Christmas Project Gift: Shell Frames

One of our projects for Christmas was to make these BEAUTIFUL frames for Jane's grandmas (also known as my mom and Shawn's mom).

We collected a lot of shells on our beach trip to the Outer Banks in May, and this was a good way to use them. Shawn made the frames in his workshop, and he had glass cut to fit, added hangers, etc.

I laid out all the shells and Jane decided which ones went on which frame. She worked hard on the placement. Then she decided who got each frame (I took all the pictures, and I decided who got which picture so put the chosen picture into the corresponding frame).

I hot glued the shells in place, and Jane and Shawn signed the frame backs. (Maybe I should have signed the prints themselves as the photographer? LOL.)

They didn't travel so great -- some shells fell off in transit, but hopefully will be easy enough to glue on. Of course Jane chose frames with huge, heavy shells for her grandmas. Mine is the top one in this picture and it's my favorite (I love that sandcastle picture -- she's looking up and laughing at her dad flying her kite -- and it's only slightly Photoshopped in that I removed some trash/junk in the sand behind her). We already have it hanging in the living room. My mom got the second one pictured (obviously) -- I love Jane's carefree stance, wonder-full stare and adorable preschooler belly. The last one, for my mother-in-law, is a picture of the Walkers with their pride & joys -- everyone in their shades.

Shawn also made a GORGEOUS stained frame, which we put a Jane picture in and also hung in our living room. It was less of a family affair though, and I didn't take a picture of it. He's quite the craftsman!

Our New Custom Microwave Cabinet

Are you kidding me with that talent? Can't wait to fill the bottom up with my Kitchen Aid and other goodies. I love additional storage space!

Nine Years a Winner

Shawn and I met nine years ago today at a Halloween party in DC. #nostalgia.

Eight

October 30 has significance for me and has for a few years. Shawn and I met at a Halloween party in Washington, DC, in 2004. So today marks 8 years of knowing the one I love the most.

Today also marks a year since "Pumpkin's" due date. I loved the dates aligning ... that we expected Jane on an anniversary. She came later, of course, but I'm sure I will always remember and mark October 30 anyway.

October 30, 2011

More Wood Working from Shawn

Here's Shawn's latest wood working project, floating shelves for Jane's room:

 

Jane and Daddy admiring the new floating shelf (there's another on the other side of the room). Barbie doll dresses crocheted by Gran. Forward-facing bookshelf also by Shawn. So handy!

31: Made to Order

Hey, hey. It's my birthday.

And it's like I special ordered this day. I woke up with a house full of family -- Beth finishing cleaning and doing laundry, Owen being his sweet funny self, Mama cuddling a baby Jane, and Shawn filling in everything else.

It's been rainy and overcast -- my perfect weather. (If I had my way, it would do this every day ...) Right now it's really pouring and I'm sitting in the sunroom listening to the first Christmas music of the season (Jane's first Christmas music EVER).

We're spending the day at home together. Thinking about going out to dinner, but the thought seems overwhelming, especially since we didn't get an infant carrier/we'd have nowhere to put Jane down. So maybe takeout instead.

This time last year my arms were aching -- aching for Jane. But patience -- even imperfect patience -- paid off. And how blessed we are.

I can honestly say, despite the exhaustion and steep learning curve of caring for this sweet baby girl, that I have never had a happier birthday...

This is 31 -- with my two favorite little people: Owen and Jane!

Left Overs

Beth made our Thanksgiving dinner, and boy was it good. So good that we really don't have much left over, except some turkey (so yummy -- really the best turkey I've ever eaten) and some Pumpkin Dump Cake, which is so good and so easy. Definitely an overly rich dessert, but yum-o.

We also went on a walk -- took Jane to the local park for the first time. Owen had a great time on the playground, and I even swung a little bit. Now I'm trying to figure out birth announcements (still hemming and hawing about those because I want them to be just right), decide whether to do a separate Christmas card (less self-designed, more drag-and-drop) and what to do about Christmas gift shopping.

