Sea of Love

Memorial Day weekend was absolutely beautiful.   As you read about the snippets, listen to this song...




Friday came with a half day of school and time to do schoolwork.  I got quite a bit of Oceanography complete on Friday night which was great because it made me feel like I may be able to do it.  Just don't say the "t" word (test). :)

Saturday, the weather was GORGEOUS and it was Brett and Micah's wedding day.  Everything about Saturday was absolutely perfect.  From dropping off their flowers, to getting ready at the hotel with Tara and Kate, to laughing with friends, to dancing with friends, to enjoying friends, to making new friends... just all the parts of it were amazing.   The song you're listening to right now was Micah and Brett's first dance and about a minute in, the entire bridal party joined them on the dance floor.  It was beautiful!   Just an amazing couple, an amazing time.

Sunday, I got a big brunch and rehashed the wedding with Alli and Lou, then we all went to join Jaime at her pool for daiquiris and naps.  We were all so peaceful and happy to be outside enjoying the weather and the company.  We went out to dinner that night and then out on the town for what turned out to be Quite a fun time (how could it not?  This weekend was so blissful, it would have taken A LOT to ruin it).

Monday, was a pregame BBQ at Amber and Charles', then a Nationals-Phillies baseball game.  The weather was miserably hot, but it was hard to be miserable when you're surrounded by awesome people having a great time.

A little bit sunburned, a lot more relaxed, and lucky to have friends and family who are wonderful and love when I came back up to the top of the roller coaster...  this weekend was just what was needed.  Time to take a deep breath, to laugh, to dance and to realize that stress is temporary.

I'm glad to be back, too :)

Home

Love this band, Love this song. It means a lot to me right now.



And then I saw this cuteness today...

December 1st

It has been brought to my attention that I have not been blogging as much recently (thanks, carm). So I will. In fact, I am going to challenge myself to blog every day in December.

I need to blog. And the December blogs will have a purpose. I am going to blog about things that:

1. make me happy

2. have made 2010 an amazing year

3. I learned in 2010

4. demonstrate the magic of the Christmas season/the magic of the world.

For Tonight's Installment, I will tell you some amazing stories about the Kindness of Strangers.

Story #1: Mom's Wallet

Last weekend, my mom came to visit. We had a very lovely time (I still feel bad that Sunday we started to watch a movie and I completely passed out nap-style almost as soon as the movie started-- sorry, mama, you have more energy than I do. Always!) and Sunday evening, I dropped her off in BUSY downtown chinatown DC so she could catch her bus. It hurt my tummy to leave her there but there wasn't any other option. Her bus was supposed to come at 7:45pm. It didn't come until 9:00! Then I got a phone call from her at 10:45 from Richmond. She didn't have her wallet. NOOOO. Panic set in me immediately. I called, I texted, I looked up phone numbers for every place we went that day. I retraced our steps. You had it after IKEA because you used your card at the grocery store... your purse fell off the chair at Kate's house, maybe it's there... But it wasn't anywhere. My mom finally made it back to Newport News and I talked to her on the phone until she was in my stepdad's car. Then at 12:30am, I got another call from Mom. When she got back to the house in Chesapeake, there was a message on the answering machine from the DC metro police department. Someone had found the remnants of my mom's wallet on the street in DC (we assume that somehow it fell out of her purse and someone snatched it) and turned it into the police. I went down to the DC police station at about 1:30am to get it.

**This is not a great story. A wallet was stolen. Credit cards were taken out. Fortunately, there was only one small $7 charge to McDonald's. So, we are choosing to look at it this way:

1. A Kind Stranger could have thrown away my mom's wallet (with her SS card, School ID card, grocery store cards, Movie tickets, Old family pictures, Gift cards, etc, etc) but they gave it to the police because there was still some good stuff in it.

2. My mom "gave" someone a meal who probably needed it.

3. They took $100 in cash... and I am choosing to believe it was for Christmas presents for other people.

Story #2: Dad's Cell Phone

Right around Veteran's Day, my dad and brother were traveling up to DC to go to a CAPS game. As they were traveling (and I was at work), I got a phone call from my dad's cell. I was able to check it 2 hours later during my lunch. This was the message. "Hi Cait, this is Chris. I found this cell phone in the parking lot of the Harris Teeter off Ferrell Parkway in Virginia Beach. I am turning it in to the Customer Service desk." My jaw dropped. First, I called my stepmother so she would know/could go get it. Then I called my brother's cell phone and it turned out that I actually Told my dad that he lost it! (he didn't know) Dads are so cute. :) What a lovely act from a Stranger. Pay it forward. If you ever find a cell phone, do what that guy did!

