, I am interested in developing healthy habits for the years to come. I feel that I have gotten quite proficient in living this new routine (...wake, snooze 3x, brush teeth, kiss hubby goodbye, feed cats, shower, pour coffee, out door, traffic, work x8 hours, traffic, cook dinner, tv, bed...) -- but now I am interested in breathing life into it.

Which, I believe, is completely possible. Hence: "Mission Possible"!

And here is what I intend to do about it:

  • Get up at 6 am each day (the ultimate goal is earlier than this ... but this is when J's alarm clock goes off... it's not like I really go back to "quality sleep" after this, anyway.
  • Take time each morning (especially on weekdays!) for morning meditation (journaling and Simple Abundance)
  • Log at least 15 miles/week for POTM 2009 (woohoo!! I am really excited to be doing this this year!)
  • "Save myself" for one really wonderful "sweet treat" each day. (I just got this amazing looking dark chocolate bar.... which I may or may not have picked up partially bc it's called TWILIGHT Delight... yes, I am a 12-year old girl... so sue me.)
  • Do yoga twice a week (I did this religiously during the spring/summer... and my body loved me for it. Since I am not uber flexible, I only ever did the beginner hatha yoga (there is a free 20 minute class here, if you haven't ever tried yogadownload.com-- I highly recommend it!)... but it was so nice and relaxing:)
  • Get 8 hours of sleep each night. Nap whenever socially acceptable possible (Omg-- could someone please tell me how to achieve "strikethrough" in my text?!)
  • Spend less time in front of the tv (ughh... this one may be a hard one.... but I always feel really good about my day & all I have gotten done if I can be strong... so I've got that going for me. ... Of course Glee is a necessary evil :)
I promise to give you a full briefing on the "Mission Possible" outcome in about a month from now. Wish me luck!!

In other news... I think I need a new eye doctor. I was due for an appointment in.. oh... August, but since I didn't have vision insurance (and I knew J. did) I decided that I would wait until after I got married. Yesterday I arrived for my 2:00 appointment, and was surprised when I was informed that I was NOT seeing the doctor I had been told (on Friday) that I would be seeing. Actually, this part of the story is happy, because I LOVED Dr. Johnson. He was very kind and competent, and respected my wishes when I told him that I didn't want to get my eyes dilated (my job is ALL computer work.... I would have had to call off the rest of the afternoon...) --and he recommended a new kind of contacts for me to try (which were quite nice! I am wearing glasses bc of allergies... not because the contacts didn't work out...) So: good, good.

But here's where it got "not so good". I was in with Dr. Johnson for about 20 minutes (we're up to about 2:25pm, if you're counting...)-- AND then I was waiting to check out for 1.5 hours!! REALLY? Now the part of the story I haven't told you is that I had a client calling me at 4pm. Yup... if you are keeping track, we are now at 3:50 pm. Yikes. The icing on the cake was this: at 3:57 pm I took my receipt, was halfway out of (the office) my chair when the technician says, "Oh, you can't leave yet-- we haven't checked your side vision."

... To which I replied, "I'm sorry (I wasn't)... but I can't do that right now. I have a meeting scheduled to start in 3 minutes." ...In a way (once I was done fuming) I was really proud of myself... it's rare that I stand up for myself and speak my mind-- I felt empowered!

...Of course, now I have to go back in 3 weeks to get dilated and get my damn side vision checked.... But I was able to order a new pair of glasses, and I'll take my small victories where I can :)

Have a lovely Tuesday night!

Monday, October 26, 2009

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Tuesday = List Day!! YaY!!!

... Do you know what day it is?!?!



LIST DAY!!


(Is anyone as excited about this as I am? ... You should be...)






Anyway... I really owe y'all a marathon post (lots going on over here lately!) and I promise to give it to you... but first things first:








My Fitness List (things I want to do in my lifetime!)






  • Run a sub-2 hour half marathon


  • Run a marathon


  • Give birth (I agree with all you ladies out there... this definitely counts as a fitness goal!!)


  • Walk in several races with my parents each year


  • Run the Country Music Half marathon

  • Run the Rock and Roll Half (or Full!) marathon


  • Run a sub-24 minute 5k


  • Run the PEI marathon


  • Be a pacer during a half-marathon


  • Teach a fitness class (kickboxing? yoga?)







