Not an easy thing!

So, my mom and stepdad decided to move this year.  They left the Silverwood house and moved to Ghent. It's an incredibly timely and important move for them.  They are both closer to work and don't have to deal with the tunnel anymore.  Plus, no more yardwork!  There were lots of important reasons for them to move.

I love the Silverwood house...See love-of-home posts:  home and home

So their perfectly legitimate reasons didn't make it any easier for me.  I don't blame them for moving, obviously, and I was surprised at how upset I was at the idea of no longer having my "childhood home" to return to every few months.  As I told my mom, who did not like the idea of me being upset of course, it wouldn't matter if they sold it 10 years earlier or 5 years from now, this would be difficult for me anytime!  I kind of looked at it like "this wonderful place was the only constant home I've ever had... moved there when I was 3, it was dad's house for a bit then it was mom's house while I was in elementary, middle, high school, then all through college when I lived in 4 different places in 4 years, then all those summers I spent in Maine, and even when I got my first apartment in Ghent and my shared house in Arlington... that was my Home, the place I could always return to and feel comfortable and safe.

I did get to say goodbye, though, in my own way.  It was the first weekend in March this year.  I was home and I wasn't sure I'd be able to get to back to the house before mom sold it.  As I was just about to leave and doing my regular "walk through the house and look for things I may have left behind", I noticed the living room window.  I've blogged about this window before.  I stood and stared at it for a minute, really taking in the view, the window, everything about it.  And I felt myself starting to cry because I knew in my heart it would be the last time I looked out at that window.  I said goodbye to my mom and fake-out-high-fived my stepdad Rick (it's how we say both hello and goodbye).  The second I got in the car and pulled away from that house for the last time, I burst into tears.  I was a mess but I knew if I stopped, it wouldn't make anything better or easier for anybody, so I kept heading toward Arlington.  I called my mom a few minutes later and cried to her, "It's just so sad!"  She listened but I know a part of her was feeling bad for the changes.  She shouldn't, of course, but that's what moms do.

I'm a big girl.  I'll be fine.  I'll always miss that house.  I love that Silverwood home.  And I love my mom, too, so wherever she is will be home to me.

******************************************************************************

Sidenote... part of the moving that weekend was bringing some items from my old childhood to Joy's parents house for Owen.  I gave them my old writing table and my rocking horse. (Charlie Horse.  Yup, that's what we named him).

A couple days ago, I got this picture and it makes me smile every time I look at it:

The look on my sweet O's face on my old horse...


sigh :)

Spring Break, How Great

Hello!

Yep, I've been missing.  Went under the radar for Spring Break.  It was kind of nice.

Here's a recap....

Monday I did all the errands I needed to do for the week (post office, grocery store, etc) and then I swung by the Verizon store because my new-every-two was up and I decided to use that $30 credit (WHAT?! booo) toward one of these bad boys:

And they aren't kidding.  I was actually kind of nervous about getting one (BIG CHANGE from the Crackberries I've had for the past 4 years) but I knew I'd love it.  And I do.  It's awesome.   I immediately downloaded:

Words with Friends.  

And I haven't stopped playing since I got it.  I am in, literally, 20 games with different people.  (Ok, 3 with my brother).  But it's awesome because I get to "play" scrabble with people all over the country!  Californians, West Virginians, Virginians, people from the District... it's a blast.   Super addicting but it also challenges your brain.   Love it.  So much.

This is currently my game with Joy.  Now she will know some of my letters.  But I'm ok with that :)  **also, I like that it says that I played flute for 8 points.  I've heard my flute playing.  I'm no Ron Burgundy.  8 points is a lot.

Tuesday... I had a very lazy day!  I know I slept in, cuddled my pup (that's her, the little spoon):

And took Pheebs for a walk while testing out my new camera:

The day ended with Trivia and Kelly.  It was great!  I actually was able to identify "calcium carbonate" as the main component of eggshells.  I felt like Joey Tribbiani "Hey! I'm a dork!!"  :)

Wednesday, I woke up and baked Joy's 30th birthday cake:

Then I went to the dentist on the most beautiful, warm and sunny day.  I was definitely a grumpy gus.  I ran a few more errands then I met my friend Jaime at her place on the river in Alexandria and we took her pup, Lovie, for an hour walk along the water.  It was EXACTLY what I needed.  Jaime is really good at advice and she was just the person I needed that day.

Later that night, I drove out to Dulles to pick up Mandy!  She was flying in from Albuquerque (having visited her most quotable grandparents) and we got to spend some hours together catching up, eating, sharing stories, cameras and laughs.  I miss her!  We then proceeded to get locked out of her in-laws house and needed to wake them up at 1:30am.  Oh, teachers on Spring Break.  Yeah, Peep!