What I really need is a nap!

Daddy & Jane stroll home from the park

Grateful Life

Another non-meme meme -- everyone is of course posting about Thanksgiving today and being grateful for all our blessings and even our first world problems.

Shawn and I have a lot to be thankful for. It's too much to even try to list and almost too much for a heart to bear. But here's a little bit of what's on my mind and heart these days, in the month where gratitude is top-of-mind for many.

We have a beautiful, healthy baby who's growing and being so good.

We have family who help us take care of her and who take care of us (my sister and mom have been amazing in their tag team efforts).

We have a lovely home, plenty of food, heat and air conditioning (depending on the hour it seems!), clean water and a comfy bed.

We have each other, and we've got LOVE.

Jane's new gown from cousin Maelee

Love Story

Daddy plays a tune

Warning: This is a little sappy and hormone-fueled. But it's also true.

Want to find out what your heart is made of?

Have a baby with the one you love most -- and who loves you most too.

Seeing Shawn with Jane has melted my heart and given me even more reasons to sing.

I really couldn't imagine loving him more, but seeing him holding our girl ... it unveils new depths.

Jane didn't pick her parents, but we picked each other. And I think we did a marvelous job.

We have a lot to learn, but it's exciting times b/c we will do it together!

Vancouver Timeline

So I did a picture post, how about a quick bulleted list post of the things I did while I was in Vancouver? (Confession: every afternoon I took a rest/nap in the hotel ... I had to ask housekeeping to make up the room earlier so I wouldn't be disturbed ... talk about high maintenance!)

• Saturday 7/16 we arrived and it was late. Checked into the swank hotel, showered off the airplane funk and conked out. We had free sit-down full service breakfast every morning so didn't have to worry about that!
  
• Sunday 7/17 Shawn had to practice his talk so I walked around a bit on my own. Shops don't open up until 10 or later, so all I did was get a Tim Horton's latte and drink it on Granville St. Tim Horton's in NYC near my church on 86th and Park makes a MUCH better latte -- i.e. it's not a 7-11 style stick-the-cup-under-the-machine-and-hit-a-button as it was in Canada, rather in NYC they steam the milk and add it to the coffee. When Shawn was sufficiently rehearsed we walked north to the water, looked around, had lunch and then he checked into the conference. Dinner was a laugh because everything was closed on Sunday evenings. I think we ended up with kind of fast food pizza by the slice ... made me miss Mercado's even more.
  
• Monday 7/18 Shawn is at his conference and giving his talk. I get up and around then take a public bus to Granville Island. Everything in Vancouver is expensive, even the public transit (and when my comparison is NYC, you know that's saying something). But I made it to the "island" that's really not. I did some shopping, had lunch, looked at the views of downtown, and toured the public market, wishing our hotel room had a fridge! Met back up with Shawn and had dinner with his NYC office mate. Was fun to catch up with her.
  
• Tuesday 7/19 I was intrigued by all the signs on the Sky Train for Metropolis mall (450 stores!), and when I was at the Kid's Market on Granville Island I found a brochure that offered tourists a $10 gift card, free return transit and a free tote bag (something I was lamenting not having brought despite owning roughly 500 yet not willing to shell out $10 CAN for one). This time I took the Sky Train (subway) and did a little shopping. I had lunch at the food court, watched a lot of people, got myself a souvenir -- a Danier leather wallet -- and read a book I had downloaded to my Kindle (The Help). Shawn and I had dinner with a group of his cohorts at a pub-style place.
  
• Wednesday 7/20 About mid-morning I met up with my friend who also happens to be a mathematician attending the conference, and we went shopping at the Pacific Centre underground shopping mall that was right near our hotels. We browsed but didn't buy, had lunch and mostly had a good time catching up. (She and her husband moved from Baton Rouge about a week or so before the trip, but we still had plenty to catch up on!) I was wearing terribly uncomfortable shoes, so I went back to the hotel thinking I would change them and go do something else later in the afternoon ... uh, nap time came instead! Shawn and I had dinner at a local pizzeria and got a discount because they were crowded and we waited patiently. Manners pay off I guess.
  
