Christmas Eve already?!

I do not know what is going on with this blog, but for the past three days I've been trying to upload pictures to post and it won't work! It just keeps telling me "bad error." The first time that was kinda funny, but now it's just annoying! Anyway, I guess you'll have to wait to see pictures of the baby's room, our basement, and my hugely expanding form... I know, what a Christmas disappointment. :)

I guess, being that it's been over a month since my last post, I should give an update. Team Remsing is doing well... I think I can finally say we are READY to meet this baby. There are still some little things to be done, but his clothes are washed, furniture is set up, and mom is feeling uncomfortable--so yes, ready is a good word. Pregnancy and I have gotten along pretty well, but I am now to the point where I'm excited to leave it in the past and have my little guy here to hold! My doctor told me on Monday that things are still "textbook perfect" and he will be fine to come any day. Now--there is still a month left till my due date, but if everyone can pray for a January 20 delivery, I would appreciate it. That is my grandpa's bday and he is hoping for a birthday buddy. :)

Justin has been working his tail off to get everything ready. The basement looks amazing and is just waiting for some crown molding (and a good cleaning of the storage space... but that is a different, and probably boring, post altogether), he finished up the semester with two A's in two classes, and our Christmas lights look awesome! I can't seem to remember all the other things I want to mention, but suffice it to say that the last five weeks have been busy busy with very little time for rest.

Today is my family's annual progressive dinner. We have been doing this for the last five years, ever since my great-grandma passed away, because Christmas Eve was always her night. Even when she moved in with my grandparents, she would make dinner (ham, chicken nuggets and pizza rolls... really and truly... because none of us kids likes ham!) and then we would crowd into the third bedroom used as her personal "living room" to open gifts. The progressive dinner is fun... but each Christmas Eve I miss her laugh and that special tradition. Anyway, today we are kicking it up a notch and the KIDS are hosting the day! Appetizers at Keith and Tarah's, a movie at Erin and John's, dinner HERE (in the basement, no less), and dessert at Steph and Jason's. Cross your fingers for me!

Friday we'll head up north for the weekend, and then come back to a week off! Can't wait to catch up with some old friends and spend this holly, jolly time of year with our families. Christmas is HERE!

Wishing you and yours all the best!

Project and more projects

Let me just say that lately we have had projects coming out our ears. I could share some pictures, but I think it will be more fun to wait till the end. :) Last weekend we finally, finally painted the basement. It actually turned out to be pretty fun--Justin had a lock-in Friday night, so Saturday morning he got home and went to bed, and I headed straight downstairs to begin. I lugged down our 24" iMac to watch movies and got everything set up just so. I think I was a little more excited than anyone should generally be about painting for a couple reasons: 1) it was such a long time coming, and 2) that dark blue paint has been taunting me since we bought it during the Martin Luther King Day weekend sale--which was, of course, in JANUARY! Anyway, just as I finished the first coat (three hours later), Justin got up and came down to help. Over the course of Saturday and Sunday, we painted all the dark blue, cream on the bottom half for the wainscotting, and all the doors and molding, while going through four gallons of paint and six movies. It was pretty fun... one of those weekends where we were exhausted by the end, but feeling great about what we'd accomplished.

This weekend was about cleaning and organizing closets. I took a half day on Friday and completely emptied the closets in the baby's room and the office, then spent all yesterday packing clothes up to donate, throwing things away, storing things in tubs, and generally cleaning everything up. Since we're very clean, clutter-free people to begin with, I thought this would go quickly, but it took wayyyy longer than I anticipated! (side note, somebody commented at church this morning that I must be nesting, to which I replied that I think my whole life is nesting, so I can't really tell the difference). :) Anyway... three bags of garbage, three boxes of donations, two tubs for the basement, and three clean closets later... here we are. Justin and I agreed that once the basement is done and we can organize the storage area (where everything is currently shoved), our house will be 100% organized. What a feeling, just to be on the brink!

Today Justin is working on the molding in the basement with Jason, and my mom and Steph just left after helping me paint the baby's room. Although I'm enjoying all the projects, I can't wait for them to be finished so we can just sit back and enjoy everything.

Hope everyone is enjoying this (suddenly snowy) Sunday afternoon!

The wedding, again

Some pictures from Jeff... we've seen just a few so far and can't wait for the rest! I still need to get my hands on all the ones my aunts took.

As you'll see, Jeff and Corinna did an outstanding job. We were lucky to have two great photographers on hand to capture such a truly stunning day. The sky could not have been blue-er. And although it was cold taking all those shots outside, it was worth it!

