Valentine Tradition

Three years ago Nate made dinner reservations at a fancy restaurant for our first Valentine's Day together. Then something happened which seems to happen often for us - we got stuck at work late. Got home, exhausted, needed to change for dinner and Nate could tell I was desperately trying to rally together the energy to get gussied up and enjoy a late night out.

We both stood there hesitantly trying to figure out if the other would be upset if we canceled the reservations and just ordered a pizza. We were new in our relationship and not yet entirely sure what each others' expectations were for the holiday. Still can't remember who said it first but we fell deeper in love when we both said we'd love to ditch the fancy reservations, order a pizza and open a bottle of wine.

Pizza was ordered, wine poured and sweat pants and hoodies were on in record time. We were pleasantly surprised when the pizza arrived and was in the shape of a heart. It just couldn't have been a better first Valentine's Day for us! We loved how the holiday ended up, so much so that we have repeated it every year since.

This year was no exception. Tonight when Nate got stuck at work late, he came home to heart shaped pizza, an amazing bottle of wine and sweat pants.

We had a fun added twist this year though - I was looking at cards as we usually just get each one and no presents. I'm not sure if I was just tired when looking or what but I was annoyed with a majority of them. It seemed like they were all saying "You are my life, my world, my soul mate" yikes... this is Valentine's Day not our wedding. So I decided to make a handmade one and channeled my inner 10 yr. old self, busted out the glue stick and printed some Taylor Swift lyrics (don't judge me, judge Nate, he loves her). Nate got a card for me too and while it was professionally printed it was customized, loved it!!

So cheesy it's disgusting!

Hiatus

Sorta forgot to share life stories on the blog. Again. Oh well, there was plenty missed but I don't have the energy to try to back track or catch up so we'll just move forward.

Kellyn and Shauncey have been staying with us while Mom's still out in CA. It's been a little rough waking up early to get Kellyn off to metro - poor guy has to commute an hour each way to school :( But it also feels good to fit in workouts/runs, laundry, dishes, packing my lunch and actually being able to sit down and enjoy breakfast and coffee all before getting ready for work. I *might* miss it. We'll definitely miss having them around, it's been fun hanging out with them - sorry Kellyn I cannot juggle!

Kellyn has started his own business selling pop ("sodas" for you East coasters) at school. We take him to Safeway where he can buy the cans for about 25 cents per can and is selling them for a $1 each. I wake him up early so he has enough time to pack up two backpacks full of ice packs - yes he serves them cold. Here he is in his "office", aka corner of our kitchen, taking inventory. It's a whole system and while at first I was afraid he'd be breaking rules and could get in trouble at school, I'm proud of his little entrepreneur side.

Wedding planning is in full swing as we finish all the fun details. I'm so excited but many things are a surprise so I can't share yet. I'm trying to focus on not wishing it to be here so quickly. I hear the time goes by and often times you can even miss the planning process when it's all done so we're trying to soak it all in.

We've gotten back into juicing which feels great. There's something refreshing about it and makes you feel energized. It's now a part of our daily routine.
Sadly I have decided to bow out of my second half marathon in March. I let too many things get in the way and become a bigger priority. I'm disappointed in myself for not seeing it through but maybe I was pushing things by signing up in the first place. It was a relief when I mentioned it to Aly and Angela who were going to run with me and they both "Oh thank God!" Clearly I'm not the only one overwhelmed right now :) I'm now enjoying fun runs and am very happy to not have the pressure of the half on my shoulders - we have enough going on!

Birthday Boy

The last few weeks have been a bit much so last minute I made an executive decision that we needed an escape for Nate's birthday... even if it only ended up being 45 minutes away.

We wanted to return to The Homestead because, well, it's amazing. But we made plans to head there later in December instead. Couldn't shake the feeling that we still needed to get away, so I booked us a weekend at Lansdowne Resort. Happy to report it ended up being just what we needed.

The resort was great - cozy rooms and an awesome breakfast buffet (Nate's favorite thing in the whole wild world at hotels).

 
I treated Nate to an afternoon at their spa (well, and myself - couldn't let him feel alone). Massages, lounge time in their sauna, steam room, hot tub and some indoor swimming - relaxation doesn't begin to describe it!

One of my favorite things about resorts is when they have inviting and cozy lounge areas. While Lansdowne doesn't quite have the level Homestead does, it still was great.

Yes, I got a big kick out of this peek-through couch. Nate telling me all about how Daniel Day Lewis prepared to be Lincoln :)

How much you wanna bet there are cameras behind these mirrors in their elevators? Endless entertainment from what people do in these mirrors for the employees I'm sure. 

What would a trip out to the countryside be without some time at the wineries? Willowcroft was a new one for us and we fell in love with it's rustic, ultra country, barn yard feel. The drive in alone was just the break we needed from the everyday views of DC.

 Ok, maybe some things just won't go away :)

We grabbed a bottle of wine, some snacks and perched ourselves on one of the picnic tables and took in the view of the mountains in the distance (even though you can't really see them in our pictures).

 They even had a Sparty barrel! GO GREEN!!

While exploring their grounds I took this picture and noticed there was a cat ... chewing on something. Got closer and yup it was a mouse. I know they eat them, but ew. I could've gone without having to see a cat tear one to shreads. YAK!

Then we started venturing down one of their trails, snappin pics.

When it was Nate's turn to hop up on that rock, we heard something walking towards us and sure enough, the hunter cat had decided to join us. He too wanted to be in the pictures.

 

Nate politely asking him to get out of the photo, then decided it wasn't going to happen and embraced the random cat insisting on being in our pictures. 

 So we let him have his very own spot light.

