A Vacation Alphabet - Part 1

A couple posts back, I wrote about how preparing for a vacation gets me all stressed out, and how even once I'm actually ON vacation, I have a hard time relaxing. And so because I felt myself an abecedarian when it comes to knowing how to kick back and get away from it all, I charged myself with the task of creating a Vacation Alphabet. The intent was simply to challenge myself to take notice, to reflect along the way. Which is good, because if the intent had really been to learn how to relax (and then practice so doing) I would have failed miserably. A relaxing vacation does not involve getting up at 3:00 on multiple days (or ever). A relaxing vacation does not require a person to be on their feet for 7-12 hours at a time, besieged by sun, wind, rain, and hail. A relaxing vacation generally does not involve riding in a car until stir crazy. And so, I can't exactly say that I had a relaxing vacation. I did, however, have a WONDERFUL time. Made some INCREDIBLE memories with my family. Spent precious face time with friends I love DEARLY. And drank in the tremendous BEAUTY of God's creation. Here are a few of the highlights, ABC-style.

A is for Accomplishment 

EARLY Sunday morning, Travis, my dad, and I abandoned the comfort of our beds and stumbled bleary-eyed out to the car. (As if waking in order to leave the timeshare by 4:00 wasn't bad enough, the fire alarm had gone off in our building at 2:30am, mandating our pajama-clad evacuation, after which we huddled together in the cool of the night for about half an hour before allowed to return to our unit.) We arrived at the trail head for Mt. Quandary as the sun was coming up, and began the 5.9 mile round trip hike to the summit and back. This was my second 14er, Travis' 21st, and my dad's first. As we began hiking through the trees, we had no idea of the EPIC JOURNEY the day would hold for us. It was a LONG day. It was an arduous hike that took its toll on all of us, especially my 69 year-old dad. We encountered sun, wind, hail, and rain during the 11 hours we spent on the mountain that day. We felt our hearts pounding in our chests, our lungs gasping the thin air, our knees protesting the pounding of coming down all those rocks. But WE MADE IT to the summit and back down to the car. And we did it TOGETHER. And that is an ACCOMPLISHMENT, achieved with the two men I love most, that I will remember always.   

at the summit of Mt. Quandary

B is for Baby & Boulder & Bus

After we parted ways with my parents in Vail, we got to spend a few days of quality time near Denver with friends Rachel & Eric and their baby, Ty. On the day Travis & Eric climbed Mt. Princeton, Rachel and I took a trip to Boulder to visit the their farmer's market. Ty gets fussy during long car rides, but singing calms him down. Enter: a long, strange rendition of "The Wheels on the Bus." Rachel and I sang a reprise on the way home from church the next day, causing Eric to exclaim, "What kind of bus is this?!" The kind that provides an outlet for my litany of animal noises. Among other things, the bus had doggies, kitties, cows, chickens, and monkeys. Lots of monkeys. :)

cuteness himself

C is for Cairn

In July 2009 I hiked my first fourteener, Mt. Evans, with Travis by my side. I added a word to my vocabulary that day: cairn. Do you know what a cairn is? A cairn is "a mound of stones piled up as a memorial or to mark a boundary or path." I learned that cairns are essential to finding your way on the mountain, to following the trail you are meant to take. Because the Rocky Mountains are indeed very rocky, a pile of stones off in the distance doesn't necessarily stand out when you scan the horizon. Sometimes you have to really look for them. Likewise, the trail ahead isn't always clear. Hiking Evans, I turned finding cairns into a bit of a game. It was a simple game that consisted of: hike along, and when you find the next cairn, yell "CAIRN!" Really. That's it. But there's something about it that I find amusing and engaging; I become like a kid, excited at finding each successive item in one of those "hidden picture" activities in magazines for kids. (Anybody else out there grow up with Highlights?) So when we hiked Quandary & Sherman on this trip, I played my game. I searched for the cairns, and loudly announced my discoveries. When you've left the trail head behind, but you're still a long way from the summit, focusing on the peak is discouraging (at least to me); focusing instead on reaching the next cairn, and then the next, and then the next, is much less daunting. Each cairn is an indication of where to go, and as you look back, proof that you've made progress, even if it doesn't seem like it. There are a lot of parallels between hiking a trail to the summit, and life. Cairns are important to the journey.