• Thursday 7/21 I decided I had better play the true tourist and get on a tour bus to really see what the city had to offer. I looked online and got a second day for free (great thing about the hotel -- fast internet and free worldwide calling). I got to see Stanley Park on one loop and the city on the other loop. It was too expensive ($38 CAN), but kept me occupied and got me where I wanted to go. After I did the complete tour I had lunch and then took one of the buses to Robson Street, very chic, for shopping. I didn't buy anything other than a bottle of water and a cupcake from a Cupcake Girls shop (a show I learned about by watching Canadian TV during my rests ... although looks like I can catch it on WE stateside), but I got to people watch and get two free drinks -- a Coke Zero and Vitamin Water. One good thing about cities: lots of people all together means marketing promos/freebies. Shawn and I had a quick dinner and then went to a public math lecture at the conference. It was pretty funny, although all I had to contribute was critique of the guy's PowerPoint. I mean, he's this high dollar academic and he uses COMIC SANS in his presentation? GAG. :)
  
• Friday 7/22 Beth's birthday! I did the bus tours again (I know a lot of facts about Vancouver now!), and this time I got off in Stanley Park at Prospect Point and looked at the Lions Gate Bridge for a while. When I was back at Canada Place I went to Gas Town, which is a little shopping district by the water. I got some souvenirs and ate lunch at the Old Spaghetti Factory (marketing paid off on me once again because the ads for this place were everywhere). One of my favorite things about being in Vancouver was eating outside in July. And the weather was always so comfortable (and even when it's raining most tables/patios are covered) that we ate outside quite a lot. After the conference ended Shawn and I went on a harbour dinner cruise. It was expensive but very fun and relaxing -- good buffet dinner (although I'm surprised I didn't fall with my full plate of food because we had to walk down stairs on a moving boat while carrying it) and stunning views of the city and the sunset over the mountains. Lots of smooches too!
  
• Saturday 7/23 Grouse Mountain, which I already wrote about. After we got back we picked up our luggage from the first hotel and made the move to the second hotel (Shawn booked so far in advance and through the conference company that there were issues with extending the stay, so he found an alternate hotel for our last two nights). It was a schlep, but we did it with all our luggage and made it to the hotel in one piece. This was a little less swank but it was bigger and still clean and comfortable. It was a "suite" in that there was a kitchenette and a couch area. There was a balcony with a view from the 16th floor and again super fast internet, so we were able to Skype with Shawn's parents, which was pretty fun. We had dinner in the "new" neighborhood -- at an Irish pub that didn't serve fish & chips. Whoever heard of that?
  
• Sunday 7/24 After a free hotel buffet breakfast we took the public bus to Stanley Park and went to the Vancouver Aquarium. It's pretty expensive, but we got to see beluga whales, dolphins, jelly fish, many many fish and frogs, and a 4D experience movie (which my favorite tour bus driver told me not to miss). As the day wore on it got more and more crowded with children (assuming many were local because their passes are cheaper). We stayed until we had seen enough then strolled in the park a bit (it is a HUGE park though) and took the bus back to the hotel. Had another lie in, then ate our last dinner at a really cool choose-your-own-pasta place (pick noodle type, sauce, toppings). Seemed like the kind of thing that would be a hit in a college town like Baton Rouge (and I think we have enough fro-yo shops). We also got gelato and saw a movie being filmed in Yaletown, although unlike NYC they don't list what the film is on the no parking notices on the street and we didn't see anyone famous so who knows. Then back to the hotel to pack up and prepare for the 12 hour journey home.