Story #3: The Accident

A few Christmases ago, my mom was driving on her lunch hour to go pick up a gift for my Stepdad. She was traveling down the road and someone sideswiped her and drove off. To compensate, she veered into the other lane, sending another car into the metal guardrail. Of COURSE, my mom stopped ahead and came back, feeling HORRIBLE. Apologizing all over the place and trying to explain that she was sideswiped. Then she saw a man on the other side of the guardrail stop his car (he was going in the opposite direction), climb over the guardrail and wait for the cops to come so he could tell the cops that he saw someone sideswipe my mom. My mom was so touched by this random act of Kindness that she said, "Why on earth would you do that for a complete stranger?" He said, "My wife is in labor at the hospital right now and I am on my way there, but I couldn't bring my baby into the world knowing that I could have helped someone but didn't." Amazing.

December 1st... here's the beginning of the Christmas cheer... May your days be merry and bright.

see you tomorrow :)

My Tree

So here are more pictures with my favorite tree in them... I have some sad news. I think that beautiful tree is going to be taken down. Our school is going to be getting a new wing next year and it's going to go straight through that tree. Isn't that the saddest thing? But I will enjoy this tree as much as I can. It's the best tree for showing the seasons... we see gorgeous yellowy orange leaves in the fall, we watch them fall off and see the bare tree in winter. We know that spring is arriving when we see the buds, then school's almost out when it's full of leaves again. I love this tree...

1... 2... 3!

In Love with Fall...

I'm in Love!

With a season....

This is my favorite tree at school... when the leaves fall off, I let my students play in them.

This is a tree in my next door neighbor's yard. All those gorgeous leaves will be in my yard soon...

The side of my house and another neighbor's tree...

Pretty red tree peeking past the evergreen in my yard...

Scarlet in the driveway, and some of the colors across the street...

All the leaves already in our yard and my yard work "helper"...

Phebe LOVES leaves... she thinks they are toys...

Fortunately, while I was raking, I could distract her...

She tried to take credit for raking this pile...

Dirt on the nose means she was digging a hole in my yard somewhere... grrr...

She is so pretty. Also, look at the leaves that fell WHILE I was raking... sigh... : )

More help from Pheebs...

Some really cute burrowing...

We Love Fall over here. And it's been the most gorgeous Fall in years... the leaves are really hanging on!

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.

Simple Love...

One of my amazing 3rd grade boys made this birthday card for one of my amazing 3rd grade girls today...

This kind of love is amazing...

Mixed together. :)

It's official

The pretty is here and the force is strong. Colors have hit northern virginia!

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! :)

More like the World's Cutest Man

Say Hello to Walter Bruening.

He is the World's Oldest Man and today is his 114th birthday. He was born in 1896. His wife died in 1957 and they never had any children. But look at him...

He's lived through so much history. From the Newsies era to the crazy hippies in the 60s to the absurd technology of today. I wonder if he skypes.

Happy Birthday, Walter. :)

Unbelievable...

I love this blog http://www.kellehampton.com/

Because I LOVE this baby... she is positively edible. If you don't feel absolute peace looking at her in this picture... I will be shocked.

Spa Night

Last Friday, a few of us had a "chill night". Kate, Alli and I decided to hang out, watch a movie, put on some mud masks and just be together.

I like how ghosty it makes me look.

Alli did the Biore quick one, but Kate and I wanted to use the mask that would stay on for awhile.

Both masks and the general girliness made William make this face:

Even a tiny dog put some on to rejuvenate her nose skin.

I also painted my nails a fun summer color. The awesome purply pink was from my now 2 week old pedicure!

Ahhhhh relaxing. Turns out, I needed it because the rest of the weekend was crazy.

Ode to Joy

Joyful, Joyful

I adore Thee

Friend of nature
Heart of love
Laughs unfold like flowers between we

Soaking up the sun above

Listens to all friends’ sin and sadness

Drives our fears and doubts away

Giver of unending craftness
Fills us with the light of day

Happy Birthday, Joy! You're an amazing soul and a wonderful friend. I appreciate you every day and love you Very much!