Jeff showed me this next one on the camera right after the ceremony and I couldn't wait to see a bigger version. I sure wish Justin and I had one like it! There is definitely something to be said for a wedding with so much natural light!

Could they look any happier?! And how about all that fall color? 

I'm trying not to be jealous about these, because at my wedding (also held at a gorgeous country club, and only three days earlier in the year... perfect day for a perfect fall wedding, right?)--it rained from start to finish--which goes to show you can plan everything but the weather. In this case, Jason and Steph sure got lucky, and I'm so thankful.

(Cute side story, while we were out taking pictures, my mom said two different times, once with tears in her eyes... "Casey, I'm so sorry, you deserved a day like this!" I assured her that it was still a great day and things have worked out pretty well since!)

Now the newlyweds are back from their honeymoon and settling into real, married life... I remember loving that part! Everything is so fun and new, and no one has to go home at night. :) 

Happy Birthday Justin!

Today Justin is 28. I know this isn't the clearest picture, but there's something I love about it... it looks like a throwback, and it was taken on a really good day. His spirit comes through. And as long as I'm being sappy talking about things like his spirit, I'm going to take an idea from Kara Graves and what she did for Josh's birthday a few months ago--here is a list of the 28 very best things about my hubs.

1. His sense of humor... and how he makes everyone laugh

2. How much he appreciates my cooking, and always says he can taste the love in everything I make

3. His trustworthy-ness

4. His heart for serving others, no matter the time of day or the scope of the problem

5. How he takes care of me

6. His quiet, unassuming leadership skills

7. Those blue, blue eyes

8. His diehard love for the Tigers

9. How he desires to always be a better person

10. His appreciation for simple pleasures... a walk around the neighborhood, s'mores by a bonfire, reading in the hammock

11. How he makes me feel like the "most beautiful girl in the world." Not sure how I tricked him, but he seems to really believe this is true!

12. His sense of pride in taking care of the things God has given us

13. How he loves to play games, and never lets me win

14. Our shared love (and understanding) of "Disney Magic." Can't wait to share this with our kiddos!

15. His appreciation for history, and sense of patriotism

16. The way kids (of all ages) love him, and relate to him, and trust him

17. His humble-ness

18. How he calls my mom and uses fake voices, and I can hear her laugh through the phone

19. His million freckles

20. His desire to see the world

21. His ambition to further his education, and how hard he's working

22. How he always says "vehicle" instead of car

23. How special he makes me feel on a daily basis

24. His love for the Lord

25. His minimalist approach to life, and independence from conformity

26. How good he looks in a shirt and tie

27. His appreciation of the Earth, from the vastness of the ocean to the beauty of a crisp fall day

28. How I know (and have known, and been excited to see, for 7 years) that he will be the Best. Dad. Ever.

Happy birthday bud... you're the best!

Steph and Jason are MARRIED!

Yesterday was Stephanie and Jason's wedding. It was a beautiful, perfect fall day... and I have no pictures to share. I didn't take my camera out once the whole weekend. However, I'm procrastinating on a big design project right now (not a smart idea because I have to finish it by tomorrow), so I thought I'd do a quick recap anyway.

Rehearsal was Thursday. It went well, and we had a fun, relaxing dinner at Kruse and Muer. Three courses over three hours (plus bread, of course) and we had to roll ourselves home. I love rehearsal dinners. This is time shared with the small group of people you love most, enjoying some seriously simple pleasures--fine food and good company. What could be better? No nerves, no pressure, just kick up your feet and drink in the moment. It's a great part of the wedding experience.

Friday was a day of errands. Justin worked on the ceremony most of the evening while I ran around getting jewelry and gifts, cleaning the house, packing necessities, etc. Stephanie got a manicure and I think actually managed to relax on her last day as an Arnett.

Saturday morning, bright and early, I headed to my hair appointment. Justin dropped me off and then went to Panera to go over his notes. Appointment time was 8am, I was scheduled for a 40-minute time slot, and we (both) had to be at Cherry Creek at 9am to get dressed and begin pictures at 9:30. Now, I was leery about my hair, because when I booked the appointment I said I wanted a simple, down style and was then told the stylist would wash and dry it. I called back on Friday to verify there would be time for this and was assured it is normal protocol for "down" hair. So I got there on time, informed her of my schedule, and she washed, dried, curled, and finally began to do some pinning. I said, "You know, I feel like I've been here awhile... what time is it?" She checked and said "9:12." I almost had a heart attack on the spot. It was the instant, panicked feeling of oversleeping... while awake. I said, "I have to leave right this second," and literally threw money on the counter and ran out the door. Did I mention I had no makeup on? We got to Cherry Creek at 9:30 (half of my makeup done at this point, at the expense of powder, bronzer and blush now covering the car), and as soon as I entered the girls dressing room I started crying because there was EVERYONE else, all ready, and Steph already in her dress. Luckily, she and my mom both seemed still to love me, so I rushed to finish, and in the end everything worked out. But seriously, how can anyone be late to their own sister's wedding? The matron of honor and officiant/groomsman, no less? I felt awful.

