We Book: March and April

I still can't believe it's May. Today I wanted to share our first  "We Book" pages.

I mentioned earlier that I wanted to make a page for a book highlighting the important events of the month. I also wanted only one picture that encapsulated (whoa, big words Lauren) the feelings of the month.

I was tempted to go back and do January and February so that the book would start at the beginning of 2013, but then I told myself to stop being such a perfectionist and to focus more on the feelings of the month in question.

It's a bit plain but I figure it will be easier to keep up with if and when things get a little crazy with renovating, painting, outdoor care etc. I'd rather all the pages be plain than have some that are over the top bedazzled out and others that are thrown together in 10 minutes. I think I'll stick with it for longer (forever?) if creating a page only takes a few minutes.

For March I wrote the page in one day. For April I saved the template and added to it to remind myself of things that had happened. Even thought I am not big on the news, I did include something about the Boston Marathon Bombing, just because it was pretty big and impacted us in some way. The events are not exactly in order. I wanted the house buying to be the first thing, since it was the biggest, even though it happened at the end of the month. The picture I used first is terrible, I can't tell which of us has the worst hair. Looking back it was the only picture I had of us for the whole month.

After printing it out I remembered that our realtor had taken pictures of us too, so I asked her to e-mail them to me. I put the new one right over the first one, so I suppose if you wanted to you could see both pictures since the new one is only held in by the black tabs. 

I like this idea so far. We shall see if I am able to keep up with it. As of right now the two pages are just in a binder. I'd like to get something a bit nicer at some point. I'm also thinking of ideas for a cover and a first page. 

Lauren 

Honeymoon Recap: Part Two

Part two of our trip was in Yosemite National Park. It was gorgeous. I'd never seen mountains that tall before. The waterfalls were breathtaking. Here are my favorite pictures. 

Entering Yosemite.

View of two of the waterfalls we hiked past. Vernal Falls in the lower left and Nevada Falls higher right. 

Shack Charlie made me sleep in. It wasn't that bad. It had electrictiy and
wasn't cold.  And I did not contract a fecal mouse virus and die so there's a plus. 

Half Dome. I hiked that beast. I still can't believe it myself. 

Swimming in the Merced River. Two days after we got home 2 people
drowned here. We really dodged a bunch of terrible outcomes on this trip. 

The first part of our Half Dome experience. Vernal Falls.  

Half Dome. Look closely on the left and you can see the line of people hiking up.
 They look like ants. I was so nervous knowing that in 30+ minutes I would be one of them. 

We made it! It felt like being on top of the world. 

After the paralyzing fear of hiking up Half Dome was over, I could document what it was like going down, with less fear. Although my hand was still tightly gripping the cables as I took these pictures. 

View going up. People go up and down on the same cables. This was a less busy time, when were were going up there was a line of people going up and another line coming down. There are boards every few feet to rest your toes on, while we were hiking up two of the board fell down the rock face. Needless to say that was pretty scary. 

What I looked like the entire time. 

Looking up. The pictures don't make it look as scary as it was. 

More idiots, I mean people, climbing up. 

Hiking back down Sub Dome was almost as scary as the cables. It was windy
 and there were all of these tiny steps carved into the rocks. 

Charlie didn't mind, but I was scared. It didn't help that my legs were super
tired and my knees were still clacking together from fear. 

It was a super fun trip. We didn't die, or get divorced, which were legitimate
fears I had. I would never hike Half Dome again, but I would go back to Yosemite
 in the spring to see the waterfalls really rushing.

I hope you enjoyed the recap. If you've never been to the West Coast I'd recommend it. 

Lauren 

26 Years 26 Goals

With my birthday quickly approaching, I've decided to check in on my 26 Goals for 26. Here goes:

