Thank you

Thank you for the sun that shines through the curtain in the morning, reminding me that this is a new day. This day may hold good things, bad things, frustrating things, joyful things, but for that first moment it is simply just new.

Thank you for a husband who comes home at the end of the day ready to talk finances, ready to laugh at our inside jokes, ready to do nothing for the fourth night in a row but veg out in front of 30 rock with leftovers. Thank you for making him kind and patient, just the right amount boring, and for making him the kind of guy who cleans the toilet.

Thank you for parents and their never ceasing love. Thank you for the moments when we realize that our parents are humans just like us, and especially for those moments that we realize that they truly are super-human.

Thank you for fresh air, clean water, and coffee. For yeast that makes donuts rise and ovens that bake cookies quickly. Thank you for butter I don't have to churn and milk that comes in a jug. Thank you that I don't have get up at 5 am to milk any cows. Thank you for those who do.

Thank you for those that love us so well. For those we drink beer with and laugh with and talk about forbidden things with. For those who know we snort when we laugh too hard. For those who have to explain football plays again and again and for those who patiently remind us to let it go.

Thank you for the excuse to express gratitude and thank you for reminding us to bundle up all the thankfulness of the weekend and take it with us (that, and ten containers of leftovers).

Resolution Sunday: My Birthday!

This year my birthday was just awesome. We went out for dinner for my birthday to a nice new place (they are all new at this point) in a new neighborhood of the city. It was only the second time we had gone out for dinner just us since we moved here in August.

For a very long time Marty has been making me promise not to plan anything for this weekend, so I knew something was up his sleeve. We headed to the zoo yesterday morning as what I thought was just the first of many activities and perhaps a night away. But after the zoo and a quick sandwich stop, we stopped back by our place to "pack our bags", but instead found a big group of my friends and family.

Marty had clearly instructed them that I "liked surprises but not being startled" so Marty walked through the door first and when I came in they gave a very friendly Happy Birthday cheer!  I screamed and threw my purse on the ground. It was awesome.

The first person I saw was my friend Jenny, who was wearing a sweater that we both own, hiding behind the couch. I honestly thought that someone had come into my house, stolen my sweater, and was now hiding behind the couch because I had walked in on the theft. That was my first thought.

My second was wondering if Marty had bought enough food and goodies to host all these people. He had.

I am so grateful for a sweet husband to plan me a party and for all my friends who love me enough to give up their saturday afternoon and for my family who drove down from our home town. I am just too flattered and grateful.

And too top it all off, my mom made cupcakes, and mom-made-cupcakes are just the best on your birthday. 

This year is gonna be dynamite!

Resolution Sunday: French Bakeries

(enjoying an actual French Bakery)

This week I am thankful for french bakeries. We visited my very favorite one, the one by Pikes Place, where my love for all things French Pastry started. This Saturday we went downtown and pretended to be tourists. It was pretty surreal, doing things that I had always done as a tourist thinking "we live here now".

I am 99.5% sure that heaven smells like a french bakery, so buttery and warm and just a touch sweet. Mmm..... I love the almond croissants and pain du chocolat. Really anything with warm and flaky crust.

I am just so grateful that these places exist.

Birthday Month!

This week was Marty's birthday week. Remember this story about his birthday? We were remembering when I came up from college on a Wednesday, even skipping a chem lab, to surprise Marty for his 18th birthday. I went with his family to a fancy pants restaurant in Canada and I drove back down to college the next morning. This was, of course, a huge deal at the time. And a whole decade ago (wait, what?).

This year we are back home, which means we get all sorts of family love on our birthdays. Marty's twin brother is back in town after a couple years in Paris and we are happy to be all in the same place. We made homemade sushi on the floating home that Sam and his girlfriend are renting on Lake Union, drank local beer, and played a new game. And of course ate The Carrot Cake. I even made Marty's mom tell their birth story, which I am sure the boys really enjoyed.

Happy birthday to my rockstar of a husband. We are the same age for exactly 8 days (and that is neat)

Now, on to my birthday week!

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Your Friday Feelgoods -

Batkid in San Fran

MY mom is the best

I am craving watching the sound of music, but not with a grump

I don't have kids but this is funny.

Now these are some cats I like.

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Resolution Sunday: The Seattle Sun

In Seattle, you really appreciate the sun. Whenever it is out, even in the slightest, people are outside and enjoying the natural beauty. I am remembering so much about life in the PNW just after being back for a few months. One thing I am remembering is how people say that the sun is out, even if it can just be glimpsed behind a sea of clouds. In North Carolina, they called that a dreary february day.

I am grateful for the Sun when it does shine here in Seattle, and for a community that values living in the moment, enjoying and preserving nature, and being eager to point out all the bright sun shiny moments. This picture is looking the building where Marty works on Lake Union, with the space needle behind it.

Resolution Sunday: My mom loves holidays

My mom loves to decorate for holidays and its the best. She has kept our artwork from when we were kids and still hangs them proudly around the house. We have also collected quite a few trinkets here and there too, like the pumpkins we painted in ceramics class we took all together. I love that she gets them all out and love to recount all of the stories of each object or "art" piece.

My mom also loves to send cards, so I was so happy to get this handmade one.

Look at this awesome picture I drew when I was small. I was always a stickler for facts. (It reads: This pumpkin weighs 612 pounds and that is true).

And she sent me these ghosts clutching candy corns to put on cupcakes.

I am so grateful my mom loves holidays and thinks to send me cards, encourage my baking habit, and is still proud of my artwork.

Friday!

Hey Y'all, its Friday! We are seeing our families this weekend, and I am pulling out the ol' purple tutu for a 5k on Sunday. Did you do anything fun for Halloween? Did you look as awesome as this kid? Don't forget to change your clocks this weekend! 

Isn't this an hysterical picture? I can't do a jumping pic for the life of me. Honestly.

Remember yesterday's post about getting lost in space? Here is a funny follow up...

Check out this map of people dying and being born. It will put you in a trance (and then maybe make you feel clastrophobic).

Which state matches your personality? Apparently I belong in Georgia.

When do you drink your cuppa joe? I like mine after breakfast, apparently I was on to something!

My hometown is making the news big time because of a battle about a coal shipping port they want to put there. A small town county council election will most likely have a huge impact on the coal industry.

Need a pick me up? Check out this one.

Have you seen this video? And just for the record, boooooo buckeyes.

Will you go see the remake of Carrie? Here's a creative trailer.

We have officially hit fall here in Seattle, which made me laugh at this graph... Happy Friday!