After that glitch, everything was smooth sailing. Pictures went well, the weather could not have been more perfect for a fall day, Stephanie was radiant, and both the ceremony and reception went off without a hitch. Justin was a complete stud and did an awesome job. I know it was Steph and Jason's day, but I felt like the real (secret) winner getting to go home with him at the end of it all. :) 

Hopefully I'll find some pictures to share soon. In the meantime, congrats to the newly minted Mr. and Mrs!

Our best four years

Today is our fourth anniversary. I am a veeeery sentimental person, so anniversaries for me inevitably end up being a time to re-live the day in my mind (for example, four years ago right now all the girls in my family were decorating at Glen Oaks, etc.). I will continue to do this throughout the day, right up until 7:00 when I walked down the aisle on my dad's arm and met Justin at the end. The next few hours have become a bit of a blur, but there are many memories of small, individual moments that will, once again, bring a smile to my face.

However, having said all this, I realize more and more every year how little a wedding really is in the grand scheme. Yes, ours was fabulous down to the last detail, and I might even do it all again... but it pales in comparison to the life we've built together since that day. It has exceeded my expectations in every way!

Soo... kinda cheesy, but here's a "toast" to the next one year, and four years, and 10 and 20 years, courtesey our favors (laboriously handmade by my mom). I love you, bud!

Customer service

As I type this, I have been on hold with AT&T for nearly 70 minutes. I'm trying to make some changes to our phone/internet/TV package in an attempt to SIMPLIFY our lives, and apparently they are experiencing a high call volume. This is even more annoying because approximately 75 minuts ago, after waiting on hold for only 15 minutes, a woman named Connie answered and said "How can I help you?" When I told her, she said, "Just one second while I access your account," and then immediately the line went dead. Now, I'm not trying to imply that Connie hung up on me, but I know it was not my fault! Then I called back and have waited 70 minutes since.

The problem is, after being on hold for even just 10 minutes, you've invested your time, and then you feel like that time will be wasted if you hang up. So you persist, and another 10 minutes go by, and eventually so many 10-minute segments that you make your way to 70 before a nice guy answers the phone and promptly says he has to transfer you to someone who can handle your problem. This time I said "If this call is disconnected... YOU call ME back!" :)

During the 70 minutes I was at least productive... I made the previously mentioned chicken pot pie and put it in the oven, did some laundry, and now I'm typing this blog, which is long overdue. So I can't be too angry. Justin has been working on the basement all day and I'm happy to report it is almost ready for paint. In fact, the small room will be painted this weekend so we can begin moving furniture around. We've been getting things done.

But back to AT&T. We have all our utilities through AT&T--home phone, cable (Dish Network), high speed DSL, and most recently, wireless. It's already pretty simple, and generally I love its customer service. As I've continued to type, a woman who has proved herself INCREDIBLY helpful got on the line, suggested better changes than the ones I called to request, and actually dropped our bill by $40/month. With that being said, the 70 minutes (actually 88, now that the problems have been solved) were well worth the trouble. It makes me wonder what other calls I can make to "simplify" things and just how simple they then can get. Hmmm... I have some research to do.

But first, it's time for the chicken pot pie.

Fall updates

We've both been so excited to feel fall in the air lately. When I was growing up, everyone in my family had pools and summer was undoubtedly the best time of the year... but now that I work year-round and don't have those days to laze away on a raft, nothing makes me as happy as a crisp fall day. Even though Justin gets to enjoy the summer a bit more with all his youth ministry activities, he has the same appreciation for cooler temps, cider mills, and bonfires. It's certainly the most enjoyable time of year for us together, taking walks at night and reveling in the great state of Michigan as we drive through Rochester Hills and up to Higgins Lake watching the colors change almost before our eyes. Not to be outdone, our house looks the best in the fall, inside and out, and last weekend I was happy to finally pull out the fall decor and make some new pillows.

I hung the silk curtains up, but for a little change added drapery rings... 

