the real d-day

February 15

Sunroom

Adah making bubble cheeks.

February 16

Sunroom

Breakfast of champions.

February 17

Kitchen

Disaster of champions. This is what our kitchen turns into after we have people over for dinner. But well worth it to see friends you haven't seen in awhile!

February 18

Office

I took so long to respond to Loni's email that the only way to make up for it was to send her a real letter. It had been so long since I'd written a snail mail that I thought it worth documenting.

February 19

Office

A onesie for Baby Boy Larkum (who is now here!) because his dad likes sailing so he will too, I'm sure.

February 20

Sunroom

Sometimes there are good, free flowers at work and they can really brighten up a room.

February 21

Cronk House

Becoming a master Settler. Maybe not quite yet because at the end of the game we all realized I had accidentally cheated.

February 22

Fortune Gourmet

Kilmarnock

Oma and grandson eating Chinese.

February 23

Maymount

This is about as close to the cows as she'll get. Adah was scared of some of the real animals, but was all about the picture of a bobcat. Gave it a million kisses and didn't want to say goodbye.

February 24

Across the Street

Andy split and stacked all this wood we got at the river the other day. I think we're set for next year now.

February 25

Cyborg Room

I laid out all the pennants before getting ready to ship them to AR for their next wedding because they are just so fun. It makes me happy that they are going to be a part of more love memories.

February 26

Peterson House

Parenthood party in bed with Elisabeth. Afternoon well spent.

February 27

Keo Property

Delivering a table to Sammy and getting some more firewood in return. (I only thought we were done collecting.) So many tall skinny trees! They blow in the wind like the slinky blow-ups at car dealerships.

February 28

Sunroom

I got a new table also! And it is now serving as my kitchen prep and storage station.

March 1

Office

I knitted a donut!

March 2

Sunroom

Even though our house is in shambles we can still enjoy homemade cookies and sorbet.

March 3

LGBG

Nothing like a big snowstorm to get you out of work early! I haven't felt like a kid with a snow day in a long time. We watched a lot of movies and drank hot cocoa.

March 4

Office

Knitting a hedgehog for Andy. He's pretty cute.

March 5

Sunroom

We got supplies for s'mores on the snow day and never made them! I went ahead and treated myself when Andy was at work.

March 6

Bedroom

I left Andy his finished hedgehog when I went to work. When I got home, he had left me a Pop-Tart! True love!

March 7

Sunroom

The makeshift kitchen station is growing. It's also now the makeshift workshop and the makeshift storage closet.

March 8

The River

Lauren and I knitted/crocheted and gabbed on the dock while the men went for a paddle. Nothing like a weekend escape with good friends!

March 9

Cyborg Room

Clearing and rearranging to get ready....

March 10

Kitchen

Everything is getting emptied for D-day. We are working only with essentials these days.

March 11

Kitchen

Gutted. Mostly.

March 12

Martin's parking lot

Crazy beautiful sunset!

it's been cold and quiet around here

January 26

Sunroom

A thank you dinner for my sister and her fam for watching the cat, plants, and house while we were away. Adah missed us a lot.

January 27

Regal Cinemas

For the last evening of our vacation (read as "I have to go back to work tomorrow.") we went to an empty movie theater. Then we saw Saving Mr. Banks.

January 28

Front yard

You know, we expected to come home and for winter to be over. Well it's not. This tiny covering of snow dust was just the beginning.

January 29

Bathroom

My cute bandages make my small cut look like a way bigger deal than it was.

January 30

Sunroom

We've been on a backgammon kick lately.

January 31

Kitchen

Custard in the making. For a pie. Duh.

February 1

MeKong

It's Sammy's birthday and she gets treated like royalty.

February 2

Bryan Park

Having a walk and talk with my mom and saw this tree trying to make out with me.

February 3

Sunroom

Grilled pita sandwich on a pretty plate. (It's been real cold and quiet around here lately.)