Travis and I with a cairn and the view--OH, the VIEW!--at the summit of Mt. Sherman

Stay tuned for Part 2, coming soon!

Back in the Saddle

After an un-premeditated (would that make it post-meditated?) six month hiatus, I am gingerly climbing back up into the blogging saddle. Some of you have wondered what caused me to fall off the wagon back in December (if you'll allow me to mix metaphors). Some of you have pointed out (in person) that I stopped writing, which means you'd lost track of my comings and goings, cookings and musings, and isn't it about time that I post something new? (Mom, it's nice to know you check in every once in a while). And one of you sent me a short, simple email that pulled a tight string around my heart and caught me off guard (thanks, sweetheart--I needed that).

And so here I am, returned. I have a handful of reasons for why I've been absent (some of which might better be termed "excuses"). I could expound, but instead I will simply list: job stress & mental fatigue, technical difficulties, laziness, ennui. As for why I've chosen Tuesday, June 14th to make my return to the blogosphere: I'm waiting for the hubby to get home and it's too early to start preparing dinner but I'm hungry and have already had two snacks so I need a distraction. (Not as profound as you expected, right?) And because that same hubby told me he misses reading my thoughts. Ditto that for my mom. And because it's about time I choose to slough off the stress and disinterestedness and instead return to finding wonder in the every day, and the inspiration to share my discoveries with others. (Even if that's just my husband and my mom, because everyone else gave up on me as a blogger three months ago.) And because, if you haven't noticed, I am about to explode with six months' worth of pent-up parenthetical asides. 

And so, with a mingling of anticipation and trepidation, I click "Publish Post" on the first musing of 2011.

What I Googled

With each passing year, I wonder more and more...what did we do before Google? My pre-Google life is fading from memory. Here's a sample of today's Googlings:

how to machine wash a plastic shower curtain

pheasant breast recipes

how to remove candle wax from fabric

Dremel

Colorado snow storm

Aripo's Oak Park

eat. pray. love.

eat: a hot bowl of oatmeal (prepared using my homemade instant oatmeal mix), fortified with a tablespoon of flax seed meal and a handful of plump raisins.

pray: for colleagues and the situation in Ivory Coast.

love: making trifles. our last small group meeting for the year (tomorrow night) is a potluck. i'm on dessert duty, and couldn't be happier. can't wait to assemble my gingerbread-vanilla-pear beauty!

UPDATE: Here's a pic of the trifle before it's precarious trip to small group (one hand on the wheel, one hand on the trifle) and the subsequent devouring by my appreciative friends.

Brave

One thing that scares me. Everyday. That's a tall order, Eleanor. But today, I felt up to the challenge.

At lunchtime I went to my first yoga class at the gym, alone. A small step for some, a much bigger deal for me. This morning I donned what I felt was a cute, yoga-friendly outfit (when approaching an intimidating activity, I find it helps if I know I'll at least look cute while making a fool of myself). I fueled myself with a comforting slice of yesterday's banana bread. I walked across the street to the gym and into the studio. And then I stood there, looked around, and smiled shyly until a nice older man picked up on the fact that I was new and had no idea what to do, where to go, or what all those props were for.

I think I'll go back on Thursday and give it another go. I felt silly. I felt self-conscious. But now I feel nice and limber and relaxed, and proud of myself for being brave.

In the Company of True Friends

I spent this past weekend in New York City, where I was joined by 6 of my dear sister-friends (of the 11 total) from college, who came in from Colorado, Illinois, Ohio, and Pennsylvania to join Lynn, who lives there. The occasion was our annual girls weekend, the 8th since we graduated from Taylor.

