Lazy bums!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Cat Naps
After I had gone to work, Rob snapped some photos to show me what happens when I leave.
Lazy bums!
Lazy bums!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Classy Holiday Photo
I had meant to put this into the mix of holiday updates, but it slipped by. Rob was kind enough to remind me and I still thought it warranted a spot on the blog. So this is me finishing off the Death by Chocolate dessert. His dad was amused and his mother actually went and got me a spatula so I could scrape the bowl and scrape it I did! It was nummerlious!
Wedding Planning
One of the many perks of getting married at the beach is that you get to go back to it a lot for planning purposes. This past weekend was another one of those trips, and in fact is the last one we will make before the wedding. We are less than 3 months out from our wedding date and things are moving right along!
We were able to make an overnight stop in to see my friend Andrea who is a very 7.5 months pregnant and her husband Tyler. I am so excited for the both of them to become parents and can't wait to meet Julia! We had a short, but good visit. I wish I lived closer to them.
The next morning we got up and made our way down to the Outer Banks to start making progress on our list of wedding planning to-do's. We made a pit stop into Beach Bread Co. for lunch. We have never been there before, but they have a nice selection of sandwiches and bistro eats. Conveniently, the are located a few doors down from our first stop - Diamonds and Dunes to pick out our rings. We had sort of pre-picked them out last time we were there, but made the final choice and ordered them. Very exciting.
We then made our way to talk to the florist at Harris Teeter. That turned out to be one of the best stops on this trip. He was nice, creative, he listened, and offered a fair price for the flowers unlike the first lady we tried. Bonus! The next stop was making hair appointments for the bridal crew which was surprisingly easier than I thought it would be. All those books about wedding planning make you think you are going to have this huge hassle with everyone and so far I haven't really had that problem with anyone.
We checked into our hotel and went for a walk on the beach. I think this is the first time I didn't go barefoot. Even with the nice weather (low 50s) it still wasn't quite warm enough for that. However, since the beach is basically vacated at this time of year, you can do some awesome beach combing for shells.
After our nice invigorating stroll along the beach, we went back to the hotel for our own Chili and Wine night made infamous by Mike P. It was quite tasty and hit the spot after being out in the cool air.
The following day we were up and on the road early to get to the wedding planning at the reception place. We did our tasting first thing and picked out the food everyone will be eating. I am glad we did the tasting because we did end up changing our minds on some of the items. Our tasting carried over into the cake department. I was surprised at how tasty the samples were. Also, I am pretty sure that was Rob's favorite part of the day. :P We also got to place with centerpiece decorations and this was Rob's masterpiece. It was cool (hence the spotlight on the blog), but ultimately not our choice.
We wrapped up our visit there and wandered around Manteo for a little bit taking photos and enjoying the town. We squeezed in a visit to the tux place before they closed to get pricing and information on the "when" for ordering. We had a late lunch at the Outer Banks Brewing Station which is one of our favorite places. We finished our visit with booking our house we are staying at and more beach time. :)
It was a great visit and a very productive one too! Now it's go time! Whee!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Technology Changes You
I do this now, but from my new phone. Sad, but it's a good gauge to know when to get out of bed on the weekend.
Holiday Recap Part III (Final)
The final leg of our holiday trail was to return to Rob's parents house for Christmas there. We had breakfast with Grandma the following day and loaded the cars back up for the short drive back to the homestead. After arriving, Rob's mom made some delicious hot toddy. I have never had this drink, but I liked it.
After we had unloaded a bit and settled in, we went to the family room for the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. This is a tradition of their family that has been going on for some years. Bill is always in charge of this production and each year it's different. This year, we voted on The 12 Superlatives of Christmas, kind of like what you voted on in high school. Some of this included, Best at Faking Liking a Gift, First to Fall Asleep After Dinner, and many others. That was pretty good. Afterward the tree was finally lit and we all said "ooooo", "ahhhh" and then proceeded to open presents.
