December 11, 2007
Flickr Holiday Favorites
December 7, 2007
December 6, 2007
I guess I need to just jump back into this blog with both feet. You may wonder what spurred this rare entry and honestly, it's because I dropped Sean off at the airport earlier to fly to Christchurch. He's head instructor at Senior Guard School this weekend. What can I say, there's nothing else to do but watch Magnum, P.I., but I'm being unselfish and saving the episodes so we can watch them together. Otherwise I'd have to sit through repeats (which when I think of it, the gesture isn't really that unselfish of me). It doesn't seem to me like there is a lot to say about life right now, and that is perfectly fine with me. After almost two years of change it is nice to just have a normal routine. There are times, however, when I pause and look around only to realize that I am nowhere near Southern California. My inner monologue reads something like, "God, I'm so glad you know what your doing moving me over here, because I still have no idea what the future holds. But thank you." I am more than blessed by my husband and being away from where I grew up. Obviously this doesn't mean I don't miss home. Assuredly I am and will continue to miss family and friends and places, especially around Christmas. It's sometimes exciting and fun and sometimes mentally and emotionally challenging to move into others' traditions when you really like yours. haha. But our first Christmas as marrieds means our first Christmas tree.
And our first budgeted presents. It's funny looking back at last year. There were some bigger spends when there was extra money to spoil each other. I'm not worried about this year, though. As sickening as it may sound, we're just happy to have each other and a great home together and we're not to worried about presents. Buying for OTHERS is a different story, though. It has always been difficult to buy for my family, so this year is no different. Add to that being gone for over 3 months now and who knows what they're hoping to find under the tree.
Thanks for the decorations, Mom and Dad. I know I can always count on you for seasonal decor along with bags of marshmallows, oversized bottles of A1 and Hidden Valley Ranch from Costco. It's nice to be taken care of.
The second annual New Zealand Thanksgiving went well. Turkey was slightly overcooked I think, but it still tasted marvelous, just a couple of hard spots which were easily bypassed during carving. Menu: Turkey, Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Whip, Cranberry Jelly, Cornbread Muffins, Dinner Rolls and Pumpkin Pie. Ta Daaaa. I made the muffins and pie the night before after work (I get home at 7:30ish) and was up until around 11. Ha. Mostly waiting for the pie to cook.
The "Thanksgiving Table" long after Thanksgiving was over. It's a half-hearted attempt to recreate the table setting because I forgot to take a proper picture before dinner. Boo, I know. But you can get a basic idea anyway. I found that smaller tablecloth at a hospice shop. $10 and nearly matched my existing tablecloth exactly. I did get some wax on it at dinner. It got into the fibers so I don't know if I can get it out or not. It's not too bad, but it's there. Any tips? I tried ice, but it's well into the weave of the fabric, so it didn't really help. I suppose I could look it up online.
We got a "new" coffee table recently. Sean sanded it down and urethaned the legs and the skirting underneath the top. Unfortunately, the top is MDF veneer, so the bevelled edges show pure fiberboard. And it is obviously not the same (solid) wood as the skirting and legs. We've decided to find as similar a stain as possible to the color of the urethaned wood and stain the top and then urethane it. We'll see how it works out. If it bombs, we'll have to paint at least the top. Who knows. Worth a shot. Anyway, it's sitting in the garage waiting for us (me) to find the right stain and get down to brass tacks. It should (when finished) resemble our dining table in style and (a similar – redder) color.
Well, that's all for now.
Jessica, I can't wait to see you in just over 3 weeks!
Mom, Dad, Tawny, Travis, June and Dan, I love you. WE love you.
And our first budgeted presents. It's funny looking back at last year. There were some bigger spends when there was extra money to spoil each other. I'm not worried about this year, though. As sickening as it may sound, we're just happy to have each other and a great home together and we're not to worried about presents. Buying for OTHERS is a different story, though. It has always been difficult to buy for my family, so this year is no different. Add to that being gone for over 3 months now and who knows what they're hoping to find under the tree.
Thanks for the decorations, Mom and Dad. I know I can always count on you for seasonal decor along with bags of marshmallows, oversized bottles of A1 and Hidden Valley Ranch from Costco. It's nice to be taken care of.
