Snow Days

Well...tomorrow will mark Snow Day number 3 for me this week and the 5th day of no work. We had Monday off for MLK Day and Tuesday was a non-student/teacher professional development day. I am not required to go to those since I am not a teacher but this one ended up being canceled due to snow anyway...So it's been a whole week off. I suppose the average person would be pretty excited about this, and don't get me wrong, I am and I SO needed a break...but I am getting bad cabin fever. We have about 10 inches of snow at our house which is A LOT for this area, it's the most I've ever seen living in western Washington and I think we set some records or got close to it...Since Seattle isn't used to snow there are very few snow plows. In fact, our neighborhood and those around it have not been plowed at all so driving is not the greatest. This means most people are not going to work so stores are closed...so, even though I can get out and have no problem driving in this stuff, there's really nowhere I can go...trust me, I tried today. Everything is closed.

Sooooo...I've already baked and cooked as much as our stomachs can handle and I've read through nearly every magazine that was neglected and sitting on our entry table. I have changed the sheets on the beds, washed and folded every dirty clothes item in the house, sorted the mail, vacuumed, purged my closet, shoveled the driveway daily, taken Scrappy for walks, watched as much t.v. as I can handle (which is not much), watched Redbox movies...I'm running out of enjoyable things to do. I think tomorrow I may make a snowman. I feel a little funny doing it alone in my yard as the neighbor kids play in their yards but whatever. Maybe they can help.

Nathan has worked from home the last couple days. It's nice having company but he really is working so we don't get to hang out much or leave his computer or phone. He is also among the population who believes no one should be out in this weather...

We are very lucky as many people south of us are losing power due to freezing rain. I don't think we will (knock on wood) but luckily our fireplace still works when we do lose power so we won't be super cold...that was my biggest worry. Otherwise we can handle the candles, no showers and camp-style meals. But let's just hope we don't have to go that far.

weekend on the island

Ahhh, this weekend was just what we needed. We escaped to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands on Saturday. It feels like it was more than just two days as we just had a really good time. The more I visit all of these small towns, I realize I am a small town girl for sure. The city is great but my heart always feels so calm and happy in small towns. We always talk about where we want to buy our vacation property...I am thinking one of the San Juan Islands would be perfect.

I know they cater to tourists a little bit but they also just have the small town charm. We went to the farmer's market which was clearly full of locals and had so much fun (and incredible food). I think that was my favorite part. Because the weather was gorgeous, there were clearly a lot of tourists in town which made the locals even easier to spot. It was so fun to listen to them talk at stores like everyone knew everyone ("oh, you're here for a wedding? Whose?"), to see them all reunite at restaurants, to hear the waiters take orders for 'the usual' at every single place we went. I lovelovelove it. I suppose growing up in a small town- a small state, really- has a lot to do with it. Being in the city is so weird after living that life for about 24 years...even my grad school was in a tiny town.

Anyway, the sweetness of Population: 1900 made it even better. The hotel we stayed at was adorable and we were upgraded to a room with a comfy king-size bed. There was nothing fancy about our hotel, it was an earthy remodeled place with all the usuals plus awesome beach cruiser bikes. We took the bikes out right after we visited the farmer's market Friday and kept them for quite a few hours. We took a 6 mile ride around town, circling through open fields, beautiful views of the ocean and adorable cottage-style homes. It was hot out but the sweat dripping down our backs was so so welcomed as we know months and months of rain and clouds are just around the corner at home. We visited all the local shops: used bookstores, clothing, trinkets, antiques, jewelry...and then stopped for some ice cream to cool off. We were pretty tired after waking up early for our ferry ride so we returned to our room for a quick nap. We must have been much cozier than we'd anticipated because our little nap was rather long. We awoke refreshed and had some time to kill before our massages. Since we'd had an early lunch at the farmer's market (incredible brick oven pizza with an amazing crunchy-chewy crust), we rode our bikes to a little restaurant for happy hour where we had the best gorgonzola potato wedges with bbq sauce and roasted garlic, bbq wings and cocktails for $14 total. We relaxed there, rode the bikes some more and then went to our couples massages. Nathan said it was the best massage he's ever had which was well worth it. Mine was great too, she was a little more gentle than I like but I always say, I have never had a BAD massage.