We presented Rob's family with gifts from our trip to Germany which they really liked as well as some of the things they had asked for. I received a bunch of things, but my favorite gifts include purple fuzzy socks, a spider ornament with the tale included, winter themed decorations, as well as some desperately needed chap stick. :)
When the presents we done, we gathered around the TV to watch Inglorious Bastards. It was one of those films that was presented to show a different kind of movie in the previews. It was a good movie (little long in some spots), but it wasn't the humorous film you think you would be getting. It's actually quite a serious drama, but has some funny parts. Either way, we watched it and then called it a night.
The next day we got up, packed the car and headed back with a pit stop to see Joanna and Steve and the new baby, Annie. She's adorable and such a nice baby. We had a good visit with them before getting back on the road to complete our journey north. Thankfully the weather held out for us and we were able to travel without any worry of snow covered roads.
Overall it was a great holiday this year. We got a lot of things we needed and even a few surprises mixed in. We think we did pretty good getting presents for people this year. We did well by doing a lot of shopping in Germany. It was done early and totally unique! :) Being close to everyone didn't hurt either. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for the New Year.
After we had unloaded a bit and settled in, we went to the family room for the Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony. This is a tradition of their family that has been going on for some years. Bill is always in charge of this production and each year it's different. This year, we voted on The 12 Superlatives of Christmas, kind of like what you voted on in high school. Some of this included, Best at Faking Liking a Gift, First to Fall Asleep After Dinner, and many others. That was pretty good. Afterward the tree was finally lit and we all said "ooooo", "ahhhh" and then proceeded to open presents.
We presented Rob's family with gifts from our trip to Germany which they really liked as well as some of the things they had asked for. I received a bunch of things, but my favorite gifts include purple fuzzy socks, a spider ornament with the tale included, winter themed decorations, as well as some desperately needed chap stick. :)
When the presents we done, we gathered around the TV to watch Inglorious Bastards. It was one of those films that was presented to show a different kind of movie in the previews. It was a good movie (little long in some spots), but it wasn't the humorous film you think you would be getting. It's actually quite a serious drama, but has some funny parts. Either way, we watched it and then called it a night.
The next day we got up, packed the car and headed back with a pit stop to see Joanna and Steve and the new baby, Annie. She's adorable and such a nice baby. We had a good visit with them before getting back on the road to complete our journey north. Thankfully the weather held out for us and we were able to travel without any worry of snow covered roads.
Overall it was a great holiday this year. We got a lot of things we needed and even a few surprises mixed in. We think we did pretty good getting presents for people this year. We did well by doing a lot of shopping in Germany. It was done early and totally unique! :) Being close to everyone didn't hurt either. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come for the New Year.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Holiday Recap Part II
The day after Christmas we loaded the car and hit the road for Connecticut to visit Rob's family. We enjoyed the short 5 or so hours in the car this year as compared with 18+ hours in past years. We arrived at Grandma's house in time for presents before dinner. We all gathered around and took turns opening presents. Rob got another Wii controller and remote to up our set to 3 each now. I received some pretty cool quilting books that used to be his grandmother's.
After presents, we sat down for dinner and then we did the grab bag. The grab bag is always an interesting mix of random gifts that can be pretty cool OR can be pretty terrible. This year I think we made out 50/50. I got a cool purse and Rob got a Lobster statue, which I am not sure we know what to do with. For now, it hangs out on an end table to attract strange looks.
After words we cleared the table and played Cranium which was a gift from Bill's girlfriend Ellie. It provided hours of fun. I was on a team with Danielle and Steve (aka Gorgonzola). We didn't win, but we had a pretty good time. This year was Gorgonzola's first year with the family and I think he survived quite well. I could sympathize with him and was also happy to see another person's reaction to the fun chaos.