Good List


  1. J. I am having a really good time being married to my best friend! 1 m + 1d and counting :)


  2. We have a really great vet (Dr.Burke at Creature Comforts Animal Clinic)-- who adores Gracie, and is very compassionate and helpful.


  3. Coffeeee.....


  4. This past Saturday/Sunday was amazing. I got to spend a whole 24 hours with the best friend, Saundra. We picked apples and pumpkins, carbo-loaded and shopped, watched chick-flicks-- AND ran a half-marathon together! (... which brings me to...)


  5. Holy goodness, I'm glad that race is over. Amy not training nearly enough = brutal 13.1 miles. I am really proud of myself for sticking it out though... and I don't regret registering at all :) ... I consider 2:56:55 (13:31 splits... walking all but about 2.5 miles....) something to be proud of!


  6. My graphing calculator. (Yes, I am a nerd... leave me alone.)


  7. "Mama-Gracie snuggle time"--oh, how I treasure these moments!!


  8. Sweater dresses. Oh so comfy :)


  9. Edy's Pumpkin Ice Cream

  10. And, of course, this:
The Baron and Princess Gracie-- photo courtesy of J.




Okay: On to other "blog-worthy" things ... As I mentioned above, this past Sunday I got the chance to participate in the Columbus Half-Marathon. Also as I mentioned above, it was definitely more challenging than the first half marathon I ran. ...Still, when I look back at the goal I had when I went in (heh.. I believe I said, quite eloquently: "Rock my next half-marathon")-- I think I accomplished my goals. Although it was definitely one of the most physically challenging (and mentally challenging-- which I think surprised me the most....) this race will always hold a special place in my heart. I smiled for at least the first 6.51 miles-- and I let the amazing people I was running in the midst of inspire me. I daydreamed about houses (ooohhh Bexley!!), read all sorts of great shirts (and started some great conversations because of them!) and thanked all the volunteers I could. Miles 8-11 were a real struggle for me, but I pressed on-- and I am really proud of myself for fighting it out. To be honest, sometimes I worry that I'm not stubborn enough to be a runner (the runners reading this will know exactly what I mean, I am sure!)-- sometimes I think maybe I'm not mentally tough enough to fight when I'm hurting-- to press forward through the plateaus and truly move forward. This race showed me that this is not the case. I am a passionate, strong and driven woman-- and truly-- there is nothing stopping me except for me. This race was extremely affirming to me in that respect.

It was wonderful to have this inspiring race to ruminate on... because otherwise, things have been kind of nutty. I have had a crash course in "Mommy-hood", as dear little Gracie is sick (feline cold... but she is having a rough time of it... poor baby...) I have been staying awake at night to listen to her breathing, wiping her nose, medicating and feeding her (wow--workout!! Even with J's help, it is exhausting!), as well as holding her constantly, because she doesn't feel well and wants to snuggle. I am totally exhausted (work is crazy this week, too.... we're not even going there.)-- but nothing a good 8 hours of sleep can't fix :)

Another "teaser" for the night is that I am seriously thinking about doing a "Rock the Frock" photo session (*cough* you may know this concept as "Trash the Dress"-- but if I called it that my mother would kill me... I'm not thinking of doing anything really destructive, anyway... more country/naturey feel.... Stay tuned-- I will keep you posted!)

Anyway... I think I may sign off for now-- time to snuggle with my little girl. Have a lovely Tuesday night, bloggies!












Tuesday, October 13, 2009

2 part Tuesday: "Just for Fun..."

Just for fun-- I declare Tuesday "LIST DAY". Every Tuesday (with today being the inaugural day, of course!!) I will provide you with several (probably in the neighborhood of 2 or 3) lists for your enjoyment.


Today's lists include something serious, something sweet, and something absolutely necessary.


Enjoy!


I: Amy's October List of Goals

  • Become a more creative cook. Create healthy, delicious dinners for J and me at least 4 nights a week.
  • Make advantage of my WCC (fitness center) membership!
  • Work out 4 days during the work week, and do a long run on Sunday.
  • Figure out (and delight in!) my new schedule with J.
  • Get into the habit of doing devotions (good list + "Simple Abundance" + bible study) each day.
  • Once I complete my2nd half marathon (!!), focus on speed. From what I've heard, I am getting closer and closer to the fastest years of my life :)
  • Rock my 2nd half marathon. Although I am definitely not counting on PRing, my goal is to have a fabulous time, and cross the finish line smiling.
  • Spend quality time with my little family each day (J, Baron, Gracie)-- tell then I love them frequently.
  • Catch up with my photo albums... I have pics from last Christmas that still need to be developed.
  • Find a great new way to get involved at HRC.