1. Get a dog. I really want one and I think my constant talk has convinced Charlie too. Yep! She's the best. I can't imagine our lives without our Penny girl. 
2. Buy a house. No. Not so much. Waiting for the time to be right. 
3. Move into house without hurting myself or being a mega jerk to others. Success on that front since we didn't move. I try not to be a mega jerk though. 
4. Stay physically active. Mostly. I haven't been running as much lately, but having a dog ensures that I at least walk a lot.  
5. Think more about things before I impulsively buy them. I've almost gone too far in the wrong direction here...thinking so much that I don't ever buy anything. 
6. Go on a honeymoon. Yeah! I just realized I never blogged about it though, I'll have to remedy that. Our trip was great. 
7. Take pictures. Yes. I need to work on taking pictures of people more though. I have a lot of pictures of Penny and mountains. 
8. Throw things away. Why must I save every card anyone has sent me? P.S. Thanks for the birthday cards peps! No. I've decided to embrace that I am super sentimental. I really like looking back at pictures, cards, momentos. I hope my future children are sentimental too or else I'll be on Horders. 
9. Finish things before starting other things. Kind of. I don't start a project until the first is finished, but I just make piles of things I want to do. This does not keep my work space much tidier than when I had 10 projects at once. 
10. Think before jumping to assumptions, especially in regards to the students I work with. I'm really trying. I seem to jump to an assumption, then back track and try to think of other possibilities. 
11. Stand up for myself. I told one of the teachers I work with that my motto at the beginning of the year would be "I don't take shit from anyone." I need to start following that motto. If only I could post it on the wall at school.... Somedays yes, somedays no. It's a work in progress. 
12. Keep working on keeping new and old friends. Well, I haven't really made many (any) new friends. 
13. Send more letters to people. Oops. The only person I send/sent letters to is Charlie's grandma. I send cards. 
14. Learn more about my family history. Oops again. 
15. Eat more vegetables. In the summer it's easy. In the winter not so much. 
16. Read more books. Yikes. I read a bunch this summer and then totally stopped. My Dad bought me a book for Christmas. I've tried to check books out from the library but all the good ones have waiting lists. 
17. Try to stop swearing like a trucker Friday night - Sunday night. Yes. I just swear all the time. 
18. Finish that gosh darn cross stitch for my Mom that I started in 2008! No but I am oh so close. Just check my constant instagraming of it.  
19. Make a quilt and give it away. Who will be the lucky winner? No. I didn't make a single quilt.With some friends expecting babies, this will change in 2013. 
20. Worry less. Ugh. No, definitely not. I have found however, that petting Penny before I go to bed helps me relax and sleep better.
21. Be more creative. In other words, spend less time online thinking about being creative and actually do something creative. I've been making a more conscious effort to close the computer and be crafty. I've also embraced the idea that sometimes looking at things online can help you get ideas, and other times doing nothing is just what you need to do.
22. Hike somewhere and spend the night, and not flip out about peeing in the woods or being dirty. Our Honeymoon meets 1/2 of the requirement. I did flip out one day though. After the flip out Charlie said he wouldn't make me sleep in a hut ever again though.
23. Stop and smell the roses every now and again. Sure. Whatever the heck that means.
24. Ask Charlie for things instead of assuming he can read my mind. I'm trying.
25. Spend time with my family and friends. Yes. I love doing this.
26. Continue appreciating what I have and feeling lucky, because I am. Most days I really do. Things happening around me make me so thankful for a loving husband, cozy warm home, fantastic family, cute as a button dog, and great friends. 

I can't wait to see what 27 has in store.

Lauren 

Cardboard Christmas Villages

Over the holiday weekend I knew my two cousins would be around, and I decided that it would be fun to do a craft together. Sure beats Black Friday shopping if you ask me. I e-mailed my family members a week or two in advance and requested they save and bring cardboard, cereal box weight, to be used for the crafting. I got inspired by many things; first was Dana's Ghost Town, as well as a dozen or so gingerbread houses on Pinterest, and this Martha Stewart idea.  Here is what we came up with:

Each row of houses is one cereal box unfolded. I drew a rough idea of the house outlines on the cardboard then cut them out before hand. For one I cut the windows out before we started and for the other three I waited. Waiting means you have to cut through a few layers of cardboard and paper. Cutting the windows and doors first meant the houses were a bit more flimsy to work with. I also used another cereal box to make trees to go behind the houses. 

We all went to the movies then came home and started working. Rich was nice enough to let us all work on the floor in the living room next to a roaring fire. He set out a huge piece of cardboard so we would paint, glue and glitter to our hearts content. 

 The houses are painted or were made with scrapbook paper. We decorated each house with paper, paint, glitter paint and or course lots of glitter and snow paint. Then we hot glued the cardboard to a strip of plywood to make them stand upright. I love how they turned out. In the day time they are pretty to look and notice to details. At night, with some electric tea lights or a string of white lights behind them, they are a great silhouette.

This turned out to be a really fun project. Charlie came home from a visit with his friends and said "Wow that turned out way better than I thought it would." He's always underestimating my crafting skillz. The project kept my 10 year old cousin, my aunt, and myself busy and for at least 4 hours if not more. It also kept the rest of the family entertained with watching us. The only trouble was that my back hurt from sitting on the floor for 4+ hours and I still have glitter in my hair from 3 days ago. 

All and all it was a great time. I love sharing my love of crafts with others. We all inspired each other and shared ideas. It was a great time.

Lauren 

P.S. I am officially paying $2.99 a month to continue blogging and uploading pictures. Hope you enjoy these posts people! If I post 4 times that's 74 cents, talk about motivation to blog! 

P.P.S. I spelled "skillz" incorrectly on purpose Dad. I was feeling like a gangsta. 

On My Night Stand

A few people have asked me about this little blue book I bring on overnight trips, and keep on my night stand. One friend chuckled; "Is that your diary Lauren?" Well, yes it is, with a spin. It's a "One Line A Day" book. Charlie bought it for me as a wedding gift. 

