First Birthday Review

Yesterday sweet Cordelia turned one. She also has a little cold so she was a bit needy, but she tried so hard to enjoy herself and I believe she did in spite of a couple of teary break downs. We had a small family party of root beer, cake and present opening. Here is a breakdown...

Cordelia (what's with that look) with her Grandma (who wore that same outfit on Cordelia's actual birthday).

The table is set.

Completing my first ever 2 level cake.

A few gifts for the birthday girl.

Your guess is as good as mine. I don't know what's going on here.

Birthday flowers.

The birthday girl with her dad.

The vegan birthday cake.

The birthday girl.

The cake experience was traumatic.

She went and grabbed her own gift and started opening while we were all eating cake. Apparently she grasped the concept.

Cordelia and I opening gifts

Cordelia and her Godmother Erin, with a sweater from Great Grandma Carol.

Eric helping the birthday girl with presents

My family (minus Ben and Sara) watching the gift opening process.

I just wanted to take a moment to thank you all for sharing this year with us!

Cordelia is One Year Old Today!

One year ago today we were gifted with the most amazing little girl. Over the past twelve months we have watched Cordelia grow and learn. We've seen her personality develop. Her first steps, words, teeth. She already has a great sense of humor and fun. This year has been the most amazing year of our lives and we are filled with gratitude as we celebrate her first year today!

September 2009

October 2009

November 2009

December 2009

January 2010

February 2010

March 2010

April 2010

May 2010

June 2010

July 2010

August 2010

September 2010

Godmother/ Friend

Yesterday was delightful and fairly low key. My day was spent talking with my cousin, walking downtown, and playing with Cordelia. My cousin Erin (aka Cordliea's Godmother) is one of those types of friends where we spend a bit of time catching up and then we just move forward, making new memories, picking up where we left off. I really find it quite refreshing. There is none of the awkwardness or being stuck in the past, just the perfect mix of past, present and future.

Do you have friends like that?

Godmother

Last night Cordelia's Godmother Erin arrived, all the way from Chicago! She also happens to be one of my dearest friends and my first cousin. She is here to celebrate Cordelia's very first birthday (on Wednesday) with us. She was last here less than a year ago, but so very much has changed.

Photo from last winter.

What was your weekend like?

Almost

Just a few more days until her first birthday!

Double Date

Last night was date night. We went out on a double date with our friends Andy and Sarah. Eric and I spent a good 30 minutes trying to get ready, neither of us know how to dress for a night on the town in Wyoming. We finally settled on nice jeans and t-shirts after several different combos.

We met with Andy and Sarah at a local bar. We learned that the bar once allowed horses inside. No word on whose responsibility it was to clean up after the horses. Unfortunately there were no horses running through the bar last night. So we enjoyed a drink and soaked up the local color as we caught up on the news.

Later we had dinner reservations at an Italian restaurant. I had sort of an out of body experience when I realized that I am at that point in life where a) We have to plan our evenings around babysitters (thanks Mom and Dad). b) We have dinner reservations. Generally that is not my style. c) We were on a grown up double date. I'm playing it a little fast and loose with the term grown-up, but still.

I spotted a student working at the restaurant. She avoided eye contact. Perhaps it's because she is shaking in her boots about her first test next week!

Dinner was yummy. We had great conversation and then all left to return to family life. We picked up a sweet little lady asleep in her grandmother's arms (her grandmother was watching a Hallmark movie---Oh the humanity!). I couldn't help but think about how much things have changed in the past (almost) year. I treasure our little family, though a night out with friends was a treat as well!

What did you do last night?

Adoption Anniversary-ish

If you knew me five years ago you knew that I really really wanted to adopt a dog. Seriously it was crazy I would talk dog with anyone any time. You could wake me up from a dead sleep and say the word dog and I'd be more than happy to roll out of bed and talk dog until you ran from me screaming for mercy. I really wanted a basset in my heart of hearts, but any dog would do.

Well, you already have heard about the dog that finally joined our family, Miss Bumblebee. We are now at her five year adoptiversary. You can read her full adoption story here.

This year has been a growing experience for Bumblebee. She has had to share the spotlight, but she has done it with such grace (if a wonky footed dog can have grace). She loves her new position as Nurse Bumblebee. She has a new BFF, one who drops food from on high (like manna from heaven). She is my constant companion. Happy adoptiversary to Bumblebee!