II: Good List: Tuesday, October 13
  1. J. My amazing husband.
  2. A really productive Tuesday.
  3. Gracie. our inquisitive kitten, who steals my heart with her antics (she has been sitting on my keyboard all night... it's taken 20 minutes to write this sentence!)-- and loves to sleep in my lap.
  4. New beginnings
  5. Fall
  6. Pumpkin ice cream with chocolate chips (harvest bread-y goodness in a bowl!!)
  7. LOST. J and I are watching through the seasons via Netflix on Demand-- it's a new guilty pleasure, and I'm totally hooked!
  8. Hallmark has it's keepsake ornaments out on display all ready! It makes me happy:)
  9. Fun sized candy bars :)
  10. Being patient as I watch God's plan for my life unfold.
III: "Gorgeous, Drool-Worthy Men I Can't Get Enough of Lately" (I told you this was absolutely necessary.... You may thank me later :)

  1. Jacob Black
  2. Bradley Cooper
  3. David Boreanaz
  4. Jack Shepard
  5. Christian Bale (I know this one may be controversial... but the man is gorgeous!!)
  6. George Clooney
  7. David Beckham
  8. Matthew McConaughey
  9. Eddie Cahill
  10. James Lafferty
Whew.. that's all for tonight... I'm a tired girl! Good night, bloggies! Sleep tight!

I love my babies ....

.... Because they provide me hours upon hours of amusement ...

Please enjoy these videos from J!

I'll be back with more later :)

Sunday, October 11, 2009

World, meet Gracie!

I am so in love....

With this little 1 lb ball of sweetness:

Dear little Gracie joined our family yesterday, coming to us from the Capital Area Humane Society.
J holding Gracie at the CAHS

I can't remember if I have mentioned this previously in the blog, but for my wedding present to J, I made a donation to the CAHS to buy two cat beds (in honor of his love for animals, and our love for each other). J told me after the wedding that as his present to me, we would adopt a kitten. Needless to say, I was thrilled. I am not ashamed to say that I perused the CAHS "adoptable cats" at least once a day (including some days while we were on our honeymoon-- iPhones are wonderful inventions!!) -- but I wasn't thinking we would go and "DO IT" until late October at the earliest (However-- I am realistic... I knew that when we went, we would find a wonderful kitty, I would fall in love, and we would bring home a new family member that day.)
Me and dear little Gracie
(Pardon my squinty eyes and the bad lighting... picture from the iPhone)

So yesterday, when J suggested that we go and "take a look", I was really excited. I knew (and J kept reminding me!!) that I shouldn't set my heart on any of the cats that were listed online, because there was no guarantee that they would still be there when we visited, but I still though I had a basic idea of what kind of cat I wanted. Namely: black and white (like Baron), orange, or gray (there were some beautiful gray kitties that I saw in the weeks before our trip!)

And then we arrived, and my heart went out to a tiny, shy tortoise shell marked kitten. Her name was "Wags" (gak... some of the names these kittens were given were awful...) because she has a short stubby tail-- which I am completely in love with. As soon as we got her out of her cage and took her into the "visitation room", she snuggled right up. She was quiet but inquisitive-- and had the sweetest face I had ever seen. As soon as I held her in my arms, I was completely gone. As I told J tearfully (whew. I'll blame that on the hormones.... but I digress...) when we were filling out the paperwork, I was absolutely sure that this was the kitty I wanted, and I knew she would haunt me if I let her go.


30 minutes (and copious piles of paperwork) later, we walked out the door with our new baby. Gracie sat in my lap and talked with her the whole way home. When we got home, J and I set her up in the guest room with litter box, food and water, and let her out. What a sweetie! She excitedly raced around and looked at (sniffed) everything! She loved (as I told her she would!) the large windows with the view out to the fountain, and sat for a while and watched the ducks swimming.