We called it a night and we left to stay with Rob's parents for the night. We usually stay at Grandma's house, but it was quite full. It was probably just as well (and probably planned that way). The next morning we came back to the house and got a welcome from Grandma singing Doo-doot-do-doo (wedding march) through wrapping paper tubes. I figure this is just par for the course and I was ushered into the living room where the entire family had gathered sitting all around with turkey feathers in the hair. I was like, umm, ok, that's cool and went back into the kitchen to remove the shoes and jacket I came in with. This was when Rob's mother filled me in as to what was happening. "This your surprise bridal shower!" OOHHH!!!!
She had planned out the whole thing and the table was decorated and everyone had known about this for a while. It was a fantastic surprise. We played wedding bingo, then did "how well do you know your significant other" interviews. Turns out Rob and I don't know each other's eye color and some other silly facts. His family came up with some great questions and that was hilarious. I think the favorite was, when privately interviewed and asked, "Who would you say your biggest celebrity crush is?" I responded, "OH! Definitely Heath Ledger, I would do him in a second, well, not anymore." It got quite a laugh when shared with the crowd. The best part of the party was the TP wedding dresses the family made for Becky and Danielle. They had a ball designing them and the girls looked fabulous. :)
I am so excited to be joining this family. They know how to have fun, the embrace silliness, and truly care about all members of the family. To show how much they have accepted me into the family, I was given an extremely treasured gift. When I opened it, I didn't think much of the gift inside, but the entire family went, "oooooooo". Apparently, they all knew what it was that I opened because it's a family tradition that they are given from time to time to only female blood relatives within the family. As I am not a member of the family yet or a blood relative, it spoke a great deal of how his family feels about me joining it. I was really honored to be given such a present. It's a set of 3 change purses linked together on a chain. Every now and again the purses get filled with treasures as they are passed along. Sometimes they are passed for significant events (like now) and sometimes, just because.
It really was a great party and while I didn't expect it at all, I really appreciated it. The wedding is just around the corner now!
After presents, we sat down for dinner and then we did the grab bag. The grab bag is always an interesting mix of random gifts that can be pretty cool OR can be pretty terrible. This year I think we made out 50/50. I got a cool purse and Rob got a Lobster statue, which I am not sure we know what to do with. For now, it hangs out on an end table to attract strange looks.
After words we cleared the table and played Cranium which was a gift from Bill's girlfriend Ellie. It provided hours of fun. I was on a team with Danielle and Steve (aka Gorgonzola). We didn't win, but we had a pretty good time. This year was Gorgonzola's first year with the family and I think he survived quite well. I could sympathize with him and was also happy to see another person's reaction to the fun chaos.
We called it a night and we left to stay with Rob's parents for the night. We usually stay at Grandma's house, but it was quite full. It was probably just as well (and probably planned that way). The next morning we came back to the house and got a welcome from Grandma singing Doo-doot-do-doo (wedding march) through wrapping paper tubes. I figure this is just par for the course and I was ushered into the living room where the entire family had gathered sitting all around with turkey feathers in the hair. I was like, umm, ok, that's cool and went back into the kitchen to remove the shoes and jacket I came in with. This was when Rob's mother filled me in as to what was happening. "This your surprise bridal shower!" OOHHH!!!!
She had planned out the whole thing and the table was decorated and everyone had known about this for a while. It was a fantastic surprise. We played wedding bingo, then did "how well do you know your significant other" interviews. Turns out Rob and I don't know each other's eye color and some other silly facts. His family came up with some great questions and that was hilarious. I think the favorite was, when privately interviewed and asked, "Who would you say your biggest celebrity crush is?" I responded, "OH! Definitely Heath Ledger, I would do him in a second, well, not anymore." It got quite a laugh when shared with the crowd. The best part of the party was the TP wedding dresses the family made for Becky and Danielle. They had a ball designing them and the girls looked fabulous. :)
I am so excited to be joining this family. They know how to have fun, the embrace silliness, and truly care about all members of the family. To show how much they have accepted me into the family, I was given an extremely treasured gift. When I opened it, I didn't think much of the gift inside, but the entire family went, "oooooooo". Apparently, they all knew what it was that I opened because it's a family tradition that they are given from time to time to only female blood relatives within the family. As I am not a member of the family yet or a blood relative, it spoke a great deal of how his family feels about me joining it. I was really honored to be given such a present. It's a set of 3 change purses linked together on a chain. Every now and again the purses get filled with treasures as they are passed along. Sometimes they are passed for significant events (like now) and sometimes, just because.