It was pretty adorable that our massage ended with the massage therapists lifting each of our hands and putting them together and then walking out of the room, leaving us lying side by side, eyes closed, completely relaxed and holding hands. It made me smile pretty big. We left to clean up and then went to dinner at an Italian restaurant on the water. The bread was awesome, pasta and salads were delish, wine went down easily and we ended with a triple-layer chocolate cake. We stayed there for a leisurely couple of hours, watching the sun set on the water and just laughing, talking and people watching. We had talked about going bowling but were so relaxed from our massages we decided to just go back to the hotel. We sat in the hut tub for a while and then retired to our big bed and slept wonderfully.

Nathan had planned to meet a friend Sunday afternoon to watch football and we only had a couple ferries to choose from so we decided to have breakfast and head out. We also wanted to make a quick stop at the outlet mall. Breakfast was yummy and we finished with time to sit by the water until our ferry came. After leaving the island, Nathan's friend called to say he couldn't make it...so we actually could have stayed longer and kayaked or hiked..but that's okay. We stopped at one outlet mall just to go to Lululemon but found it was a total joke with the discounts being about 10% off the normal store. We went to our usual outlet mall though and found Nathan's store (there is a store that fits him perfectly, no matter what he puts on) was 50% everything so we did much better there.

Annnd now we're back. We are already talking about our next trip (we were thinking next weekend but maybe we should wait?) and are feeling 10 times better than we were before we left. Clearly this was a much needed thing and clearly we will be doing it again and again. Nathan's mom gifted me The Best Places to Kiss in the Northwest last year and there are some great weekend trips in it that we hope to work our way through.

back to school

Well, my summer vacation officially ended yesterday and school has resumed. I didn't realize how much I loved my summer break until it was over...Of course I am very happy to be back at work though and it didn't take long for me to be extremely busy with kids who need school supplies, clothes, shoes, sports fees paid, medical care, etc. etc. It's going to be a busy year and I am trying to find a way to have enough money and funding sources to support all these kids. I don't want to have to turn anyone away this year and so far I have had great luck finding donations...but there are definitely some who slip through the cracks.

Today I met a student who is part of a family of 7, struggling to make ends meet after his dad was laid off. We went through a list of stuff he might need and then started talking about sports. He told me he is playing football so I asked if he has everything he needs to play. He said he really needs a new pair of cleats so I asked what he is using right now. He told me he went through the gym's lost and found and found 2 different shoes, 1 velcro size 13 and one lace-up size 14...and has been wearing them all year. If that doesn't make your heart hurt, I don't know what does. He was very sweet about everything, said he would make do with what he had but I could just tell he was holding back as he told me about giving up his summer in order to work to support his family...I made a few calls around, hoping to find some sort of help. I wanted to get him some socks (it was the one thing he told me he really needed) and some new cleats. The right size. Amazingly, the football booster club president called me back and said, while they don't get many requests like this, she would be happy to help. Tomorrow is the first football game of the season and she will be delivering a brand new pair of football cleats, both size 14, to my office before the game. I am so excited to give them to him.

I don't know if the booster club is paying for these cleats or if the president herself is doing it. So often I make these calls to organizations who might be able to help only to find that the person who answers just feels so strongly about helping that they will pay for it out of their personal bank accounts.

The truth is, I would absolutely positively love to be the one writing checks to buy these things, shopping for new shoes and kitchen towels for my families...and honestly, I can't say I haven't already done it in my years of working in this type of work...but, while we are fortunate to never go without, my bank account is sadly not big enough to meet the needs of every student who walks through my door and I am often desperately seeking help from outside organizations for any support they can give me. It breaks my heart to turn away anyone who is hungry, cold, tired, sick or hurting so my goal this year is to never have to say no. It's a lofty one because so many community agencies are as just as tapped out for resources as their clients are...but I'm going to try. This is why I do the work I do (to help others) and I hope I can be the person families can turn to in their most desperate times of need.