The only stress came when we brought Baron (the resident cat of the house-- now "big brother") to meet her. But to be honest, that really went very well. Baron definitely got in his fair share of growling and hissing, but Gracie acted admirably. She was quiet and submissive enough to let him know that she recognized him as "the man of the house"-- but by the end of the night they were chasing each other playfully-- and she was in heaven! Things aren't perfect yet (Baron is still having some jealousy issues, and he hisses at her occasionally for no apparent reason)-- but we were able to leave both cats out last night, and I think they are well on their way to becoming best friends :)

All right, I need to get scooting (haha... dinner time, and I need to play the good wife and get something on the table for J.) I can't get enough cuddle time with my sweet baby girl! (More pictures to come, I promise!!)

Hope you are having a wonderful Sunday, and I wish you the blessing of an inspiring and productive Monday!

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Proof that I am definitely a small part "girly girl"

... I feel like a million bucks when I get a haircut:


Seriously. I have been walking around with a smile on my face all night :)

Now, here's some proof that I am definitely a large part "country girl":
Me and my lovely sister.
(Yes, this was, in fact, a photo from the bachelorette party. ... And yes, that is, in fact, a sharpie hanging from my hat ...)



Because my "energy tank" is running dangerously close to empty, I am going to keep this short... but I'll leave you with a list, Amy-style ... because that's how I roll. (bwahaha... I totally cannot pull that off.. don't worry... I will never try again :)

Things I am loving right now:
  • Fall. Everything about it. The colors, the smells, and the deliciously cool temperatures.
  • Pumpkin spice lattes. Yes. I have a serious addiction.
  • Coming home to J each night (awww)
  • Jodi Piccoult ...I am absolutely devouring her books lately. 4 in the past 3 weeks, in fact.
  • Blogging :)
  • Trader Joe's (Best.Store.EVER.)
  • Pumpkin Chili!!
  • Our new 600 thread count pima cotton sheets (like I needed another excuse to stay in bed longer in the a.m.)
  • Bath and Body Works' Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin. Holy yum. The whole house smells warm and "fall-y".
  • Red wine glasses
  • Glee. (So so SO in love with this!)
  • My mizunos.
and of course:

Have a good night, bloggies! Smile-- it's almost Friday!

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Honeymoon Recap!

Happy Tuesday, Bloggies!

For a day that started out with me spilling my coffee all over the counter (thank heavens I didn't spill it on the cat... I suppose things could have been worse).. the day has redeemed itself quite nicely :) I am now cocooned in my favorite fuzzy blanket on the couch, with a full tummy (a yummy re-run of Saturday's pumpkin chili!)-- content as can be! (I may or may not be enjoying a fabulous glass of cabernet, as well ;)


Today has been a busy, productive, and fulfilling day. I got some necessary errands done at lunch time, and snuck (is this a word?!) in a lovely (read: tough but very rewarding!) 6 miler when I got home from work. Now I am blogging and otherwise organizing my life (it is definitely time to re-group and make a new"goal list"!)... and looking forward to a BATH later before bed (I'm putting off the bath until the very last thing, bc the combination of wine+bath always knocks me out cold, haha...)


Anyway.. on to the real reason for the post (I'm not just a tease :)... I promise!)


Honeymoon Recap:

This is just a picture that I love. Taken while we were sitting at the beach one day.

** Argh. Quick side note: after a whopping 1 blog entry with his "new name", I am going back to referring to my husband as J-- not only is Mr. R. hard to remember... but it's a whole 2 letters longer! ....and it's my blog, so my preference, right?! ;)


To begin with, I can tell you that J and I spent our honeymoon on Martha's Vineyard (or the majority of it, anyway: we took 2 weeks off--spent 10 days away and the remaining time relaxing at home and getting used to living together:) My Aunt and Uncle own a cottage up there, and generously let us honeymoon there as a wedding present! When I was little (read "teeny-tiny" up until I was 11) my family used to go up and spend a week there during the summer. I was very excited to go back-- and J. had never been there-- so I was excited to go with him; to share some pieces of my childhood and to discover new things with him.

Anyway. After the wedding was over, J and I were positively exhausted (as you should be after any good wedding, or so I've heard!) My sister and her boyfriend had volunteered to drive us to our airport hotel (thanks again!!), and we arrived around 8:30ish (holy-moley.... I actually have no idea what time it was... I was pretty pooped by then....)-- which was after a fun, relaxed "double-dinner-date" (remember... J and I got hardly anything to eat at the reception-- we were to busy having fun with our guests!) at Arby's.