February 4

Driveway

I normally don't go beyond the front door like this but I was feeling particularly lazy, and Andy had to pick up his truck from the shop. I got locked out upon my return and waited for 45 minutes for Andy to get back. I might have gone to a neighbors, but then I saw this.

February 5

Culinary School

Just working.

February 6

Kitchen

My cooking companion for the evening. He is really good at what he does.

February 7

Cyborg Room

I unloaded my accessories tin from vacation. I like sea creature earrings. I brought this ostrich button with me because I knew I was going to ride one and I thought this would give me a deeper connection with the bird. I think it worked.

February 8

Pigtails and Crewcuts

Somebody is not excited about getting her first hair cut. She calmed down after she got to suck on her pacifier.

February 9

The Camel

Watching Molly perform with The Girtles! (And other Beatles cover bands.) 

February 10

Office

New knitting project has begun.

February 11

Office

Finished the icing and working on the dough.

February 12

Lakeside

An evening stroll in the snow. It was quite the accumulation!

February 13

Cronk House

I'm finally a Settler of Catan. I think I've got my Friday night activity figured out for the rest of my life.

February 14

Bed

We have a zillion strips of paper left over from our wedding. Every night Andy's working, I write him a note and leave it on his pillow. They become stars in the jar with all the other nice messages friends and family wrote us on our wedding day.

awesome vacation 2014

January 11

Buddy Dive

Bonaire

A long day of travel brought us here. Well worth it to see the moon so crisp in that bright blue sky. And we had a tv in our room that played Jeopardy every night at 8 pm. If that's not the sign of a good vacation, I don't know what is.

January 12

Buddy Dive

After our dive orientation we got suited up for our first underwater adventure! There is a spectacular reef just off the dock at the resort. Don't mind if I do.

January 13

White Slave

After some shore diving we took a trip around the southern part of the island. These are old slave huts for the workers in the salt flats. It's pretty much a concrete tent with no door and a really nice view.

January 14

Karpata

These guys are everywhere and they like people for dropped food and bare toes. 

January 15

Buddy Dive

My first tropical drink (beer doesn't count). We spent the day boat diving, playing Yahtzee, and watching the sun set. And then we probably watched Jeopardy.

I think I'm pretty good at vacationing.

January 16

North Shore

Driving up the coast. It has the tendency to take your breath away with all the different blues.

January 17

Washington Slagbaai National Park

The northern part of the island is one giant, protected national park. We spent the day driving on the dirt roads and stopping at all the attractions. Andy liked to pretend he was the ocean's orchestrator.

January 18

Curacao

Otrabanda

New place! We took a quick flight over to the next island! It's got a lot of old stuff.

January 19

The Floating Bridge

Really neat to see this entire bridge swing open like an arm when a boat needs to get through.

January 20

Ostrich Farm

I rode an ostrich. A life goal has been met. And I don't remember it being as terrifying as my face suggests.

January 21

Otrabanda

Mostly I'm storing away this paint job in the "future dream home" folder in my head.

January 22

Punda

Getting some produce and the floating market. Behind all these stalls are boats from Venezuela loaded with fruits and veggies.

January 23

Bonaire

Lac Bay

These trees are crazy! Like a zillion fingers reaching down into the ocean and making it crystal clear with magic.

January 24

Salt Flats

This place fascinated me. The water was so pink (pinker than it looks) and giant mountains of salt were coming from it. And just across the street was the bluest ocean you ever saw. Sent my color wheel into overdrive.

January 25

Bonaire International Airport

A sad, sad day. Fine. That's not completely true. Two weeks is quite awhile so I think we were both ready to get back home. Not to the snow. The busted pipe. Or work. But maybe the comfort of our cozy wood-stove heated home.

It's very difficult to choose just one photo to share from each day when there is so much color and fun and newness! 

If you want to venture further into our vacation, you can click HERE.