Overall a really good time and quite restful. I didn't check work email once, and I don't think I missed much of anything as I'm caught back up for the most part. I think I was missed at least a little, which is always nice. Things are picking back up on the work front, which I like, but it does entail a couple trips to New Orleans in the near future. I am not looking forward to that at all.

Got to hit the sack and really should have put off typing this post until I'm more rested. Maybe the blogger bug has re-bitten me?!

Vancouver: Favorite Pics

Canada Place!

At the conference center/overlooking the water

Absolute favorite -- on our harbour dinner cruise at sunset

Also on the dinner cruise -- cool breeze in our faces

Snow in July on top of Grouse Mountain

My favorite ... everything!

Achieving Adulthood

We did it -- closed on our first house yesterday. The amount of space we have is mind boggling. We'll never be able to go back to our NYC ways of living together in less than 400 square feet of space!

Today Shawn and his amazing helpers got most of our stuff moved over (I'm writing this from the apartment and we'll take a load of foodstuffs and clothes to the house in a bit ... Internet not turned on at the house yet).

Shawn and the new fridge: Thanks Dale and Steve!

Mari and the new washer/dryer

Realizing I don't have a good picture of the front of the house. I could steal one from the real estate listing, but those were taken when the trees were bare. The trees are not bare now -- there's even one that flowers purple!

Best shot i've got for now.

We have a lot of work to do. I'm quite tired and ready to make the bed and fall asleep. More updates as we go from turning this house into our home.

Edit: Updated to thank Steve ... also, this was my 1000th post.

When Shawn's Not Home

Shawn just informed me I haven't been updating my blog... Things have been a little busy at work, and I haven't been feeling well for the last week or so. We had my in-laws visiting, which is a post in itself. (Caught in a rain storm in New Orleans after Mardi Gras parades on Saturday.)

When Shawn is gone house keeping goes to the pits. I don't make the bed as well, I just load the dishwasher instead of washing as we go, and I watch more TV than is necessary. I'll be glad when he's home tomorrow.

And I'll be even more glad when I don't feel this crummy... Hope I turn the corner before I have to start traveling on Tuesday.

Every Day is Valentine's Day at Our House

One of the blogs I read suggested posting a picture with your valentine, so here's mine. This is right when the "husband and wife" thing was done and the musicians were starting up with the Star Trek theme. We're nerds, but we like it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Beta Bursts

Photo by Katie @ French Bakery

Despite a slow down in actual posting, I still compose blog posts in my head almost constantly. I could write about Shawn's failing hard drive and his successful (knock on wood) attempt to resurrect it while he waits for the new part to be shipped.

In New Orleans this weekend I had brain posts going about shopping, walking, smells, the hotel and its view, weather, food, street cars and my lame attempts at photography.

Because of a series of things, I went to a UMC that was on the street car line and felt so warm and happy there. The pastor spoke to me before the service, and I was so moved by her sermon that as she was hugging people on the way out, I made the move and hugged her myself. (I'm not a hugger as a general rule.) I thanked her and told her I wished I lived here -- and she said "me too" and "hey that's a thought." Although I don't think Shawn would be down with that commute!

She had some suggestions for other UMC's I should try in Baton Rouge (I haven't really written about my quest for a church here, or the way I've stiffened to the two most obvious choices).

And today she sent me an e-mail to say it was nice to meet me and reiterating her suggestions/inviting me to come back any time. I love communicating online, and I think it's so nice of her -- to connect in a way that's meaningful to me.

So my first longer-than-two-hours trip to New Orleans was a success. I'll look forward to going back and hope I can sustain some of the renewal I felt. So far I'm not doing that great, but there's always tomorrow.

View from 2053 up Canal Street

Some New Year Snaps

Professor Hat

School Spirit

Trying on Shawn's hat

Pouting - I forget about what

I failed at posting 300 times in 2010, by 19 posts (although I did post one more than in 2009). I doubt I'll do 300 in 2011 either in part because I am realizing that I write too much, reveal too much. I just need to remember my audience, which isn't always easy or top-of-mind. So lately I've been blogging-shy about all the things that have been going on. Each of these pictures could be a post, plus many more (although the Owen and Shawn hat photos do go together).