Each page has a date and five sections to fill in. You write in "one line" for the day then write on the next page the following day. I keep it on the night stand so I can do it right before bed. It's nice to process what was most important to you that day. The fun part comes when it's been a year that you've been writing it the book.  Then you write one line down and can see what you were doing the year before.  Since we've only been married for one April, only the top line is written in. In the bottom picture one our anniversary I started writing on the second line. Actually, when Charlie gave it to me he had written in the July 16th spot, so when we were out West this summer during our anniversary I asked him to write again. It's the only day in the whole book that I didn't write. I've only missed a few days as well. A period of 2 or 3 days last September when I had the flu or some terrible something.

Aside from those, I have been pretty good about packing it for trips and writing in it at night. I think it will be fun to look back on as I write more. It's interesting to see what has changed, or not changed in a year. I like it because I am the worlds most sentimental person. You can find them on Amazon. They also make a "Mom's" edition, which I bought from my friend Liz who is expecting a baby soon.

And because Penny will pitch a fit if she's not included in a blog post every now and again; here she is. *swoon over cuteness*

Lauren

P.S. Also on my night stand is a book I've been reading since August. Got any recommendations for a page turner? And don't say "Fifty Shades of Grey". K thank!

Frank

As some of you may know, My grandfather, Frank, passed away a few weeks ago. His memorial service was this weekend. His 4 sons, including my dad, spoke at the service, as well as four of his close friends, and my cousin Zachary. My dad asked me if I wanted to speak and my response was "No, I will cry too much." Instead of crying in front of 100+ people I've decided to write my memories here to share with you.

* Edit: This introduction was written almost a year ago. I just couldn't finish my post. Not because I was crying or anything like that but because every time I tried to write a whole post I wrote one thing and then had too many memories to start another. This post has been compiled over the course of several months of remembering. *

Things I'll Always Remember About Frank.

1. His laugh. Frank had an infectious laugh that could span a few octaves. It started low then worked it's way up to a high almost girlish proportions and then subsided into few "ho ho's" as he calmed himself down. He would open his mouth wide, I suppose that's the dentist in him, and let it all out. There was always a bit of leg slapping or foot stomping mixed in as well.

2. His love of fitness. From early on I always remember Frank wearing running shorts, tennis shoes, an old tee shirt and a hat. He was always up for a game of tag, a bike ride to the store or a race against you on your Rollerblades and him on foot, which he would always let you win even if he could have beat you. If you asked nicely he would even let you stand at the top of the stairs and he would catch you when you jumped, as long as you didn't weigh very much that is.  I'm not sure if I actually remember this, or if I've just heard the story so many times that it feels like I was there. Either way, I've heard many times about Frank being at the cottage on the Cape before a hurricane and body surfing in the huge waves. I'm not sure how old he was at the time but I know it he was over 60 at the time. I think part of my interest in running is thanks to Frank who ran his last 5k when he was 82.

3. How he was never embarrassed by anything. This might not seem like a lot coming from someone as self-conscious as me but I always admired how Frank never seemed embarrassed by anything. He would wear purple tee-shirts, his shorts were dangerously short at times, he loved to needlepoint and garden. Growing up I think it was always nice to have someone around who wasn't afraid to be who they were and like what they liked.


4. His generosity. I think if I had asked he would have given me or even a perfect stranger the shirt off of his back. Frank worked hard for his money and never seemed to buy anything for himself, but was always willing to take the whole family on a vacation. I have many fond memories of spending time with my cousins, aunts and uncles and Grandmother and Frank in Mexico, Florida, in Tone, or on the Cape. Once Frank and Grandmother even took me on a 10 day vacation to London. I remember my uncle ordering an expensive bottle of wine while out to eat in London on this trip. Frank said; "You're wasting your inheritance!" with a laugh and footed the bill anyways. I think it made him happy to be able to make others happy and have great experiences.

5. "Wanna go to Boston? Wanna go to Lynn? Look out little girl that you don't fall in." I think Frank bounced me and Garrett on his knees singing this little tune half a million times.

6. This is something that I don't even know if he did on purpose or if it just had to do with my above mentioned comment about never buying anything for himself. I remember when I was in 5th grade there was a contest to design a "gateway" on the school property to get to the wetlands behind the school where we did experiments and observed nature and all that other middle school stuff kids do. Someone else won the contest but I still wanted to be involved in working on it. Frank and Grandmother came to visit for a weekend when my school was working on the project and volunteered. I don't even remember what we did to for work on the project but I remember the shirts they gave us. They were dark green with a yellow outline of the archway and said "GBS Gateway to the Wetlands" or something to that extent. Even as a 5th grader I thought they were kind of ugly. Not Frank though. It seemed like whenever he came to visit us or we went to Auburn to see them he wore the shirt. Like I said, I don't know if it was because he really liked the shirt, or if it was because he never bought shirts for himself, or if he just liked to wear it when I came to visit because it reminded him of me. I'd like to think it was the last reason.

 These are some of my favorite pictures of Frank.

 with Garrett and me around Christmas time. 

See, I told you he wore purple a lot and liked short shorts. 

Taken a few weeks before he passed away.