And after my good luck with the spring pillows (side note, I can hardly believe it's been six months since then), I decided to make some more for fall/winter. It was MUCH easier this time around and I love the result! The solid fabric is so cozy and soft... it was in the return bin at JoAnn's (half off, bonus!), and even though I thought it would contrast a bit more with the couch color, I'm still so happy with them.

A couple years ago I bought this leaf garland for the table and then decided I didn't like it. After having luck hanging berry garland from the cornice last Christmas, I found a perfect use for it:

And finally, the fall table... haystack candle holders from Cracker Barrel and crackle tea light jars. They are SO pretty when lit.

I know a lot of people mourn the end of summer, but as I sit in my cozy living room with the front door still open, I don't feel anything but excitement thinking about making homemade chicken pot pie and applesauce and carving pumpkins and wearing jackets. This year comes with a bit of added bonus because I know when the fall ends and winter comes, instead of inevitable bleakness after the holidays... our baby boy will be here!

Here's hoping you are all well and enjoying the change of season as much as the Remsings!

Pretty cute, if I do say so myself...

I'm not normally the biggest fan of posting ultrasound images, because they all pretty much look the same and somehow seem kind of personal (I mean, that is MY body, right?)... but Justin and I both couldn't resist sharing what we got today when we went in to complete the screening from last week:

Thumb sucking! How cute is that? It was truly amazing to see not only his little hand up by his face, but the actual sucking motion as his mouth and cheeks moved around it. At one point he took it out and gave us a little wave, then popped it right back in. I think we were almost more excited than last week finding out he was a boy, because this provided actual moving evidence that baby-like action is going on in there! We also did get the clear view of his heart (which was the reason for going back), and saw all four chambers and the valves opening and closing. I'm sure any of you who've had kids in recent years have seen this, but even knowing what to expect, it really was remarkable... it made me very thankful for modern technology. :)

In other news, today we finally had our very first red cherry tomatoes. There are literally hundreds out on the vine, and they just will not turn red.  But today, sweet Monday, there were four. Truthfully they were a little orange and probably could have used a couple more days, but I just couldn't wait. I also meant to take a picture before I picked them... or ate them... but again, just couldn't wait. Now... hopefully the rest will cooperate before it gets too cold!

IT'S A BOY!

Our appointment today went well and there's no doubt he's a boy. :)  It's so exciting to have more of a concrete identity for this baby! The only hitch was that he was apparently pretty sleepy today, laying facedown straight across my midsection, and despite a walk and lots of poking and proding he wouldn't budge... so the sonographer couldn't access all the areas of his heart that need to be checked and measured. Not a big deal, I just have to go back later this week for part 2. Thankfully, everything she was able to see (spine, hands, feet, kidneys, etc) looked perfect. He is measuring about 9 oz, in the 50th percentile.

It's been a very long day--I'm exhausted--so that's it for now. Thank you for thinking of us and for all the sweet comments!

Garage Makeover

A few weeks ago, Justin whipped our garage into shape! He spent nearly an entire day power washing and stripping the floor, then painted the walls. I painted our old kitchen cabinets, which have been sitting in the shed playing Spider Hotel for two years, with a really cool sand texture (did you know you can add it to any can of paint for just $2?). After hanging the cabinets, everything got cleaned and super organized!  

Bikes got hung on the wall and you can see the "sports area" in the corner. The blinds also got a good scrubbing!

All the yard tools and ladder, nice and organized:

The counter is just pressed particle board. Some new hardware, a home for the tool cabinet and shop vac, and voila! Project complete.

A big thanks to Chuck and Dave Lock who helped Justin hang the cabinets... as all jobs usually go, this turned into a much bigger project than anyone anticipated and they were here for the heavy lifting (literally). On the bright side, we now know for sure that the walls going into our house are VERY secure!

For anyone who might be more interested in a baby update than garage progress, here is a picture of me taken about a week ago. Only five more days till we find out what this little one is! Then... the real fun begins when I start making decorating plans!

Expectant

This weekend was Justin's 10-year high school reunion... yikes! It's funny how people can move on, graduate from college, get married, buy a house, have kids, but nothing truly makes us feel old until that decade marker comes calling. Even though it can be kind of unappealing to think about revisiting those old days, there's something about the "going back" that's priceless. These are the people and places where we first became who we are today, and that seems to be especially true in a small, northern Michigan town where families are so intwined in one anothers' lives and summer days are whiled away on the shores of a sparkling lake. A little awkward, maybe... but a little magical, too. Either way, it was GREAT to spend time with friends of Justin's from high school who have truly become dear friends of mine over the last few years, as well as meet some of his old buddies for the first time. And despite the crazy weather (torrential downpours and freezing cold, tornado-force winds... while we were outside having the party in a pavillion on the lake) it was a fun time to reconnect and reminisce.