The second annual New Zealand Thanksgiving went well. Turkey was slightly overcooked I think, but it still tasted marvelous, just a couple of hard spots which were easily bypassed during carving. Menu: Turkey, Green Bean Casserole, Mashed Potatoes, Sweet Potato Whip, Cranberry Jelly, Cornbread Muffins, Dinner Rolls and Pumpkin Pie. Ta Daaaa. I made the muffins and pie the night before after work (I get home at 7:30ish) and was up until around 11. Ha. Mostly waiting for the pie to cook.
The "Thanksgiving Table" long after Thanksgiving was over. It's a half-hearted attempt to recreate the table setting because I forgot to take a proper picture before dinner. Boo, I know. But you can get a basic idea anyway. I found that smaller tablecloth at a hospice shop. $10 and nearly matched my existing tablecloth exactly. I did get some wax on it at dinner. It got into the fibers so I don't know if I can get it out or not. It's not too bad, but it's there. Any tips? I tried ice, but it's well into the weave of the fabric, so it didn't really help. I suppose I could look it up online.
We got a "new" coffee table recently. Sean sanded it down and urethaned the legs and the skirting underneath the top. Unfortunately, the top is MDF veneer, so the bevelled edges show pure fiberboard. And it is obviously not the same (solid) wood as the skirting and legs. We've decided to find as similar a stain as possible to the color of the urethaned wood and stain the top and then urethane it. We'll see how it works out. If it bombs, we'll have to paint at least the top. Who knows. Worth a shot. Anyway, it's sitting in the garage waiting for us (me) to find the right stain and get down to brass tacks. It should (when finished) resemble our dining table in style and (a similar – redder) color.
Well, that's all for now.
Jessica, I can't wait to see you in just over 3 weeks!
Mom, Dad, Tawny, Travis, June and Dan, I love you. WE love you.
June 2, 2007
Wedding Update
Hello from Southern California. I've been back home for a month now and have made a bit of progress with wedding plans. The wedding and reception venue was booked before I left Auckland, but I now have invitations printed for both the US ceremony and the NZ reception dinner. I also found a dress which is on order at the moment. There are plenty of things that still need to be done, but it is good to know that things are well underway and that time is moving closer to the actual wedding day. Which means the day Sean and his parents arrive from NZ is even closer! YAY! It's not that fun being apart from your fiancee for the 3 months before your wedding. At least he'll be here for the week prior to the big day. I'm working out plenty and trying to watch what I eat. Unfortunately that sometimes means watching the bad stuff as I shovel it into my mouth. I am, however, seeing a difference in my appearance from where I started that really motivates me to keep working!
That's all for now, I'll try to keep you updated as I make more progress.
That's all for now, I'll try to keep you updated as I make more progress.
April 18, 2007
rats
all that time working with babies and toddlers before,
and I think that NOW I have conjuctivitis.
from using my contacts too long. and changing my solution.
i think it's just allergic though, because it comes and goes when I wear contacts.
there has, needless to say, been a lot of glasses-wearing lately.
off to the chemist for some eye drops and renu contact lens solution!
and I think that NOW I have conjuctivitis.
from using my contacts too long. and changing my solution.
i think it's just allergic though, because it comes and goes when I wear contacts.
there has, needless to say, been a lot of glasses-wearing lately.
off to the chemist for some eye drops and renu contact lens solution!
April 16, 2007
So, I know it's been like a decade and a half since I left you all hanging with my little "thumbs up" picture. I guess it just goes to show how dedicated I am to documenting important milestones in my life so that others can share in my joy.
So recap. I'm engaged. Sean proposed to me at Tairua on the beach (where we first met) on February 24th (23rd for all you Americans). We were set to have a picnic breakfast at sunrise on Paku (a hill with glorious views) but much to Sean's and my dismay another couple decided to hike up at exactly the same time and beat us to the top (ruining our chances for a nice solitary romantic moment) so we turned around and went back to the house. I thought maybe he was going to propose and that was why he was so upset, but he told me later that day he wasn't planning on proposing then so I was like, what the hey, why not?!? I wasn't really expecting him to propose later that day after all of that, but when we got to the rocks at the south end of the beach, I thought it might be coming. It was coming. I don't really want to give everything away because it's sort of clumsy to write in a blog, but I'm happy to tell anyone any further details that they may require. Suffice to say it was wonderful and I said yes.