It "just so happened" (as in, God miraculously arranged) that girls weekend was also opening weekend for Redd Tale Theatre's Triumph of Love, the show in which Lynn brilliantly plays the lead. The weekend also included pedicures, street food, a leisurely afternoon in Central Park, a "homemade" baby shower for Becca, and lots of time sitting around together, sharing the highs and lows of the previous year. My heart feeds on these weekends and I always come away with a renewed awareness of how blessed I am by these friendships.

In the company of true friends...

...it's perfectly acceptable to go from laughing to crying in 10 seconds flat.
...it's safe to confess our fears and anxieties, our longings and frustrations, our hopes and dreams.
...it's okay to ask those vulnerable questions we can't ask anywhere else, and to wrestle with the answers.
...I am inspired to trust, to hope, and to believe.
...I am moved to give God glory and turn to Him for help.
...I am most myself.

To my friends: 

Thank you for loving and encouraging me. You are beautiful and strong and brave. I would not be the woman I am without the reality and promise of your presence in my life, year in and year out. I thank my God for you.

What's Up?

A quick little glimpse into my life on a Tuesday afternoon: 

What's done? A 288-piece mailing that went out today, the office expense report for June & July, plus some other little office odds and ends
What's made? The bed
What's for dinner? Zucchini and Basil Frittata
What's playing on my Pandora? A station based on the Appalachian Picking Society
What's in progress at the moment? Laundry, this blog post
What's lurking in the back of my mind right now? What I'll pack for my trip to NYC this weekend
What's making me thankful? That we had enough money in savings to cover new tires for El Cuervo, and that we caught the leak before I was stuck with a flat on the side of the road in the middle of the day
What's making me a little sad? Travis leaves early Thursday morning for another week away

good. bad. ugly.

good: The Help by Kathryn Stockett on audiobook. I'm totally engrossed.

bad: 85 degrees and 70% humidity in my apartment when I woke up this morning.

ugly: the knot above my right temple where I accidentally bashed my head into the corner of the printer in my office upon coming up from retrieving something that had fallen on the floor...and no husband around to kiss and make it better.

Food for Thought: Lent

"Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we are an imperishable... I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified." 

1 Cor. 9:25, 27 ESV

"LENT is a time of year to remember that God has seen fit to make us not airy spirits but embodied human beings living in a beautiful, material world. The soul fills the body the way fire fills a lump of coal, and what the body learns, the soul absorbs as well. Spiritual disciplines such as fasting are analogous to weight-lifting equipment. One who uses them in a disciplined way will be stronger, not just when he's lifting weights, but also for every situation he meets."

- Frederica Mathewes-Green

Adios Paloma. Bienvenidos El Cuervo.

Although I am 29 years old, I rarely feel as "grown up" as my teenage self imagined I would when I got to this point in life. Back in my teens, I had this romantic notion that, simply as a bi-product of adding years to my life, I'd somehow absorb and possess all of the knowledge and know-how required for adulthood. Instead, I've discovered that life is something a person figures out as they go along. Sure, we can (and hopefully do) learn and benefit from the wisdom and experience of those who have gone ahead of us--sometimes decades ahead, sometimes just a few months--but life largely consists of rising to the occasion and figuring things out as the tasks of life come along. And every once in a while, we are called upon to undertake one of those tasks that feels unmistakably adult-like.