It really was a great party and while I didn't expect it at all, I really appreciated it. The wedding is just around the corner now!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Holiday Recap Part I
Gosh it's been a while since I last posted. I think it's been happening a lot lately with all that's going on, especially around the holidays. Mostly that indicates I was trying to do too many things without enough hours in the day. Some year I will learn, but I always amaze myself at what I can get done.
This year's holiday visits were a little different than those of past years. Mostly, we didn't have to drive half or even a quarter as far as we have in the last 3 years. Thank the heavens. It started out with the annual family party at my Aunt's house. We had a slightly smaller crowd this year, but still some 30 people hanging out and little ones running around. We did manage the get most of the younger branch of the family on the stairs for a group shot though.
On Christmas day Rob and I got to enjoy the morning to ourselves for the first time ever. It was actually quite nice. We opened out presents ate a bunch of cookies, made breakfast and then went to my parent's house for lunch. The flaw in our morning was the part where we made breakfast. At the time this seemed like a brilliant idea, however with the amount of food that was prepared for later in the day, we really could have skipped it. By lunch we were full for the rest of the day and still had one more stop to my sisters.
Christmas at my parents house was pretty awesome. Rob and I got new PJ pants, our bread maker, and I got my first silver bell. My parents were the happy recipients of gifts from Germany and my dad got a new shirt and tie to celebrate his weight loss and Joyce got a quilt that's not quite done, but looks like this. (Cat not included) It's my first ever attempt at making one and I think it turned out pretty darn good. ;)
From there we went to my sister's house for visiting with that part of my family and dessert. It was hard to find room, but I did my best to make room for cheesecake. We did our silly family gift exchange and hung around for turkey sandwiches on homemade bread. It's delicious! We called it a night and headed back to our house to get loaded up for the next day for the drive to Rob's family gathering at his Grandmother's house!
This year's holiday visits were a little different than those of past years. Mostly, we didn't have to drive half or even a quarter as far as we have in the last 3 years. Thank the heavens. It started out with the annual family party at my Aunt's house. We had a slightly smaller crowd this year, but still some 30 people hanging out and little ones running around. We did manage the get most of the younger branch of the family on the stairs for a group shot though.
On Christmas day Rob and I got to enjoy the morning to ourselves for the first time ever. It was actually quite nice. We opened out presents ate a bunch of cookies, made breakfast and then went to my parent's house for lunch. The flaw in our morning was the part where we made breakfast. At the time this seemed like a brilliant idea, however with the amount of food that was prepared for later in the day, we really could have skipped it. By lunch we were full for the rest of the day and still had one more stop to my sisters.
Christmas at my parents house was pretty awesome. Rob and I got new PJ pants, our bread maker, and I got my first silver bell. My parents were the happy recipients of gifts from Germany and my dad got a new shirt and tie to celebrate his weight loss and Joyce got a quilt that's not quite done, but looks like this. (Cat not included) It's my first ever attempt at making one and I think it turned out pretty darn good. ;)
From there we went to my sister's house for visiting with that part of my family and dessert. It was hard to find room, but I did my best to make room for cheesecake. We did our silly family gift exchange and hung around for turkey sandwiches on homemade bread. It's delicious! We called it a night and headed back to our house to get loaded up for the next day for the drive to Rob's family gathering at his Grandmother's house!
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