Some of you probably have already recieved "save the date" cards for the wedding in the mail. Because of the venue we are restricted to 40 people in total at the wedding. The seating at the reception is near the same, so please don't be sad if you weren't invited. We are going to have a party for all of our friends before the wedding so that we can celebrate with everyone.
I'll be flying home two weeks from today (that puts me in Orange County on May 1st). There are plenty of things left to plan and plenty of weight to lose before the big day! I'm really excited to be coming home for awhile being as I won't be back for a year after the wedding. I can't wait to see my family and friends and it's funny how much I've missed the food and shopping back in California. Sometimes I just want a bean and cheese burrito from Taco Bell and a walk around Target. The weather is getting cooler here and it's going to be great to have another summer. It will be fitting to have that time to transition being as I've had so many wonderful memories in the California summer sunshine. I don't want to eulogize myself here, it's not like I'll never be back, but there's that feeling that life is changing. It's happy and sad all at the same time.
Anyway, I will see you all soon, and that makes me glad.
So recap. I'm engaged. Sean proposed to me at Tairua on the beach (where we first met) on February 24th (23rd for all you Americans). We were set to have a picnic breakfast at sunrise on Paku (a hill with glorious views) but much to Sean's and my dismay another couple decided to hike up at exactly the same time and beat us to the top (ruining our chances for a nice solitary romantic moment) so we turned around and went back to the house. I thought maybe he was going to propose and that was why he was so upset, but he told me later that day he wasn't planning on proposing then so I was like, what the hey, why not?!? I wasn't really expecting him to propose later that day after all of that, but when we got to the rocks at the south end of the beach, I thought it might be coming. It was coming. I don't really want to give everything away because it's sort of clumsy to write in a blog, but I'm happy to tell anyone any further details that they may require. Suffice to say it was wonderful and I said yes.
Some of you probably have already recieved "save the date" cards for the wedding in the mail. Because of the venue we are restricted to 40 people in total at the wedding. The seating at the reception is near the same, so please don't be sad if you weren't invited. We are going to have a party for all of our friends before the wedding so that we can celebrate with everyone.
I'll be flying home two weeks from today (that puts me in Orange County on May 1st). There are plenty of things left to plan and plenty of weight to lose before the big day! I'm really excited to be coming home for awhile being as I won't be back for a year after the wedding. I can't wait to see my family and friends and it's funny how much I've missed the food and shopping back in California. Sometimes I just want a bean and cheese burrito from Taco Bell and a walk around Target. The weather is getting cooler here and it's going to be great to have another summer. It will be fitting to have that time to transition being as I've had so many wonderful memories in the California summer sunshine. I don't want to eulogize myself here, it's not like I'll never be back, but there's that feeling that life is changing. It's happy and sad all at the same time.
Anyway, I will see you all soon, and that makes me glad.
February 24, 2007
February 7, 2007
Up From the Grave She Arose
No, I’m not dead! Hooray!
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Festivous Auckland Anniversary Weekend, Jolly Waitangi Day, roll on President’s Day, and various other holidays. What a blur. I have had a busy and happy (for the most part) holiday season. I have been painfully absent from the blogging scene, but hopefully that will improve steadily.
Christmas was wonderful. I got many great presents including a watch, cell phone and 4 days in Sydney which Sean and I just returned from on Tuesday (well, early Wednesday morning). Then My parents came to visit. What a present that was! Aside from all the presents they brought for me and others, the most amazing gift was being able to spend time with them and feel familial love and understanding around me. We spent a lot of time in Tairua but also made our way down tot he middle ofthe north island to take my dad on a fly fishing excursion that Sean planned. It was great to see my dad having a great time. He never gets to go fishing and I’m glad we were able to surprise him. I was really sad to see them go, but I know I’ll see them again rather soon. Can you believe I’ve been away for 6 months already? I’m scheduled to come back in just 3 short months. Many of you have been praying for me and for Sean. I truly appreciate all the prayers that have been directed for our benefit. This time has been wonderful and extremely trying at times. Let’s hear it for growing up! While I still feel three feet tall in most situations, I have learned to stand on my own two feet a lot more than I used to be able to. My mental state is probably still touch-and-go, but I’m trying to just take one thing at a time. It’s really all that I can handle and can be extremely humbling and stressful. Enough! On to the stuff you want to hear about.