This past weekend, husband and I bought a car. Researching the various makes and models, analyzing reliability reports and fuel efficiency, considering usefulness for our current and future life situations (i.e. transporting potential offspring - egads!), and then signing papers that committed us to this one vehicle and paying off the thousands of dollars we borrowed, all made me feel very grown up. And admittedly, a little weary. A difference Travis and I have discovered between us...he feels energized and excited by challenges like this, while I tend to feel stressed and burdened. Needless to say, I was very glad to have him on my team when the time came to replace my dear Paloma ("dove" in Spanish), the white 2000 Chevy Malibu my parents helped me purchase mid-way through my senior year of college (which is why I'd never done this whole car-buying thing on my own). I think some of the weariness also comes from the sadness of saying goodbye to my first and only car to date...a car that carried me to many places beyond to work and back every day. What I need to do is separate the memories from the vehicle. I get to hold on to the memories and drive off with them in a shiny new car (a black 2008 Pontiac Vibe I've dubbed El Cuervo, or "the raven"), while I let someone else deal with my geriatric, noisy, increasingly broken and unsafe 140,000 mile road-weary vehicle, for which they actually gave me a pittance of money. It's a pretty good deal, really. :)

And so, Paloma, here's a look back on the many places we traveled together:

• to Taylor and back, before and especially after graduation, for visits to see Josh perform in plays, for Ollie's memorial service, for Homecoming where I ran (well, jogged) my first 5K; and last summer for the 3G reunion
• to and from and all over Columbus, OH, where I lived with Allison's family while working at the Easton B&N
• to and from weddings--so many weddings!--in Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, and all over greater Chicagoland
• to and from Menomonie and Madison and Baraboo, WI for visits and rendezvous with Allison
• to the north side of Chicago and back to the western suburbs (a 50+ mile loop) while Travis and I were dating
• to and from Michigan for holidays and visits with Travis' family
• and many more meaningful destinations that aren't coming to mind right now

Yes, Paloma, we had a good run. El Cuervo, we're excited and thankful to have you, and eager for the many miles of adventures that lie ahead...

the end of an era

Tonight marks the end of an era in my life. After nine years as a Barnes & Noble bookseller (seasonal during college, then full-time, then part-time), tonight I'll work my final shift. And after 18 years of operation in Wheaton's Town Square shopping center, my B&N store will close its doors for good on December 31st. Sniff.

Though I look forward to having my Wednesday nights back (especially now that I have a husband to go home to) I'm sad to see my store close, and there are many things I will miss about working there. I'll miss chatting with Anne, my favorite manager. I'll miss swapping "crazy customer" stories with Rick, my regular shift co-worker, who in his free time translates the absurdities of retail bookselling into really well-drawn cartoons starring a voluptuous, sarcastic llama with a killer collection of high heels and a host of other animal characters. I'll miss seeing all the new releases come out. I'll miss recommending my favorite books to customers, and having them return to tell me later how much they enjoyed the titles I'd recommended. I think I'll even miss exercising my spatial reasoning skills for merchandising displays. And, of course, I'll miss my paycheck and employee discount.

There are also some things I won't miss. I won't miss shelving. I won't miss picking up after customers who leave huge stacks of books or magazines lying about, or their empty Starbucks cup on the shelf. I won't miss parents who think their darling children do not require supervision. I won't miss the occasional prank caller, out to test my composure and professionalism. I won't miss impatient customers with unreasonable last-minute requests.

And so, Barnes & Noble, here I come for my last shift. We've had a good run.
______________________________

UPDATE: The Chicago Tribune ran an article on the store's closing. Did you know that Charles Barnes and his son William (who partnered with G. Clifford Noble) were from Wheaton? They were. Which is why B&N's CEO chose Wheaton as the location for the first store in Illinois. BTW: Ignore what the reporter says about the Oakbrook store (yes, the location on Rt 83 closed, but only because they opened a megastore attached to the mall across the street).

Weekend Highlights

What a full and fun weekend! The highlights:

Friday evening: enjoying a relaxed date night dinner at Ethiopian Diamond restaurant in Chicago's Edgewater neighborhood. Yum.

Saturday morning: sleeping in, then making homemade buttermilk waffles with our new waffle maker. Yum.

Saturday afternoon: discovering the Garfield Park Conservatory, a leafy green gem in the midst of urban sprawl. Beautiful.

