Christmas

Things that stood out from this year's Christmas celebration include family pictures like the one below of some of the youngest family members (growing up ever so quickly, too), food - lots of homemade and delicious food, and great conversation on topics small and large... all emphasizing the most important part of Christmas... family.  

Gorgeous Autumn Weekend

The last three weekends have been beautiful and perfect for hiking.  We've managed to get another hike in for the third weekend in a row.  The trail was extra special this weekend with a touch of color on the ground and up above.

Daisy does well on the trails at French Creek State Park.  She's been doing great off-leash and listening to commands, especially when I remember to bring her treats.  We've been non-verbally training her the last two weekends - quietly stopping to watch what she does and wait for her to return to us.  Just when I think she's made significant progress and has outgrown her puppy antics, she'll surprise us and throw one in just to keep us on our feet.

We played 9 holes at a nearby golf course this weekend, walking from hole to hole, or golf ball to golf ball, enjoying the beautiful weather.

Weekend at the Beach

We spent the last weekend of summer at our friend's beach house in Delaware. The weather was perfect for beach-walking, letting the dogs run, and going on morning runs. Daisy was beyond excited all weekend and spent the majority of it on the beach or in the water fetching a tennis ball.

Quick Trip to D.C.

We took a quick trip to D.C. last week with T's mother.  The main purpose of our visit was to visit the Museum of African Art where a few of T's mother's photographs will be on display as part of an exhibition early next year.  While we were there, we received a personal tour of the museum from the exhibition curator who described each exhibition and the permanent collection to us in great detail.  I was in awe of her knowledge and passion for her field and artists she represents in the museum.  Amazing work by the artists and curators, indeed!  We can't wait to go back next year to see the exhibition in its entirety and to celebrate her accomplishment.

Being indoors was a reprieve from the oppressing heat and humidity outside.  And as most of D.C. involves walking from one monument or museum to another, we took our time outdoors stopping for water and breaks in the shade.  We also assured T's mother that the weather will be quite different when she returns for the exhibition in the Spring of next year.

Some of the pedestrian highlights included a dinner at Nando's Peri-Peri (so good!), a quick walk-through the public library, two enjoyable breakfasts at a nearby french eatery, and a fun newlywed dinner for T and I at a hip pizzeria with a great menu, draft beer selection, and interior.     \

More Wedding Pics

Our Wedding

Wow!  I can't believe our wedding has come and gone.  I remember so much and very little at the same time - is that even possible??  What I do remember is having a fabulous time and loving every second of it... especially the ceremony.  We enjoyed seeing loved ones from near and far and spending quality time with close family leading up to the big day.  Thomas and I keep re-capping the evening from our perspectives and looking at photographs taken throughout the evening by family and friends.  What a tremendous event that will certainly be one of the biggest highlights of our relationship and personal lives.

Here's one photo of MANY to be documented on this blog.  Videos coming shortly!

Meeting of the Parents

Last night our parents met for the first time. It was nice for them to acquaint each other with one another before the wedding. We enjoyed lite fare and conversation while sitting outside on a gorgeous Summer's night.

Sunday

Thomas' mother has arrived! Yesterday was her first full day here and it was also a very beautiful day in this neck of the woods. We took a driving tour of Valley Forge National Park and stopped to see the highlights. We're looking forward to Michael arriving tomorrow, but for now we are enjoying the down time.

Brother-Sister Day, August 2012

Full Brother-Sister Weekends have sort of fallen by the wayside due to busy schedules, school, work, etc.  I love seeing Carter any chance I get.  He has become such an interesting person over the last couple of years... developing a stronger personality, opinions, and interests.  It has been a pleasure watching him grow up.  Carter also inspires me in so many ways and reminds me of just how delicate childhood and growing up can be.

Daisy and Carter resting before going to the pool.

 

Engagement Photos

We met our friend at Valley Forge National Park this morning to take some photographs to document our engagement. We couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather or a better experience. I can't wait to see the rest of them, but for now, here are a few favorites.