Woah. This hotel was nice! (It was a "Hilton Family" chain-- and I've always been impressed with them in the past :) We had a huge, super soft king size bed (which I was ready to pass out on the minute we arrived...), and a jacuzzi tub. A girl could get used to that ...


The next morning, bright and early (5am-ish I believe) J and I woke, showered (omg... I had the worst time trying to get the pounds of hairspray out of my hair! I loved the "wedding hair" though... so I'll keep my complaints to a minimum:) and headed downstairs to catch the shuttle to the airport (a definite perk-- and one of the reasons we stayed where we did.)


*Now, as a cute side note: this was J's FIRST PLANE TRIP! Ever. Yes, the man is 25 years old :) I am happy to say that everything went really well!* We flew out of C-bus at 8am, took a connecting flight in NY, and arrived on Martha's Vineyard around 1pm. Perfect! One of the coolest things about the trip was that since our flight to MV was so small, we took a tiny plane-- by small, I mean we had about 15 people on the plane going to the island (and about half that coming back!)-- and we didn't even fill up half of it :) Being on a small flight has lots of advantages: including (but, I'm sure not limited to!) flying closer to the ground (= great views!!), more talkative people, and more attentive flight attendants. Because he had never flown before, I made sure I gave J the window seats-- and I am pleased to tell you that J's first flying experience was a success. (Sorry no pictures from the air... just trust me though... it was really, really beautiful-- it was clear morning, and it was so neat to get an aerial view of the island as we flew in. Although we were both exhausted, neither J nor I slept on the flight to MV.)


When we arrived at "The Little House" (via taxi), we were warmly greeted by Mrs.P-- who I remembered from when I was little, but hadn't seen in years. She hugged us, congratulated us profusely, and told us that she would be around for "whatever we might need..."

And, thus began the honeymoon :) Now I won't bore you with all the details, but I will touch on some highlights:

1. If you know us at all, you will know that J and I are very laid back. Very much "go with the flow" people (heh... as I write this, I know that Laurie is out there somewhere rolling her eyes and thinking..." well, at least J is...." So, let me clarify: Eh hem: J. and I are laid back vacationers.) We may not have done all the "touristy" things... but we had a wonderful time reading, napping, and strolling along the beach together. We were blessed with gorgeous weather, and so most days, we just wandered around Oak Bluffs and explored!

(Top to bottom: J and me at Town Beach; "the harbor"; the sky on a particularly rainy day (we ventured out on a walk while it was still dry, but then ended up in Dockside eating ice cream until the storm ended!); Town Beach (and the ferry in the background); East Chop Lighthouse.)

2. However, the Saturday that we were there (Sept. 26) marked our 7th "dating anniversary"-- so we did something special: a day trip (via the VTA buses) to Edgartown and Vineyard Haven.

We walked to the Edgartown lighthouse:



Shopped in some "super cute" (and super $$$) island shops:


And visited the Martha's Vineyard Museum:

In Vineyard Haven we shopped some more, and then sat by the harbor and watched the boats:


Then later we ate dinner at "The Black Dog Tavern"-- and it was worth every bit of hype! The food was fabulous! (no pics... sorry :(... This is why I would never make it as a food blogger...) J and I both started with the Quahog chowder (divine! this was basically the best clam chowder I've ever had: rich and creamy with lots of clams and potato chunks, served in a mug and topped with perfectly crispy croutons). Then I moved on to the Marinated Ahi Tuna Steak:
"lemongrass & coconut marinated tuna steak with wasabi & crystallized ginger mashed potatoes & wakami seaweed salad"
and J got the Garlic Crusted Codfish:
"fresh caught George’s Bank codfish, oven roasted and topped with garlic bread crumbs, served with citrus beurre blanc, with homestyle mashed potatoes & sauteed spinach"

"Holy Yum":)

3. And finally, we enjoyed every moment we spent walking around the campground:




Needless to say, we had a wonderful time:) It was extremely bittersweet to have to come home (to clarify: the sweet part was dreaming about setting up my home with J once we got back! Perhaps I'll give a "home tour" in a future blog?! Let me know what you think!!)

Well, I hope you enjoyed the recap (and pictures!) Have a lovely Tuesday evening, bloggies! I'm off to a bath and sweet, sweet sleep!