Saturday evening: sharing dinner at Cosi on Michigan Avenue, window shopping on State Street, watching fireworks on the river, and returning home to cozy up by the "fire" (a cluster of candles in the fireplace) and roast marshmallows (using the telescoping roasting forks we received as a wedding gift) for s'mores. Yum.

Sunday: having my parents over for Sunday dinner (which consisted of my first attempts at pot roast and butternut squash, both deemed a success), followed by church and a viewing of the Amazing Race.

Sometimes you feel like a wife...

I was catching up with a friend over lunch the other day and she asked me if I feel any different now that I'm married. My answer: yes, being married feels different, and it's got to be one of the best feelings in the world. I love being a wife. Specifically, I love being Travis' wife.

In my one and a half months of marriage so far, I've discovered that certain activities make me feel particularly wifely. This morning the feeling hit when I dropped off his clothes at the dry cleaners. The other day it washed over me as I enjoyed breakfast in bed with my husband. And I get a flash of it most weeknights when Travis arrives home from work and the first thing he does is wrap me up in a big hug.

And then there are other activities that make me feel not specifically wifely, per se, but very homemakerish. (Yes, in this blog post I am making up words. Deal with it.) For example, this evening I'm headed over to a friend's house to use her sewing machine to make a curtain for the window in my walk-in pantry, which happens to be one of my absolute favorite features of our apartment. The pantry, not the window. The window is a little weird, in fact, because it looks out on the atrium. (Though this is by no means the weirdest thing about our apartment.) For the six months that the window has been curtainless since I moved in, the contents of my pantry have been on display to anyone walking through the atrium of our building. Granted, regular traffic through there does not constitute more than a few neighbors, but said neighbors could learn quite a lot about my cooking, eating, and organizational habits if they so chose to snoop. (And with such fascinating and classified information they could...um...know that if they ever need a cup of sugar, I could help them out.) Honestly, though, it's not so much that I want to keep inquiring eyes from seeing the package of marshmallows I purchased recently (for toasting in the fireplace one of these nights), but more that I desire to spare my neighbors from shocking sights (and keep ourselves from committing indecent exposure), should I ever again forget to make coffee (which requires a visit to the pantry) only AFTER getting dressed, or should Travis decide to do another round of household chores (which call for the step stool, stored in the pantry) in his underwear.

So, anyway, sometimes you feel like a wife. And sometimes you feel like an eighth grader in home ec class. And sometimes you feel like an idiot for forgetting that the pantry window does not yet have a curtain, nor do you have clothes on.

(I would like to acknowledge that the above statements would be more appropriately stated in first rather than second person. But I've had the Almond Joy/Mounds jingle in my head since I started thinking about this post, and I couldn't bring myself to abandon the motif.)

We Do, We Did, We Will

For those of you who check in here regularly to keep up with the comings and goings and musings of Suz, I hope it came as no surprise that my postings have been scarce for the past month or so. Getting married (then honeymooning, then nesting) has taken precedence over blogging lately, but I'm starting to feel the itch to get back into the groove. However, returning to my blog after such a prolonged absence in which many significant life events took place is a bit overwhelming...where to begin? I've decided to jump back in with bite-size posts about the wedding, honeymoon, and married life.

To attempt anything comprehensive at this point is simply exhausting to even think about, but I think I can handle a series of little nuggets. So, to kick them off, I thought I'd start with one of the most joyfully sobering (oxymoron? perhaps) aspects of the wedding ceremony...our vows.

Travis and I chose to write our own vows. As we did so, we were mindful of a quote from Covenant Marriage that really stood out to us. I don't have the book handy at the moment, so I'll have to paraphrase for now. The gist of the quote was this: it is not so much the man (and woman) who keeps his vows, but the vows that keep the man (and his wife).

When we spoke our vows to one another on October 3rd, we meant and felt those promises with every fiber of our beings. But the thing about covenant vows is this: on the days that will come (and we know they will come) when we question what we meant up there at the altar, or we don't feel like keeping those promises and treating the other person the way we said we would, it's the vows that will keep us committed.