Wildwood/A.C. Weekend

I was invited to my friend Lauren's camper in Cape May for the weekend where we spent the day at the beach and the night in Atlantic City celebrating Lauren's last days as a bachelorette. We had fun jumping waves at the beach and then decided to try our luck at the casinos after Katie and Erin were pooped on by seagulls at the beach. Our 'wild' spending of $17 won us $30 on the first spin at a .25 cent machine. Jumping up and down while screaming was probably a bit of an exaggerated reaction that gave off the wrong impression to our fellow gamblers. Everyone wanted to know how much we won and immediately began looking for casino personnel holding a human-sized check. We took our 'big' winnings to a night club were we danced all night and got to watch a real burlesque show - we felt like we were in Vegas!

27 Days to Go!

I guess I need to post more often - I didn't recognize the layout of Blogger when I logged in!

I can't believe I let half the year go by without blogging, especially when I want to remember so many things about this year.  It has been a very busy Summer of wedding planning.  I've been having fun working on the big and small details with Thomas and my family.  I can't wait for the BIG day to arrive!

I wanted to blog during the whole wedding planning process, but simply never found a spare moment to do so.  Below is a very condensed list of pretty much everything I've been doing sans the fun, colorful stories and pictures that go along with each item.  I know I'll look back at this post and remember all of the fun I had planning my wedding :)   

1. Researching wedding vendors, ideas, logistics (Pinterest is the best!)
2. Working
3. E-mailing wedding vendors
4. Signing wedding contracts
5. Writing checks to wedding vendors
6. Exercising - initially to lose weight to fit into my dress but eventually reaping the benefits of being healthier and feeling great.
7. Crafting for the wedding - never ending...
8. Learning how to dance (still not there yet!)
9. Trying on my wedding dress (so much fun!  I wish I could wear it everyday.)
10. Resisting the urge to eat chocolate
11. Spending countless hours online shopping for wedding decor/accessories/shoes
12. Arguing with Thomas about his desire to have 80's heavy metal music played at our wedding
13. Writing our ceremony with Thomas (the part we're looking forward to the most! :))
14. Searching the Internet for our wedding rings
15. Relentlessly calling City Hall (they are so nice)
16. Arranging and coordinating flights and schedules for family and friends
17. Grocery shopping on a FULL stomach and avoiding the sweets aisle
18. Running errands - mostly to the post office to return online purchases, buy stamps, and ask for packages to be weighed (I'm not a fan of the self-checkout).  The clerks now know my name!
19. Buying more than I need at Michael's Arts & Crafts store
20. Returning what I don't need to Michael's Arts & Crafts store (they now know my name, too!)
21. Listening to music on YouTube, Pandora, and iTunes for playlist ideas
22. Cake tasting, spa research, venue appointments
23. Feeling like an awful dog parent when Daisy looks at me with her big, brown eyes after waiting a little too long for her next walk.
24. Researching Pennsylvania state and county laws re: legality of Internet-ordained ministers.
25. And last, but not least, family/wedding business dinners with Mom, Ben, and Carter. 

Cut wine corks lined up on the table in Ben's shop.

Friends

On the Trail

After a delicious breakfast with our friend Ashley, we hit the Schuylkill River Trail on our bikes and enjoyed a 12 mile ride along the river. It was a Happy Easter, indeed!

A Taste of Thailand and Garlic Butter

We frequent our favorite Thai restaurant quite often. My favorite dish of theirs is the yellow curry. We try a new appetizer each time we go - and T is a little more adventurous than I am - but it seems that I can't deviate away from my favorite curry dish. This dish has a wonderful blend of spices with a healthy balance of heat and flavor. And, best of all, it's authentic. Not like some other curries we've tried elsewhere, where the ingredients seemed like strangers coming together for the first time and tasted artificial as a whole dish. I could go on and on about this establishment and dish...

The bottom two pics show a fresh batch of garlic butter in the making.

St. Patrick's Day Weekend

The weather this weekend was too good to not take advantage of, so we started it at the nicely wooded dog park with Daisy girl and then headed for a round of golf before going to see an Irish band at night. We spent all day Sunday Spring cleaning and taking care of life maintenance items, which felt very good, and the finished it off with a braai! This weekend was so good that I wanted to place it on here to remember that stepping back from a crazy schedule is healthy and, sometimes, necessary.

From Cub to Boy, Carter Advances in the World of Scouting

Carter graduated from the beginning levels of cub scouting and became a BOY scout last Saturday. Carter stands with his peers in the pics below during the 'passage' ritual.