On the heels of this nostalgia, we finally feel the time has come to announce an addition to our family, coming on or about January 28, 2009... a few days before would be okay with me. :) Baby Remsing is 16 weeks and counting, and in just three weeks we'll find out whether it's a boy or a girl. I'm sure more will come later, but for now just know that baby--and I--are doing great, a little bump is growing, and we're super excited. Right now we can only wonder what the next 10 years will bring!

Garden growing

We're finally reaping some sort of a "harvest" in the garden! The plants are actually a little bit out of control... I think next year we may have to 1) bump out that box another foot, and 2) plant fewer things. :) First, a shot of just half the plants--from left to right, squash, pea pods, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and corn!

Our first squash... we ate it for dinner last night.

Green beans... we need to stop eating these off the vine or there won't ever be any to bring inside and cook. I think we both prefer them raw anyway. They are soooo good.

Corn... I didn't realize corn grew like this. The plants are only about 4' tall, so I'm anxious to see whether this actually becomes real corn on the cob.

And finally, the crown glory of the garden... our first little teeny tomatoes. I literally cannot wait for these to ripen. It makes me think of the summer I lived with Gayle Flanigan and Her Fabulous Garden--often she would go out of town and tell me to help myself to anything growing. You should know that Gayle is a wonderful, diligent gardener and had more vegetables than I can ever hope to grow... but anyway, I'm telling you, I would pack quart-sized ziploc baggies with cherry tomatoes, take them to work, and eat them until my mouth burned from the acid. Who does that? And why do I tell these stories online? I sound insane. Either way, I can't wait to do the same thing here... fingers are still crossed that we'll get more than just these four.

Anyway, that's about it for us... Justin's been in the middle of an Extreme Makeover: Garage Edition, so once that's finished I'll post some pictures. 

Looking back on a good weekend

No, I don't mean this one, although it was pretty good. Justin came home from a week at MCYC on Friday and it triggered a memory of this same weekend last summer. Since that was pre-blog, I thought I'd give a little recap of one of our best weekends of 2007. Brace yourselves... 

Justin and I love LOVE Harry Potter. We got into the books much later than the rest of the world, but quickly became crazy analytic fans... they are just that good and we couldn't help ourselves. Especially me--because, if you know me well, you know that I do not merely like my favorite things in life. When something touches my core, it becomes a near obsession and I want to learn every detail about it. I like to think I just love passionately, and it applies to everything in my life... other people probably think I'm a little overboard. Anyway, I could go on, but you get the idea. With the release of the final book in the Harry Potter series looming last summer, we were beside ourselves.

Justin spent the week prior at camp. I went out on Thursday and bought all our favorite snacks. We'd made a plan not to leave the house until we finished reading, to avoid potential spoilers, so I knew we'd need sustinence! Friday morning I went to Barnes and Noble to get wristbands, which marked our places in line... #77 and #78 (yes, we pre-ordered two books). Went to work for the day, then came home to meet Justin, who I think had just enough time for a shower before jumping in the car to go to the Tigers game (side note: in addition to it being the Summer of HP, it was also the Summer of the Tigers--Justin had season tickets for the first time and went to nearly all 27 games in the plan). I actually cannot believe I'm posting this, but I made a sign for the occasion:

Before you judge too harshly, I did NOT hold it up during the game... I was too embarrased. Truthfully, I only made it because I thought it might get us on TV. Anyway, I still insisted that we take a picture before we left, although Justin didn't want to be seen with it (or me, probably, at that point). We drove from Comerica to Barnes and Noble, where we found all kinds of cool things going on as everyone waited for midnight.

After that, things happened pretty fast... we were out of the store with our books by ten minutes past midnight, and managed to get home spoiler-free (I may or may not have been listening to my iPod as we walked to the car). Read a couple of chapters before going to sleep, then had a reading marathon on Saturday with Chubby Hubby, chips and salsa, etc. We both finished the book late that night and then were able to have a nice, relaxing Sunday going back over our favorite parts.

Anyway, that's about it... as I started by saying, all those memories just came back to me as I waited for Justin to get home from camp on Friday. Unlike last year, it didn't turn out to be a very exciting night... just some grilling, Tigers game on TV, and then a very tired husband passed out on the couch. Still, a relaxing Friday is not bad at all.