We chose to memorize our vows so that they are lodged in our brains and on our hearts. We plan to frame these vows and hang them on the wall of our bedroom as a visual reminder of what we have promised. By God's grace and in His strength, we will keep these vows; and when we stumble, may these vows keep us.

GROOM: I, Travis, take you, Suzanne, to be my wife. Before God, our families, and these friends I vow to share my life with you. With great joy I pledge myself to love you as Christ loves the Church. I vow to be the spiritual leader of our family, to follow Christ all of my days, and to depend on Him for the strength to lead with wisdom and humility. With steadfast faithfulness and unwavering commitment I will stand by your side through seasons of joy and sorrow, prosperity and adversity, sickness and health. I will laugh with you and cry with you, encourage and comfort you, cherish and know you. I promise to pray with you and for you, and to encourage and support you in becoming the woman God calls you to be. I will provide for you and protect you, seeking to make our home a place of security and rest. I promise to be open and honest with you, to listen to you and seek understanding. I vow to work through conflicts with grace and humility, extending forgiveness, even as I am forgiven in Christ.

Suzanne, I love you, and it is with great joy that I make this covenant with you and become your husband, pledging myself to be your faithful friend and closest companion for as long as we both shall live.

BRIDE: I, Suzanne, take you, Travis, to be my husband. Before God, our families, and these friends I vow to share my life with you. I will laugh with you and cry with you, care for you in sickness and in health, and stand by your side through prosperity and adversity, sharing joy and sorrow. I promise to follow Christ all of my days, to pray with you and for you, and to encourage and support you in becoming the man God calls you to be. I vow to submit to your leadership, according to God's design, through all circumstances. I promise to love and respect you as the head of our household, even as Christ is head of His body, the Church. I will endeavor to make our home a welcoming refuge and place of peace. I promise to be open and honest with you, to listen to you and seek understanding. I vow to work through conflicts with grace and humility, extending forgiveness, even as I am forgiven in Christ.

Travis, I love you, and it is with great joy that I make this covenant with you and become your wife, pledging myself to be your faithful friend and closest companion for as long as we both shall live.

I'm a winner! And a writer!

Yesterday I entered a five-sentence romantic story contest put out there by Jason Boyett on his blog. And guess what! Today, I was declared the winner of said contest.

Follow the first link above to view the rules which governed the entries, and then follow this link to read my prize-winning submission inspired by the photo below.
Yesterday I took a few minutes to write a simple story inspired by an absurd photo, but in a way I think I really needed to enter this contest (and winning certainly doesn't hurt). Why? Because in the busyness and stress and activity of moving and wedding planning and juggling the responsibilities of life over the past several months, I'd forgotten that I'm a creative soul who's perfectly capable of writing something more interesting and far more profound than another to-do list or chronicle of recent events. And that doing so can be extremely satisfying, and even a little relaxing.

I want to write more. I think I need to write more. Because writing requires reflection. It necessitates stillness of body and activity of mind, when these days I am more prone to ceaseless activity of body and distraction of mind. I also need to write more because it makes me a better editor. I'm generally more eager to mess with someone else's paragraphs than I am to generate my own, but writing keeps me in touch with the process, strain, and frustration felt by those other writers in producing their product.

Writing my contest entry yesterday rekindled my verbal creativity, while at the same time reminding me that it's a good idea to write from what you know - in this case, PMS and engagement. And that unitards are always hard to take seriously, but funny to write about.

June...so far.