Le Fridge

When I go over to people's homes I often get sucked in by all of the stuff on their fridge. Don't you? This morning as I was leaning against the kitchen counter with a cup of orange juice my gaze happened to fall upon our refrigerator and I'm going to be honest, I think it's getting out of hand.

Here we have the right side of the fridge. The clutter is under control, just a cool magnet, made by my friend Elizabeth, and our friend (and vegan cookbook author) Sarah Kramer's awesome calendar!

Here we have the bulk of the problem. The front of the fridge is littered with totally random stuff, yoga class schedules, coupons, cool fortunes from fortune cookies. The arrow on the left is showing the letter Eric received when he passed his French language exam. The arrow on the right is a list of Eric's "film ideas" he said I could share them with you as long as you promise not to copy. Here is the list:

1. The Devil's Bidet or Bidet of the Dead. He envisions this to be a zombie movie where a zombie plague is spread through the use of bidet's.
2. The Point-a film about pointing that turns deadly.
3. Explorers find Atlantis and discover that it is run by Chupacabras.

Anyway, he will occasionally run to this list, laughing, and add another "film idea".

Finally we have the left side of the fridge which is decorated with one lone picture of our van, Grandpa Whiscut.

Is your fridge a mess like ours?

About Sam

When I was 17 or 18, just preparing to leave home for the first time, I was hit one day with the reality that I was coming to the end of all that I had known. Sure, it was a bit dramatic, but I was a teen gal. I had this little epiphany as I was looking at my whole family; I realized that I would soon move out and start on my own adult life (well Eric and I were already a couple, but you get the idea) and I would no longer have that exact life anymore. A life that was home.

Of course now I could wax poetic about the beauty in the transient nature of life, but back then I was filled with a deep and sucking sadness. My brother Sam, then not quite six years old, was at the heart of this sadness. I felt as though I was being a bit cheated. I had gotten a normal brother/sister relationship with my other brother Ben who was closer in age--we'd played and fought and bonded, but I knew I was really missing a lot with Sam. Sam couldn't understand why his big sister, the one he called MomIMeanMaria, was leaving. Ouch it still hurts just to write about it.

Let's fast forward. Over the years we've found our way to stay connected as a family. Ben and his wife Sara see us frequently (thought not frequently enough) while the rest of us are now living in the same town. We have all worked really hard to be a part of each others lives.

Sam and Bumblebee

I have happily entered into a new phase with Sam. He is where I was. He's 17, planning to go off to college on his own next year. He's on the brink.

For now though he spends his mornings with Cordelia and I. He has a break between his classes at the high school and he comes over to my place and just talks. We take walks, play with Cordelia, have coffee, eat lunch, listen to music, whatever. I love seeing the person he is, the one he is becoming. In the back of my mind I know that this isn't forever and that is why I am soaking up every little moment of it. I am also so excited to see where he goes, where life takes him and I hope that the road always leads him back to his family.

Flowers and Projects

I have been super busy lately. I'm not complaining because it's wonderful to have so many enriching projects going on: mothering, being a wife, being a member of my family,preparing art for an upcoming show, editing my thesis, sewing, teaching at the college, maintaining friendships, reading, writing, blogging, and about 11,027 other ongoing projects.

I must admit that it is easy to feel a bit overwhelmed at times with all that I have on my plate. Mu surefire remedy is to go outside and take a little stroll. I look at the natural world, the seasons and everything that was building up seems to quiet and I remember that it's all very small in comparison. I don't know, makes me feel better somehow. Do you have a remedy when you're feeling like you're spread a little thin?

Also, I am so excited that so many of you are into the book sharing I proposed yesterday. Perhaps, if this is successful, we can make it a bit more regular. Anyway if you are interested please send me your mailing address and I will start this list up. I will probably wait a couple of weeks to send it off as I need to get through a few other projects first. I am really excited about this!

Some Random Bits

So today I am just going to be all over the place, because that's how I am feeling this morning...

First off you may or may not know that I am obsessed with ketchup. Recently my mother purchased me a jar of fancy stuff and I was a bit apprehensive about it. Yesterday I finally gave it a try and it was so good that my brain nearly melted. It's not exactly cheap (I could go though a gallon of ketchup in a week with only minimal effort) and they aren't sponsoring me, but I thought I'd share...If you are a ketchup (or catsup if you're a little crazy) person then you might have to try it. You can find it online here.