Thursday, I went out to West Virginia.  I got to be with my Joy and the little person who I fall more in love with every time I see him.  He is just so EDIBLE:

He has the most expressive eyebrows.  And he smiles at me every time I look at him, like he knows that one day we'll be laughing together while causing mischief.  He also thinks he's grown (yes, I'd love some ginger ale, mom):

He went down for a nap and Joy and I sat outside in the sunshine, chatting and sharing and iPhone apps. :)  Of course, I took some pictures.  They aren't great, but somehow I managed to catch some Joy (and also my finger. Hey, I'm learning):

I left Joy's around dinnertime and then headed to Fairfax to visit Mayrides and Matt.  Matt cooked a yummy Moroccan meal for us (there was ginger in there!) and then we just chatted and caught up for a few hours.  Lots of laughs.  It was nice to see them!  And Phebe loves their house because they have an amazing backyard for a dog.  There's a hill so she can spy on all the neighborhood dogs and alert us when they are walking past the house.  Thanks, Pheebs, we appreciate that.

Friday, I.... did... nothing.   And it was awesome.  It was a gross, gross, gross rainy day.  Cold and blech.  I stayed inside with my sewing machine and worked on some crafts that I am not at liberty to share yet because the recipients have not received them yet.  Will post later.   Also, I made a case for my iPhone.  Duh.  I'll post that later, too, because the fabric is used pointedly in one of my other crafts.  Vague, vague.  But 5-6 hours on my sewing machine was really fun!   Later in the evening, Lou's parents were in town so we played some card games and laughed. A lot.

I like that laughing was very common this Spring Break.

Saturday and Sunday were pretty low key.  I made William his birthday carrot cake and sat outside in the yard because it was warm and sunny.  Even got my first light pink sunburn. Just very easy going.  And of course, I played with my iPhone a ton.

The first day back to school was pretty good.  I'm exhausted right this moment because I need to sleep to readjust myself but I have to share this song...

This is my Favorite hymn.   And this country girl absolutely brings the house down singing it... whether you're spirital, religious and or none of the above, listen... it's pretty darn powerful.



Spring Break and Life... How Great

Insomnia- 2, Mee- 1

Well, the red wine worked.   Or maybe the moving furniture around.  Or maybe the previous two nights insomnia.

But it came at a price.  I woke up and was SHOCKED to hear that school was canceled today (anticipation of the storm to come?  I guess?) but that means that because I actually slept last night, I'm wide awake this morning.  I've been up since 7!?  No sleeping in.  Phebe slept in.

Maybe I'll catch a nap.  I wish I could visit Owen.

Owen!

 YAY!   I got to see Owen again today!  He's still so cute and he has the best chubby cheeks!  

I saw Chase on Christmas.  And tomorrow I'll see Jack.  Then I will have seen all the new baby boys of 2010!  I love holding these little guys.  Who knew I loved babies so much?  I think a good part of that is the amazing friends and family that produced them, but still...

Oh, baby!

December 5th (the real one)

Most assuredly, some of my favorite parts of 2010 were the births!! There were three very important babies born within months of each other...

Andrea and Ed's Jack

Heather and Brad's Chase

Joy and Kevin's Owen

I got to spend a little time with Owen today. I gave him the Kevin Henkes book "Owen" and made him a yellow blanket to go with the book. I hope he'll like it when he gets a little older. I got to hold him for a Long time! He fell asleep on me a couple of times. ahhhhhh

Congratulations, families! Can't wait to watch these little guys grow up :)

Random cools

Here's some of the random of today:

1. Short day at school! Principals gave us the "Gift of Time" so when the students left at 1:00, so could we. I drove right to the grocery store and got all the things I need for Thanksgiving.

2. After I unloaded the groceries, I went upstairs to catch up on my blog-reading. Here is the weirdest thing. I turned on an episode of Dexter (my new obsession, thanks to COUNTLESS recommendations) and I was lying on my belly with a pillow under my head watching. Then I think I touched my tooth or something because I woke up 20 minutes later with my hand in my mouth. (??) I also rolled over and took a 4 hour nap. FOUR HOURS!?! Either I was actually exhausted, my body really need it, or I'm catching coma naps from MCubed. At any rate, when I finally woke up and rolled downstairs, I actually felt awesome. Way to go, coma nap! But will I fall asleep tonight? This remains to be known...

3. I skyped with Mom today on her birthday :) and I also skyped with Joy, Kevin and Owen! Kevin was sweet enough to take Owen out of his snuggly carrier so I could see his cuteness. Oh my gosh, he is SO cute! I just can't wait to go see him. I'm trying to go out there on December 5th. It was really nice to see Owen's parents, too. They look wonderful and I miss them. Can't wait to see the whole Ackert fam.

4. Lou and I watched "Oprah's Favorite Things" tonight. This year, because Opes is in her last season, she decided to do TWO Favorite Things episodes. The first one was great. I always watch these episodes sitting on the ground, close to the TV so I can feel like I am part of it. I saw more women and men cry, lose their cool, drop to the ground, and I SWEAR (check the DVR!!) I saw a man run into a wall in absolutely ecstasy. He ran into a wall. Like he just couldn't control himself. It was amazing. So, the first episode was awesome. I was watching it and she just kept giving away amazing thing after amazing thing. And I love this show and the giving spirit. At one point, she was giving away this amazing hair care line. My mouth was hanging open but then I got SUPER impressed when one of the parts of the hair care line was this little make-up pencil for hair so that you can touch up your roots. My jaw dropped open completely and Lou burst out laughing. She's been doing this a lot lately. She laughed and said, "I can't believe how much you just lost it over something you have absolutely No use for." true story. But it was still cool! I guess the number of people waiting to get on the first show was huge, so the Oprah show had to turn some people away. But they brought them all into the studio and surprised them with a 2nd favorite things show (which I personally think was better than the first). It was amazing. And the audience was filled with do-gooders and people who spend their lives giving back, so they were all so deserving and humble. Lou and I both got a little teary when this older woman just mouthed out to Oprah (who definitely couldn't see her) "thank you".