Oh, and as for the book itself? I loved it.

Last couple of weeks

The last couple of weeks have just flown right by, full of all kinds of summer fun. First there was our trip up north to Higgins Lake... it was wonderful. We were so thankful (and somewhat surprised) to have PERFECT weather the entire time we were there, because prior to the 4th, as any of you Michiganders know, there'd been a lot of rain and not a lot of summer. We drove through a pretty torrential storm on the way up, which actually was incredibly scary--for me--Justin never seems scared--but hydroplaning on I-75 is not my idea of a super safe ride! Thursday morning dawned clear and bright, and our morning bike ride convinced us that it was going to be a beautiful day! We got right out on the boat and enjoyed a lot of sun before heading for West Branch and dinner at G's... mmm... pocket pizza. :)

Friday, the 4th, was another great day and even warmer. It again started with a bike ride and then an afternoon on the boat. Steve and Amber surprised everyone by coming in for the weekend, bringing with them with about $100 worth of illegal fireworks... which led to a couple of loud nights. Here is the fearless captain manning his boat:

Friday night we went to the fireworks in Roscommon. I love up north fireworks because they're much less crowded, which means you can sit much closer to the action. This year we saw fireworks in Livonia, Rochester, and Roscommon, and these were by far the closest--the explosions are right overhead! Here we are before the show:

And Justin with his mom:

We came home late on Saturday after another perfect day. Only three and a half weeks till we go back... not that I'm counting. :) That trip will be for Justin's 10th high school reunion... crazy!

And speaking of things that make me feel old, last Monday was my birthday. Justin planned a trip to the shipwreck exhibit at the Science Center because I kind of have a thing for shipwrecks. It was a great exhibit, not crowded at all... just a fun way to spend the day! 

This glass wall behind us in this next picture is filled with bottles from the S.S. Republic, a ship that wrecked off the coast of Georgia in 1865. In fact, the exhibit focused mainly on this ship and had tons of artifacts, but the bottle wall was my favorite because it was next to a kiosk where you could select each and every bottle and listen to a narrative about what type it was, what it contained, where it was found, etc. Some still had their stoppers intact, which have preserved the contents for all these years! I'm probably starting to sound pretty nerdy.

On Saturday afternoon we went to a Tigers game with the Locks. We've gone to a game with Chuck and Kylie every year since 2002, followed by dinner at Pizza Papalis in Greektown... and the last couple of years have been extra fun with Gloria in tow. We got rained on a bit at the beginning, which led to a pretty sticky and uncomfortable day... but it was still a blast.

Justin loves Gloria soooo much. She is completely full of energy and life, and I love to watch them play together! Anyway, another long post... it's harder to keep up than I anticipated... I forgive all you bloggers for wondering why you never update! :)

Hitting the open road

Tonight we're leaving for Higgins Lake straight after church. For weeks I've been so excitedto take this trip--4th of July has been our first Higgins trip of the summer the last couple of years, so there's a lot of anticipation for the biking, boating, ice cream, fireworks, G's Pizza... relaxing... etc. There will be pictures to share in a few days--but right now I'm not thinking about the coming-home part... just the going-up part.

Our outdoor life is progressing well as the flowers continue to blossom and the plants in the garden grow higher and higher. I've been meaning to post pictures but just haven't had a chance to upload and sort lately. Yesterday I thinned out a few more tomato plants and was excited to notice that the vines actually smell like cherry tomatoes! Soon, hopefully, we'll have something to eat. :)

Well... that's it for now... just a short little hello. Oh, and I do have a short amendment to the previous post when I said tomatoes are my #1 favorite food... I must have been confused by all the gardening. In actuality, bread is my #1 favorite food and tomatoes are #2. Justin says he has too many to list. Happy 4th of July!

The Wedding

Keith and Tarah's wedding was... what can I say? A great occasion. Friday turned out to be a gorgeous day, despite previous forecasts calling for clouds and rain... which worked out for the best, since the sunshine perfectly complimented the Tiffany blue and hot pink color palette--a stunning combination! Although I had my camera with me throughout the rehearsal and wedding day, I never once got it out, choosing instead to just enjoy the moment. Luckily many of the other people around didn't make that same choice, so hopefully I'll be able to collect pictures soon from my Aunt Donna, Jamie, Steph, etc. In the meantime, Jeff (of jlbwedding.com) sent over some teaser photos yesterday morning that I thought I'd share. Jeff did a fantastic job, and I heard raving compliments about him throughout the day. It made me feel great that 1) the recommendation worked out, and 2) we had a friend with a vested personal interest, aside from the obvious professional one, there to capture the day. Anyway, without further delay, a few of Jeff's teasers...