As it tends to do, now that summer is here it's already packed with activity and flying by. I just downloaded some photos from the camera and it made me realize how much we've been up to in just the past two weeks. Curious? Well, here's a little photographic overview of the first half of June:
On Friday, June 5th Travis and I joined with hundreds of other volunteers from our church to serve with Feed My Starving Children, an organization that sends nourishing meals to starving and malnourished children around the world. Each meal packet contains a chicken flavored powder with 20 vitamins and minerals, dehydrated vegetables, soy, and rice. Over 4 days on two campuses, Harvesters packaged over 600,000 meals. And, we had fun doing it!On Saturday, June 6th we saw Gipsy Kings in concert at Ravinia. The weather was unseasonably COLD (in the low 50's), and so we shivered and huddled together for warmth as we picnicked on the lawn. We went with our friends Allison & Alex and Nate & Bethany, who helped me surprise Travis with a little birthday celebration at the end of our meal. I brought a cake and candles, and my friends distracted Travis and blocked his view while I attempted to fit 32 candles on a small cake and get them all lit at the same time (a breeze made the latter endeavor quite difficult, so I finally settled for the majority). When we unveiled the cake to Travis and began to sing Happy Birthday, we were surprised when at least 50 people seated around us joined in the singing!
Tuesday, June 9th was my small group's first "Group Serve" night of the summer. The second Tuesday of each month during our normal small group meeting time we're volunteering to help out ECFA, a great non-profit ministry located in Wheaton, by cleaning their offices. We had a lot of fun serving together the first week, and look forward to July & August!
On Friday the 12th Allison & Alex took Travis and I out to dinner at Gaetano's in Forest Park for a joint celebration of our June birthdays. We did the chef's 4 course tasting menu and enjoyed every bite. In addition to exquisite taste, Gaetano's puts a lot into their presentation. Pictured here is one of the salad plates (pear poached in spiced Chianti served with watercress dressed with apple balsamic, and a warm gorgonzola, walnuts, and mascarpone fondue) and dessert (that's ice cream, chocolate cake, and tiramisu in the flower pot!).
Yesterday morning Travis picked me up at 3:30 (in the morning - did you catch that part?) to head up to the harbor in Waukegan. From there we went out on an 8 hour fishing charter with one of Travis' friends and one of his former students. The fish were not as responsive as the guys would have liked (only 4 fish were brought in, out of 9 bites), but it was a beautiful day to be out on the water, everybody went home with some salmon fillets (which is what I'll be preparing for dinner tonight), and I got to spend some quality "shoulder-to-shoulder" time with Travis that I think helped me better understand my fiance and his love for sports that involve killing things to eat.And finally, last night we had our second-to-last premarital counseling session. Cindy has made dinner for us each time we've met, so this time I volunteered to bring dessert, which gave me an excuse to throw together a pretty summer trifle. We've really enjoyed our sessions with Dave & Cindy and feel like they've been beneficial, giving us a lot to think and talk about as we prepare for marriage. Last night, however, I had a hard time focusing on what was being said, formulating answers that made sense, and not getting defensive about probing questions. Lesson learned: PMS + only 4 hours of sleep + 8 hours in the sun + premarital counseling = not a great combo. I am thankful that everyone took my out-of-nowhere tears gracefully in stride. :)

Though not photographically documented, during the first half of June we were also busy with Travis' big move out of the house where he'd lived for several years. Most of his things are now in our guest bedroom, from whence they will be integrated into the rest of the apartment. Between now and the wedding, Travis will be living with a co-worker in Oak Park who offered him an extra bedroom.

And what will the rest of the month include? Unpacking and putting away Travis' things, more get togethers with friends, my birthday celebration (Travis has something cooked up!), the meeting of the parents, and some hard core wedding planning.

Happy Birthday, Honey!

Today marks the 32nd birthday of my handsome fiance!

We enjoyed the gorgeous weather yesterday afternoon by walking into town, spreading out a blanket in the park, and playing Scrabble in the dappled sunshine. As we were strolling along afterward, Travis commented that this year promises to be his best yet. Anticipating my own birthday at the end of this month, I feel the same way. Looking back, we see how richly we were blessed even as we traveled our separate paths that providentially intersected last February. As I consider the journey of companionship and love that began that day and stretches to the present, and eagerly anticipate what lies ahead, I'm simply amazed at this love God has given us.