I don't have any solid new year's resolutions. What I thought I was going to do now seems to be what I should work on in 2012. Glad to be home, going to try a brighter outlook on the job front and just slog through otherwise.

Hope you had a great Christmas and New Year's, and that 2011 is shaping up for the better.

Juggling Elf

For my Christmas present to Shawn I gave him three light up juggling balls. They are amazing, and I may have to attempt a video in the dark. But they still look pretty cool on first juggle. On the way home he was hassled at the X-ray machine, but they let him through with them after he explained (no demonstration required). I'm EXTRA glad I shipped them to Danville instead of carrying them on the way there -- the surprise would have been spoiled!

Bonus: You (Don't) Know Mari

My most creative birthday gift was a tag-team by my husband and sister -- two of my most favorite people in the world. And they've been working on it since the summer! After Thanksgiving dinner, and a rousing game of Scattergories (yeah, I won), they whipped out their custom game: "How Well Do You Know Mari?"

It was basically a bunch of questions (30 would have been appropriate, but it was closer to 50) about me, and then people wrote down their answers. Toward the end it turned into a who-can-shout-the-answer-first. It was pretty funny, although some of the questions ventured into territory I'd rather NOT relive ... uh, sneaking out is a right of passage, but do we have to talk about it on the first anniversary of my 29th birthday? (Saw that on Scrubs today while ellipticalling after work -- cracked me up.)

There was no winner to the game, but a lot of laughs. And some of the answers I wasn't even sure of -- how many universities have I taken classes at? (Six: OSU, WOSC, OU, Oxford, Georgetown, Maryland)

How great is it to be loved?!

Gift-ability

My feed reader is full of posts with titles like "Thank You" and "Grateful." That's nice, and I have a lot to be thankful for. But I'm not sure it's interesting enough for me to write about.

Something I'm most thankful for is Shawn, but instead of gushing about how much I love him (a lot), how about coming up with Christmas gift ideas?

He's very hard to buy for, and I have trouble coming up with things. He's not really a collector, and he doesn't want STUFF cluttering his life (complete opposite of me, natch).

Anyway, here are some ideas, which he'll probably scream about each and every one: black dress socks, white T-shirts, funny ties, silly magnets (he has a metal filing cabinet in one of his offices). He eats cereal almost every morning -- so I have always thought about getting him this Eat Me Crunchy bowl, but I never have. He doesn't use iTunes and doesn't really have any new music wishes, although if there was a band someone liked a lot a CD would be an easy gift. Maybe a DVD of an old 80s movie?

Anyway, I'll keep thinking, and if you have any good gift ideas for a 30-something husband who wants for nothing, drop 'em in the comments. Thanks!

Snark and Pumpkin

Removing the snark is a worthy goal, and something I've been reading about on Rachel Held Evans' blog, but I don't have it in me. Example, today I go!t upset on a conference call and snapped "you criticize it before you even read it?" It seems stupider now, hours later. But still ...Work was crank-tastic today, although keeping my chin up anyway.

Pumpkin Cauliflower Pasta

Tonight I made the pumpkin cauliflower pasta from Rachel Ray's low-carb cook book. It was pretty darn tasty, although it dirtied a lot of dishes. It was pretty much a 30-40 minute meal, so that was good. But it felt more involved than I'm probably up for every night. BUT automatic lunch for tomorrow, so bonus...

I still have the steak and spinach gratin on tap to make this week plus other things that will be less involved. Domestic bliss?

Also remembered I haven't posted photos from the Owen visits Baton Rouge trip or really detailed the trip. Not going to do that today, seeing as how that would burn a post I could do another day! But here's a photo of Shawn. Heart's a flutter!