I have a feeling that even when we've seen all 800+ images, this will remain one of my favorites:

It's hard to go to a wedding, or especially stand in one, and not remember those vows we made four years ago. I anticipate feeling that way throughout my life, getting to relive the commitment over and over again as I watch each new couple make it for the first time. When it's someone in your family, I think it becomes even more significant, because there's a sense of gaining someone new to love and cherish as a part of the bigger whole--almost like we're all involved in the commitment. Tarah has been a part of our family for a long time now, but knowing she's finally locked in, so to speak, is pretty special! I told Keith years ago that he better not mess this one up, because Tarah was such a keeper... and I'm so grateful that he never did. :)

Now they're off on an adventurous Californian honeymoon, and we of course wish them all the best as they begin a beautiful life together. Good weekend!

Gardening

Well... I know it's been a very long time since we (meaning I) have posted. I can never pinpoint where the time goes. We keep busy, that is for sure... it's the only explanation for how three weeks can just pass right by.  We've done lots of yard work, enjoyed Memorial Day weekend with friends, family, and of course plenty of food, said good-bye for the summer to our friends at City Mission, gone to a couple of Tigers games, made preparations for Keith and Tarah's wedding (next Friday!), and even spent some time relaxing in the sun. Not a bad way to spend three weeks!

I wish I'd taken some pictures after the storms last weekend. Our yard was a mess! A couple of huge limbs came down, and our patio furniture blew over all in one piece (umbrella, stand, and table) and landed on the lawn. The power was out from Sunday afternoon until Monday morning, and even now isn't back to 100%... the lights, vent fan in the bathroom, air conditioning, and garbage disposal all seem to be running at half-mast. But I'm definitely thankful for the power we do have! Although truthfully, Sunday night was kind of nice with candles everywhere, reading in complete peace and quiet and eating all the ice cream before it could melt. If only we hadn't been so worried about the food in the freezer and the sump pump working, I think we could've (temporarily) gotten used to the Amish lifestyle. :)

To get to the title of this post... the garden... along with all our yardwork Memorial Day weekend, we planted a vegetable garden for the first time. Justin ripped out the area behind our garage and built it up with railroad ties to create a nice little box. We also replaced the rotting railroad ties around the flowerbed behind the deck and put down a new layer of cocoa mulch everywhere (which unfortunately has now been completely covered by helicopters... I do NOT remember having this problem last year, and it's awfully frusterating!). Here are a couple of pictures: 

This is the day we put everything down and planted the seeds. From left to right, tomatillos, cucumbers, squash, banana peppers, pea pods, green beans, cherry tomatoes, and corn... pretty ambitious, but why not? And while I'm thinking about it, if you want to know a fun fact about me... tomatoes are my #1 favorite food, especially the cherry/grape varieties. :)

And this picture was taken today, just 17 days later! I already had to go in and thin out the plants.

Justin got home while I was out taking pictures. He's on his fourth week of riding his bike to work... pretty impressive. He was standing on the deck and I told him to be still so I could take a picture of all my favorite things... haha... 

And just for fun, a couple pictures from the Tigers game on Friday. The sky was gorgeous!

That's about all I've got for now. Hope everyone is well!

Seriously... what is going on here?

Has anyone else noticed an obscene amount of tragedy in recent weeks? World events aside (which is saying a lot, considering the scope and magnitude of natural disasters that have occured), I'm speaking of deep, profound, personal loss, right here on the homefront.  Not those who've died of old age (although there have been three at church in as many weeks, after a long, long period free from funerals.)

In the last week, we had a friend lose his dad at age 48 to a heart attack while he slept.  Other friends whose perfectly healthy baby died at 38 weeks when his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck in the womb. People we know of who were killed when a drunk driver hit their motorcycle head-on on Telegraph Rd.  A Christian music superstar whose daughter was accidentally run over by her brother backing out of the driveway at their Nashville home.

It's just hard to believe, hard to accept, and especially, hard to get off my mind.  I feel weighted by this burden of sorrow.

Ironically, in these same times of devastation, some people continue to experience great joys of their own.  Yesterday other friends welcomed a daughter, and this weekend still others will marry.  The world keeps moving forward, even when one person may feel that in his life it has stopped completely.

