Food Cravings?

Salt and tomatoes, toast and olive oil. Mmmmmm. :)

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Weekend Reprieve

This weekend, we took a little trip away from the hustle and bustle: two days outside the city and a nice night at the bed and breakfast we almost booked for our honeymoon week. As it happens, we enjoyed one night in the middle of winter much more than we would have enjoyed a week there in the fall.

WCM on the porch of our cabin. The sunrise was beautiful from there! We were on a hill overlooking the valley - Shenandoah Mountains in the distance.

The little sleeping nook was so cozy!

The Jacuzzi I was really excited about. It's a good thing I didn't notice the leftover snarl of someone else's hair, which was shot from the jets when I turned them on. As I looked at the bottom of the drained tub, I thought, "ignorance is bliss." The novelty of the Jacuzzi has worn off.

I'm including this one mostly for the sake of my own humility - and to show you the beautiful variety of food in the quaint sunroom, where we were served homemade pastries, fresh fruit, orange juice, farm fresh eggs - over easy, whole grain toast with hand made butter (amazing!) and cheese biscuits with sausage gravy ... which preceded the next step (and main point) of our trip: hiking!

Here we are at the White Oak Canyon Trail lower falls. They were beautiful! We decided to drive around the valley and start at the lower end of the falls so that the return to the car was downhill - perhaps the best decision we made all weekend!! :)  

Here is a better view of the falls (there are longer falls, which we unfortunately didn't capture on camera) and WCM.

We were so glad that we took some time - even just 48 hours - away from everything. Starting on Tuesday, WCM will have a new, much more intense work schedule, and we'll be seeing less of each other for a couple of months - possibly more. I am so grateful for our time together!

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Michigan Trip

Sorry for the late post! A couple of weeks ago, WCM and I went back to the Midwest. It was a short trip, but we really enjoyed the long, clear roads and farmland drive. Another nostalgic, "oh the space in the Midwest" feeling, and thoughts of moving back came up. We hit traffic just in time to feel back in DC - at 9:00 PM on a Sunday.

Our trip was really nice. WCM's mom made some of his favorites: shish kebab, warmed bread, grilled veggies & mushrooms (yum!), and brownies & cherry cheesecake. WCM's dad grilled. There's nothing like enjoying grilled beef & veggies in winter to remind you that summer's around the corner. :)

WCM's mom and I had a nice lunch at Nordstrom's. As it happens, they use only fresh and healthy ingredients and offer their food at reasonable prices. I never even knew they had a cafe. We enjoyed fresh salad and a white margherita pizza (like Rome) and had a chance to chat outside of wedding planning. It was quite enjoyable!

Here I am trying to get Rich to look. He is with his sister and her family. (Notice the pretty plants and delicious cheesecake ... mmmm!)

Take 2.

Sleepy me with WCM & family.

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Why Valentine's Day Is Not Overrated:

It falls in the dead of winter - when most people are really ready for something bright and cheerful.

Instead of a tropical vacation, which would likely cost at least 2K for 2 people, you can make someone really happy for less than $100.

This year, I decided to give WCM a big hint that I really wanted flowers via surprise. This afternoon, he ran an errand and came back with this beautiful, big bouquet. It really, really made me smile. Now, it will color up our home for at least 2 weeks.

I made him an apple pie, but I'm thinking he deserves a second gift now...

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Special Visitors

Today, we were able to visit with my cousin and his girlfriend. We went out to brunch at one of our favorite places, and talked about many things money & chiropractic. :) On the way back, we couldn't resist telling them about all of the must-sees. We are near the Lincoln Memorial in these photos:

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Put Away the Terrible Towels...

...after being surrounded by a majority of very loud Steelers fans for the last several weeks, and after a nerve-racking game, we were happy to watch the Packers' victory tonight!

...and this was our favorite commercial. It earned the applause of everyone in the bar. (Actually, it was WCM's 2nd favorite - 2nd only to the Detroit/Chrysler commercial.)

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A few nice things of late:

1. The groundhog did not see his shadow yesterday, which suggests an early spring. (He sees his shadow at least 4x as often as he does not.) Ignore the Steelers comment. It happens in PA - they cannot help themselves. ;)

2. WCM made an outstanding marinara sauce over angel hair pasta last night - honestly the best dish he's ever made. The secret: a *little* cream and sugar to cut the acidity of the tomatoes. Basic spices: garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper. Mmmm!

3. WCM has been letting me sleep these days and letting us order out when my stomach is finicky (almost all the time). Recently I had a pizza phase, which he liked very much. :)

4. Bolthouse Farms Vanilla Chai Tea - my lunch drink made with green tea (no caffeine), containing lots of calcium and protein I'm suppose to be sure to get!

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And the Big News Is...

We are expecting! Little Bean is slightly smaller than one inch. Today we got to see his heart pumping (quickly!) and - as you may be able to tell - his head, body, and budding limbs. His skull is intact and his tiny abdomen looks like it's developing perfectly. The doctor tells us that at this stage (8 weeks) the chances of miscarrying are almost zero. We are very excited! Approx. due date: September 10th.

This photo will give you a better idea of what he looks like right now:

Photo Credit: Patterico.com

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