Sad stories aside, I have had lots of students from last year stop by already to say hi and it has been so fun to see their growth and maturity in just a few short months of summer. I'm so proud of the resilient kids who walk through our doors every day and I can't wait to celebrate each little victory as they continue on their paths. Somedays are harder than others but I really think I am lucky to get to do what I do.

numbers on the calendar

Yesterday was my 27th birthday and it was the first time the number actually felt a little weird to me. Normally I love birthdays, and this one was no different, but hearing twenty-seven and knowing it's my age just feels so strange. So I think that means I have reached the whole 'I just act the age I feel' stage and don't really think about the number anymore...Of course 27 is by no means old and I am still acting that way...but the feeling is definitely different than it was at 20. Maybe it's just adulthood and being married, having a career and a degree and a house and all that stuff.

Anyway, it was a great birthday. The night before my birthday Nathan and I packed a little picnic of our favorite bread, gourmet cheeses and meats and olives and headed to the lake near our house. It was fun to just sit on a blanket and enjoy some downtime together... not to mention we both love cheeses and breads which taste even better when consumed at a picnic.

On my birthday there was a Sounders game so we planned to go watch it at our friends' house as we normally do. Nathan planned pedicures and manicures for all the girls while the boys watched the game which was a ton of fun. Afterwards we met back up and went to the horse races.

We finally remembered to bring our new camera and got some really cool shots of the horses in action. After the races we went back to our friends' to have a bbq and hang out. Their neighborhood block party just happened to be that night too so we spent a little time there with the live music and dancing. I told Nathan I am bringing this idea to our homeowner's association, we need a sweet block party! All in all a good birthday for sure. Nathan gave me a Kindle and 4 real books. I am working on getting used to the Kindle since I love the touch/feel/scent of books (no joke) but I think it will be very helpful when we travel, when I have downtime, etc. etc. I plan to just have a hybrid of electronic and paperback/hardcover books because I just can't give it all up.

Nathan and I made snickerdoodle cupcakes for my birthday and they were so good. I wanted to buy cupcakes from my favorite place but we had an overabundance of eggs from the milkman that needed to be used so homemade it was. I also haven't baked for almost a month so it was almost like a therapeutic return to one of my favorite hobbies.

I'm actually surprised at my lack of baking considering my endless amount of free time this summer. It has gone by pretty fast and while I have definitely had some major boredom moments (as in, all I want to do is go shopping every day but if I did that we would be eating Ramen for the rest of our lives), it has been pretty fun to have an entire summer off. School starts back up September 7 so I'll be officially back to work a couple days before. I am procrastinating re-painting and decorating my office but maybe this week it will finally happen. We still have a few more things to look forward to this summer: the first Seahawks game in which we are season ticketholders, monthly dinner party and Dave Matthews Band at the Gorge over Labor Day. I really do love summer...now if the sun would just come out things would be even more enjoyable!

one year anniversary

Yesterday we celebrated our one year anniversary. Nathan picked me up from the airport (I had been in Montana) with 2 dozen {real} roses in the trunk. I carried an anniversary cake, slightly saggy and a little melted but a surprise nonetheless.

We decided to do traditional anniversary gifts, both as a challenge and as a (sort of) easy way to know what to give one another each year (come on, you have to agree picking a gift is always a bit difficult). I was so impressed by the gift Nathan gave me: handmade paper flowers. Handmade by HIM! He even made a video of him doing it as he knew I wouldn't believe he did them himself. I am so so proud of him and I love the flowers. This is the best part of doing the traditional gifts as they inspire some creative thinking for sure!

We spent the afternoon lounging around and then went to Daniel's Broiler, an awesome steakhouse on Lake Union in Seattle, for dinner. The restaurant is right next a marina that houses expensive yachts so we had fun watching people come in and staring out at the water. It was a gorgeous night and our food was soooo good. We were ooh and ahhing with every single bite. We started with filet minion strips (in teriyaki garlic sauce), split a caesar salad and then I had prime rib and Nathaniel had a New York steak (with melted butter on top...ooooooh). The steaks came with garlic mashed potatoes and everything honestly just melted in our mouths. So good.