The Bible says there's a season for everything, including both mourning and dancing.  I suppose we can only pray that God will strengthen those who feel they will never be strong again, and that he will bear their grief as only he can.  May he use us as vessels to bring peace and healing!

Trip to Naples

I know we haven't updated in awhile... with good reason!  We took a few days off to travel and soak up some sun.  Friends from church generously offered us their Naples condo, and we jumped at the opportunity to have a mini-vacation.  Even though we didn't do much besides lay on the beach and eat at incredible restaurants, it still had moments of excitement... starting with a middle-of-the-night drive from central Florida to the coast.  We chose to fly to Orlando under the guise that tickets were less pricey, but deep down this decision was made because we wanted to justify spending a day at Disney World, our favorite place.  Our flight arrived in Orlando at 10:30pm on Thursday, May 8, and knowing it was a 3.5 hour drive to Naples, I figured we'd get in around 2:30am after picking up our luggage and a car.  Well--as of course any seasoned traveler knows, these things NEVER take as short a time as we would hope, and by the time we left the rental car place (in a brand-new Prius Hybrid... so nice!), it was already nearly midnight.  We'd never eaten dinner, so Jus pulled off the freeway at an IHOP, which turned out to be directly next to the Downtown Disney entrance.  After finishing our late-night breakfast, we took a quick drive around Mickey's kingdom (asking ourselves why we were about to drive three additional hours when clearly we were already at the Happiest Place on Earth) and finally got on the road at 1:20am.  Three long hours later, we pulled into a sprawling condominium metropolis that housed at least five different complexes... and it took us an additional 20 minutes to locate ours.  Talk about a long night!  At that point, we were questioning whether our decision was worth it... and as you'll see... we luckily found that YES, absolutely it was. 

Anyway, this is already going to be the longest post ever because I have a bunch of photos and even a video clip to follow, so I'll try to speed it along.  Basically, we layed on the beach for three straight days, enjoying a packed lunch of Boar's Head cracked pepper turkey sandwiches with Muenster cheese, pretzles, and grapes, and spent each evening exploring Naples' beautiful architecture and landscaping, fabulous dining and shops, and deep historical roots.  All in all, it was a vacation right up our alley. 

Here starts the photographic tour.  Our beautiful beach, and the Naples Pier several blocks off (built in 1888 by the town's first settlers):

Us on the pier:

Vergina, a great Italian restaurant on the downtown strip where we ate our second night.  Everything in Naples is beautifully lit at night, and all the restaurants have live entertainment!

Enjoying key lime pie at Yabba, also our second night (we had dessert at a different place each night so as to maximize our dining experience... haha): 

Some of Naples' stunning homes... this first one is right on the ocean.

Jus on the beach one evening when we tried to catch the sunset... unfortunately it dipped behind the haze and never came back out.

Me the same night... this is barely a half hour after I had finished getting ready.  Can you believe what the humidity did to my hair in that short amount of time?  It happened every night... Naples' natives MUST have some special hair products we midwesterners know nothing about.

Dinner our third night at the Old Naples Pub.  This was by far our favorite meal, and it was just burgers!  Such a great atmosphere.

On Monday morning we packed up and headed back for our day at Disney World.  First we hit up Downtown Disney (12pm):

Then Magic Kingdom (1:30pm):

We left Magic Kingdom at 5pm for the park formerly known as MGM (now Disney's Hollywood Studios).  There we didn't take many pictures because we were too busy speeding around to our favorite rides and attractions!  We made it onto Tower of Terror four times before running (literally) out the gates to make our 9:30pm dinner reservation at Narcoossee's at the Grand Floridian.  

Narcoossee's is located on the shores of the Seven Seas lagoon, facing Magic Kingdom, where nightly fireworks go off at 10pm.  We were late, had to change in the car, and ran in pretty flustered... until one of those amazing Disney staff members led us to our table, which turned out to be the best seat in the house.  10 minutes later, the lights in the restaurant went down and music filled the air as fireworks hit the sky above Cinderella Castle.  It was one of our best Disney moments EVER!  And surprise, surprise... dinner was phenomenal.  Here we are outside Narcoossee's:

And finally, the video below is Justin giving a little play-by-play of the action, although, since it was during the fireworks and the aforementioned lights were off, you can't really see him at all.

                                            

Our flight left at 6:15 the next morning, so after finishing at Narcoossee's we spent a long night wandering Disney property (and sleeping in the car in the parking lot of the Boardwalk Resort) before heading to the airport at 3:30am.  Still totally worth it.  It was JUST what we needed!

Now... back to reality.  :)