On the way home we realized we would be passing Texas Roadhouse, one of Nate's favorites. The birthday boy needed him some cinnamon butter!!

Fitting end to our country-themed weekend getaway. Happy birthday to my love, so excited for this time of year when we're the same age ;)

Election Night!

Let the waiting begin....

Votes are in (East coast) and there's nothing we can do about it now. Stressful and anxious time for sure. I can't help but also dread the response regardless of which candidate is elected.

I know it's politics and I appreciate everyone's passion but whatever happened to respect? I'm really disappointed in some responses to the debates and topics leading up to tonight. It's my feeling that social media has created an oulet that encourages more passive agressive communication. I would say everything I say online in person, and sadly I don't think that's true for a lot of people. But that's a whole different topic... let me focus...

Why can't we say things like "this is why I'm supporting ____". Why can't we leave the petty/hypocritical slaps to the radio and tv ads? Why can't we remember that we may have relationships with those who don't agree with our chocies? And why can't we understand we're bound to have a more effective influence by sharing knowledge and our own point of view rather than screaming like a child that the other candidate is an idiot?

At this point though there is literally nothing we can do. Votes are being casted, counted and will soon be announced. Not to make the topic sound of small importance - that's definitely not what I think or am trying to say - but if your candidate doesn't get elected, move forward and don't stomp your feet like a two year old. Again, I know this is serious, but you will get no where by screaming and offending others. Use it to become stronger in your beliefs, passions, and spreading knowledge for what you feel is right.

I'm a firm believer that we can support a topic, a debate, a presidential candidate and any other issue without sacraficing class and respect for others. I know, I know, wishful thinking that we could all get along. So here's hoping we can all remember a basic rule of thumb - if you don't have anything nice to say, you shouldn't say anything at all! 

Alaina on a Buck

My brother shot an 8-point buck (for those of you who don't know, that's a big deal). I'm sure he's had dreams about this moment, silly hunting man. Good job Bro!

So the next day he decides to take my niece, Alaina, out to see the dead buck. I know, sounds gross, but understand it's part of our culture up there. Typically little ones would be a shy/scared by such a sight. But Alaina is a hilarious one. She had just been on a pony a few days before this, so naturally what would she do when she saw the buck? Try to ride it of course!

When she was told no, for obvious sanitary reasons, she was not a happy camper...

God I love her!!

Frankenstorm, Halloween & Apple Cider Donuts!

I can't stop thinking about how lucky we are that we didn't get hit by the worst of hurricane Sandy, or superstorm Frankenstorm. There are so many that are working their way through an awful nightmare and too many lives lost. My heart and prayers go out to all of them.

Growing up in MI we didn't have to worry about these kinds of storms. The occasional tornado, snow and ice storms were about it. Don't get me wrong, some were devastating, but I don't remember a full on panic that we'll never be able to eat again...

 

Nate went to the store the weekend before the hurricane as I can't handle crazy crowds at grocery stores. No bottled water, eggs, milk, bread or bananas - days before the storm was going to hit. So of course, he came home with a case of one of our favorite wines instead. This man is a genius!

Federal Government, metro and what seemed like everyone but my industry shut down as the storm was expected to hit during the day Monday. So I had Nate drive me to work so he'd have the car in case I got stuck at work. Driving in was eerie as there wasn't any traffic going into the city. NEVER happens!

The storm hit our area around 6pm. I decided to stay overnight at work in case I wouldn't be able to make it back the next day. Luckily we have a guest suite and we were so lucky that we didn't lose power - both at work and at home. No major flooding, just some leaks in the apartments at work.

By the time Halloween hit, I was tired. It had been a long week already! But that didn't stop my team at work from putting a smile (and a scream) on my face. Juan decided to scare the bejeezus out of me...

And Milt has an amazing talent! He makes every ounce of these boxes by hand, it's insane. It's like opening an Apple product - packaged so precisely. He has such a creative eye and NEEDS to open his own business!! I can see his talents on Pinterest one day...

By the end of the week we needed to make our annual trip out to VA's countryside in search of apple cider donuts. They are impossible to find anywhere near DC. So Amy and her boyfriend joined us and we finally found a store that was still selling them. Nate seriously contemplated taking that whole tray. The girls working the store thought we were crazy "city folk" I'm sure but who cares - we wanted those donuts!

 

We continued on the Philip Carter winery to enjoy a tasting, then a bottle with crackers and snacks by the fire, and finally ventured outside. They had a barrel rolling contest, which ended up being not as fun as we thought, but they did have lamas. Why? They couldn't even answer that. But that didn't stop us from hanging out with them and Amy taking one for a walk...

Now to take down the Halloween decor and prepare for Thanksgiving plans. My heart just fluttered when I thought about all the food. YUM!!

Election Season - Laugh a Little!

Ok, before anyone gets offended - this post is all in good fun. If you're easily offended by curse words, political jokes, and just about anything else don't read any further.

Tonight during a skype date with my MOH she asked me if I had seen the "bad lip reading" videos on youtube. Curious, I looked them up and just so happened the first one that came up was the one on Romney.

Now before you get all offended, calm down, it's nothing against Romney. I just didn't want to post the Obama one because it wasn't as clever or funny and was a little dirtier, but check all of them out, they're pretty funny. And much to my MOH's delight, there's even one of Twilight!

*side note - they all start with some commercial against the person who the video is about. Click on the Obama one and you'll have a commercial against Obama, click on a Romney one you'll have one against Romney.

Click here to watch

I couldn't stop giggling. Yes, instead of watching the VP debate, I watched this. Call it what you may, but I bet I laughed and had a better time than I would have glued to the debate and the onslaught of online assaults to both parties. Sometimes in the most tense moments you need a giggle :)