Now what I really want is an excellent ketchup recipe so I can make my own. I have tried a few times, but with minimal success. I want something really fantastic. Do you have a good recipe? Care to share?

Next on my list is the Kindle (click link if you don't know what I'm talking about). Eric and I have been thinking about buying one for quite some time. We look at it as an opportunity to clear out our books that aren't special editions. I am currently reading 5 books (not including thesis texts) and I would love to have fewer books just sitting around the house. Do you have one? What do you think?

Finally, I have an idea. I am reading a great book and I was thinking that I'd really love to share it. I was thinking perhaps we could do a little pass along here. The idea would be that I would create a list of folks who want to read it. I would then mail the book to the first person on the list and they would send it on to the next person when they were done-- and so on through the entire list. The book would eventually make it's way back to me. Kind of a little tour of the book. perhaps we could all write our names or blogs on the inside cover, even a thought on the book or whatever. Would you be interested?

Bucket Full-o-Baby

Just as the title suggests...

Married Rosetta Stone

We've all seen it, perhaps our parents had it, a married couple, friends who are dating---the secret couples language. The couples language varies from couple to couple. When I started dating Eric long ago I never really intended to develop this unique language, but do we ever have our own language now! I was thinking about it this morning and thought I'd share a bit with you today.

The Rosetta Stone

The Eyes Have It
Eric and I communicate with our eyes, as most couples do. A brief look can pretty much fill a novel. We can communicate almost anything with just a passing glance. Perhaps we are out in public and it's time to go, one quick dart of the eyes and we set a plan in motion. Each playing our part until we've artfully made our escape. Maybe we're just at the store and one of us will make a quick motion with the eyes, the other gets the message, picks up the object and will even have a leg up on the next item to be gathered. The eyes always tell a story.

Body Language
I think this one is the most simple, but also the easiest to misread. We can tell when the other is uncomfortable, happy, hot, cold, annoyed, etc. We've been so close for so long that we can pick up on even the subtlest gesture.

Actual Language
I am just going to say it, I make up a lot of weird words (snain, elboney, goobleyglop, whizzlestick, etc.). I don't do it to be cute or clever. Sometimes I just can't find the word I am looking for. Often this will include some wild gesticulating on my part. Truly this is all to Eric's credit, he's deciphered my Rosetta Stone and can somehow understand what I am trying to say. For instance I will be in the midst of a tale and for some reason the word refrigerator will slip from my brain so I will say (with wild nonsensical gestures)," You know the boxy cold place with the goobleyglop in it." He often won't even give me the word, he'll just nod knowingly and let me continue on with my story. I do this to him on a daily basis, many times over.

The Dance
We also have a dance of sorts. We each do certain things as part of our daily routine and at this point we don't have to say a single word, things just get done. For instance when we pack for a trip I know that Eric will pack all of the electronics and he knows that I will pack all of the food, vitamins, etc. We have it down to an ultimate art form.

While we could possibly carry on a rich and vibrant relationship in near silence I am so happy to say that I love to talk with my husband and I am so glad we have all of these other tools in our arsenal to keep the communication flowing smoothly.

Do you have your own language?

SoDak Day 5 The Great Park Adventures

Yesterday we spent a great deal of time enjoying the great outdoors of SoDak. I loved every minute of it.

(Hold the phone, as I am typing this Cordelia is running back and forth between a piece of bread she is eating and then she is trying to lick my big toe-- in case you wanted to know)

Anyway, we first went to a park near our hotel and just wandered about.

Eric being kind of creepy


Me, myself and I


One of many

Later, after Eric did some more conferencing we went back out. First we hit up Canyon Lake. Looked at water, watched the waterfowl.

At Canyon Lake




Residents of Canyon Lake

Next we went to the formal gardens where we both took tons of photos of flowers (thinking of my Grandpa Joe who took so many pictures of flowers). We played on the swings, looked in awe at the beauty of nature and had an all around good time.

We went out to dinner and returned to the hotel room for a quiet evening in.

Today we return home and I can't wait to see my family and sweet Miss Bumblebee.

Finally, can you believe the car we pulled behind yesterday? Look at the license plates. What are the odds? Of all the cars to pull up behind we pulled behind this one.