5. I'm starting to get some ideas together for 2011. Grand plans for my 30th year of life.

Raining on my training

Well, ok, this week wasn't so easy...

Sunday evening, I met my new buddy Owen.

Monday was Math Night at school and I was literally at school from 7:45am to 7:20pm. No exercise that night.

Tuesday I walked Pheebs when I got home, but with after school club and a 6:30 meeting, I did not run.

Wednesday, I was planning to go run at the gym AND do a Pilates class... but I did not. I sat and enjoyed the company of roommates and television and went to bed early.

Today, I went to the gym RIGHT AFTER SCHOOL and Ran 1.5 miles, and walked 0.3 miles. So, that's it for this week!

Tomorrow, I am prepping my house and kitchen for the Pampered Chef party*** on Saturday.

Saturday, my plan is to go running before the party. If I get a lot done as planned tomorrow evening, I will be able to :)

Not giving up! Just sort of a tired/exhausted week...

Go Team!

*** if any readers want to come, please let me know! : )

JOYous news!!

He's here! He's here!

And he's a He!

Owen Charles Ackert was born Sunday, November 7 at 10:37am. He weighed 7lbs, 12oz and he is absolutely perfect.

Joy is doing beautifully! When I went to visit them Sunday evening, she looked AMAZING! Not like someone who had given birth 8 hours earlier!

It's such JOYous news! Joy and Kevin are now at home with their new little friend, learning and loving being a family.

Holding him, watching him, oh my goodness... it's not surprising that Aunt Cait fell in love... I'm so excited to get to know him. From those parents of his, he's going to be an awesome little man.

Sweet Baby Party

Yesterday, Saturday, October 2, we had a baby shower for Joy. It was a time for family and friends to come together and celebrate how happy we are for Joy, for Kevin and for the new baby due in six weeks!

Ashley had an idea for a Candy Bar. She found yellow and gray candies and people could make little bag mixtures and take them to go!

Giant Cupcakes!

The one "Game" we played. Joy's mom sent me 10 pictures of Joy throughout her life and people had to guess her age in each picture. Her friend Sue got the most right!

Some of Kevin's family trying to figure out her ages...

And the beautiful mama-to-be, sitting under the happy birds that Ashley ordered for the nursery.

Joy says they will hang over the changing table.

It was a wonderful afternoon. I love Joy a lot and I'm SO excited for her and Kevin. Early November will bring the most special gift into their lives. And then we can all say...

All Kinds of Beautiful

Last weekend, Joy and I went to the Claude Moore Fall Craft Festival to man her booth. We did this last year, too, and it gets better every year.

Adorable magnets and pins.

Handmade envelopes.

An excellent salesdog.

The most adorable baby bibs. And a lot of them!

Handmade napkin sets. She sold the dishtowels!

All Kinds of Pregnant. :)

Happy and crafting. And 7 weeks until due date!

And my favorite bag she made. She called it "The Doodle Bag".

Close-up doodle.

She did well! More than last year and some orders! :)

Oh a-camping we did go...

So, last Thursday, we went camping. Joy, Kevin, Catherine, Meredyth, Ryan, Lilly, Phebe and me.

Kevin made my car look ten times cooler with a canoe on top.

He also put one on his. Did he color coordinate, you ask? Yes.

We arrived at our campsite in the George Washington National Forest. Our site was RIGHT ON Lake Moomaw. We only had to walk about 50 feet to get to the lake.

My new tent! (see really can't sleep)

It. Had. A. Dog. Door!!! (actual tent box called it a "beverage door". So you can reach out and grab a beverage. I think, duh, it's a dog door for a fluff muppet)

My big meal of the weekend was "Hobo dinners." A complete throw back to camping while on Chop Point trips. It's potatoes, onions, carrots, zucchini, ground beef, salt, pepper, A-1 sauce and little bit of butter. You put that foil buddy on the fire for about 20 minutes and

mmm mmm mmm.

We went hiking one day. Phebe was a pretty good little hiker!

One of the overlooks on our hike. There is an island out there in the lake. That will come into play in a minute. Remember where that island is located.

We set up shop.

And on Saturday, we canoed (the boys canoed the most) over to the Island where we played, swam, ate, and just had a great time. Phebe even swam for the first time, too. Also, Joy is 7 months pregnant and looks amazing!

We did a lot of sitting and talking, playing dominoes and card games and laughing.

Sunkissed camping girls... me, Catherine, Meredyth and Joy. (and baby!)

What a wonderful, relaxing trip! :)