(We are taking a picture on our anniversary each year. This is more of an outtake but I had to share it because it just cracks me up. Poor Scrappy)

We walked around the dock after dinner and dreamed up our next big move. There are rows of boat houses on the shore of Lake Union and after once visiting one belonging to Nathan's co-worker, we kept telling ourselves someday we'd love to live in one. Maybe it's a pipe dream or maybe it could really happen but we pondered renting out our house and moving into a boat house for a year (or more) just to live the life. We are in Seattle, why not have the quintessential Seattle experience? There are only a couple advertised right now and they don't allow dogs but we'll keep our eyes open and consider the possibility...why not have a little adventure?

When we got home from dinner we were too stuffed for cake but broke it out anyway and each took a bite. Not nearly as good as it was a year ago but the good memories are definitely still there.

This past year has truly zoomed by and I'm thinking that is only a testament to how fun and wonderful it has been to have my best friend by my side. We've got lots of plans and hopes for the future and while I can't hardly wait for them I am also vowing to spend this next year enjoying the little things, the little moments with the one I love. One of my favorite things to do is to look around at our house and see everything that is "us". His clean socks wrapped up in a pile of mine as they wait to be folded, pictures of past adventures, the first furniture we purchased together, the bath towels we share, the toothbrushes happily leaning on one another in their cup on the counter...all these simple little things that are our's just make me smile.

Happy One Year Anniversary, hubby, and many more to come!

Sorry the color looks weird

This weekend we spent our first 4th of July away from Montana. While we were bummed to miss out on the fun with our families, the alternative was definitely a good time. We went to the Westport beach with 12 of our close friends. The weather was even better than we'd hoped, the fireworks were great, the company a ton of a fun and the food was delicious. All around good times for sure...oh and Scrappy loved it.

When we got home and pulled into our driveway, the lawn mowing service was working on our yard so we left everything in the car and went in to get something to eat. About an hour later we went back out to unload only to find my back window looking like this:

Awesome. No idea what happened here. The lawn mowers were the only ones in the area as it was the middle of the day on a Tuesday. We asked them if they knew what happened or maybe hit it with their equipment or kicked up a rock or something. They of course said no but after more thought I'm thinking there is just really no other way this could have happened. There is nothing inside the car to indicate it was broken into, in fact, we had a ton of valuables in there having just gotten back from a trip and nothing was missing. I will be calling the owner of the lawn mowing company in the morning and hope to get somewhere with this...It's $300 to fix and pretty frustrating considering I have to wait for the glass repair guy to come and fix it and don't really think I should be driving around for fear the rest of it will fall in. Ugh. I am mostly bummed that no one will say they did it. I get it if it was an accident but just admit it.

all I talk about is food

Today we made our weekend trip to Costco. We usually go once or twice a month and while I usually am the family grocery shopper (I am just going to tell the truth: when Nathan comes, it takes twice as long and I spend way more than I planned), Costco is always a joint affair. Can I just say how much I LOVE Costco? Everytime we go we come home with so many good treasures. Today it was sea salt (Nathan has been wanting some forever...I don't know why), a big thing of taco seasoning (which was very needed as we eat a lot of tacos and always seem to run out of the seasoning packets when we need them), shorts for Nathan (he gets new clothes almost every time we go there), pig ears for Scrappy, flank steak, our favorite dried mango fruit mix, artichoke dip and multigrain chips for our 4th of July trip...I could really go on and on.

I know, I get excited about grocery shopping...but trust me it's good.

School is out for the summer and I have a to-do list of projects. Three are waiting in the garage, a rocking chair and 2 coffee tables. Garage sale purchases that will soon be sanded and repainted. I also turned one of our kitchen walls into a chalkboard wall and plan to write all over it with my to-do list. Checking things off has never been so fun!

Tonight we went out for Thai food at a new Thai restaurant near our house. We were saying we really have never had bad Thai and this is definitely a new favorite. We got fresh rolls, panang curry and pad thai. So delicious. We have leftovers for lunch tomorrow, I can't wait.