Travis, you are a more faithful friend, a more humble leader, and a more tender lover than I could have ever imagined for myself as a partner in life. You have my respect, my love, and my promise to walk alongside of you in covenant commitment each day of our life together. Happy birthday, my love!

Firsts

Back in February Travis and I celebrated one year since we'd met. At that point, some events (i.e. holidays, etc.) began to repeat themselves and no longer felt quite so momentous the second time around. The fun thing about moving into my new place (which will be our place come October) is that it ushers in a whole new round of firsts.

Last evening we enjoyed our first dinner together at our dining room table, complete with a vase of flowers (compliments of Travis) and candles (compliments of one of the boxes I've actually managed to unpack so far). As the days turn to weeks and the weeks turn to months, we will recognize many more firsts, but also delight in deciding which things we want to repeat, which acts are worthy of instituting as a tradition, which things were good but with room for improvement, and which things we should never do again (first on that list...attempt the reverse commute using the same route I took yesterday - it was awful).

Last night we also joined Alex & Allison in their Thursday evening tradition, an after dinner trip to Paciugo for gelato. In my little piccolo cup I enjoyed S'mores, Mediterranean Sea Salt Caramel, and Pannacotta Wedding Cake. Yum! Travis and I might not visit weekly, but we'll definitely be going back - especially because they're constantly swapping out flavors from their over 250 tasty options!

A New Nest, A New Community

As of this past Saturday I am now a resident of Oak Park! Spring finally delivered on its promise, and I couldn't have asked for more beautiful weather for the big move. Friends and family came out to help, and the whole process went pretty smoothly. Though there's still a lot of work (unpacking, cleaning, organizing, purging) to be done before I feel settled, I must say it feels REALLY good to be in my new space, even if it is littered with boxes and covered in more dust than I'd like. Added to the relief of having the move behind me is my excitement over the reality that this new apartment is not just my home, but it will be OUR home. Travis and I are so thankful for how the Lord led us to this apartment and provided so much space in just the right location and at just the right price.

In addition to nesting in my new apartment I look forward to exploring my new community. I'm excited to get a library card...to walk into town...to wander through the neighborhoods and check out the different kinds of architecture...to learn the history of this place...to try out the different restaurants...to discover my favorite park...to determine the best routes from here to there...to do some window shopping...to visit the farmers market on Saturday mornings...to meet my neighbors...to make spontaneous coffee dates with my best friend...and to have my fiance living only 7 miles away (instead of 32)!

New Digs!

I have exciting news to share! After months of scouring Craigslist, making phone calls, and visiting apartments and condos that just weren't right (ever felt like Goldilocks?), Travis and I have found the place we will call home. I'll be moving in the first of May, and Travis will join me in October after we're married.

The apartment has just about everything we were looking for and more, at a remarkable price. We'll have a kitchen, dining room, living room, a huge master bedroom, a guest room, a den, and an office. Plus there are two full bathrooms (one complete with retro 70's yellow-gold tub, toilet, and vanity and metallic wallpaper) and a walk-in pantry. So much space it's crazy. It's in an old building (constructed in 1898) above a store front, so the space has lots of character, a few quirks (like "windows" with walls behind them), and not a level line to be found anywhere (the entryway stairwell slants so bad it looks like something out of the Twilight Zone when things start to go all wonky). I am eager to move in and start "nesting!" In fact, some nights, before I drift off to sleep, I lay there and think about furniture arrangements, and what I'll put in each closet, and how I can organize this, or decorate that...

I am also excited about exploring my new village and neighborhood and discovering all it has to offer. I've learned that every Saturday from June through October there's a farmers market just a few blocks from our place that has local vendors, fresh fruits and veggies, baked goods, donuts and coffee, and live music. With my typically busy schedule, wedding planning, and quite a few weekends away, I don't know how often I'll actually have a leisurely Saturday morning where I can stroll to the market, browse the goods, enjoy a donut, and meet my neighbors, but I sure like the IDEA of it. :)