Sydney was wonderful. It was so delicious to get away and spend some time having fun and not thinking about the future too much. The first day we walked and walked. Saw The Rocks and the Opera House in the morning, then we took the train (subway/tube-esque) to about the middle of the city and then walked to a Saturday market. We didn’t know exactly where it was, and on the way we passed through a very gay end of town. I think that it was the highest concentration of gay males that I have ever thad the opportunity to be around. Anyway, we finally made it to the market and it was really neato. Independent-y fashion but not too pretentious and some cool products being sold. We bought a lamp that you assemble yourself from sheets of like frosted plastic that you wrap into cylinders and stack to form a striped pattern. (looks cooler than it sounds) I also bought a couple of frosted glass rings made from thin segments of old wine bottle necks (a spanish glass color and a traditional dark-green).
Day two saw us at The Rocks (think artisan mixed with useless) and Paddy’s (think kitschy and cheap) Markets and then Bondi Beach in the afternoon. Once we made our way to Bondi (slightly confusing/aggrivating and warm) it was beautiful. The water was refreshing and it was nice to lay out on the sand and relax. I also managed to get to the Target at Bondi Junction which, let me tell you, has nothing on the US’s Target. I was sorely disappointed.
Day Three: Sean’s 25th birthday! We shopped in the middle of the city and Sean lied and told me he had bought me a giant Bulgari ring. I didn’t actually believe him. We then went out to dinner for his Birthday at King Street Wharf in Darling Harbour. It wasn’t the fanciest or most expensive meal but it was the best one we ate while we were there. Great atmosphere once we got out of the sun, great food, and great company! (Insert - On day one or two we also went across the ferry in the evening to Luna Park and I had my first ferris wheel ride - I completely freaked out at the beginning, but settled down enought to enjoy myself for the rest of the ride) After dinner we changed into more comfortable clothes (we had dressed up slightly) and got some gelato from a place we had discovered on day one. We then walked around the botanical gardens and watched many, many bats winging between the trees.
Day four we took the ferry to Manly Beach after checking out of the hotel and spent the day walking around and laying on the beach. The afternoon was all transport and airport. We got back to the house by shuttle at around 2am. SIGH*
And now it’s back to the real world. Sean’s house is in escrow. Somone offered way more than he thought he’d get which is epic. We’re house hunting for him now. Job hunting, house hunting, trying to get another work permit so I can come back. Stress. But, the great thing is, I love that man.
Will edit soon with pictures added, but I never know when I'll get internet on my laptop so I'm posting the words now.
Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, Festivous Auckland Anniversary Weekend, Jolly Waitangi Day, roll on President’s Day, and various other holidays. What a blur. I have had a busy and happy (for the most part) holiday season. I have been painfully absent from the blogging scene, but hopefully that will improve steadily.
Christmas was wonderful. I got many great presents including a watch, cell phone and 4 days in Sydney which Sean and I just returned from on Tuesday (well, early Wednesday morning). Then My parents came to visit. What a present that was! Aside from all the presents they brought for me and others, the most amazing gift was being able to spend time with them and feel familial love and understanding around me. We spent a lot of time in Tairua but also made our way down tot he middle ofthe north island to take my dad on a fly fishing excursion that Sean planned. It was great to see my dad having a great time. He never gets to go fishing and I’m glad we were able to surprise him. I was really sad to see them go, but I know I’ll see them again rather soon. Can you believe I’ve been away for 6 months already? I’m scheduled to come back in just 3 short months. Many of you have been praying for me and for Sean. I truly appreciate all the prayers that have been directed for our benefit. This time has been wonderful and extremely trying at times. Let’s hear it for growing up! While I still feel three feet tall in most situations, I have learned to stand on my own two feet a lot more than I used to be able to. My mental state is probably still touch-and-go, but I’m trying to just take one thing at a time. It’s really all that I can handle and can be extremely humbling and stressful. Enough! On to the stuff you want to hear about.
Sydney was wonderful. It was so delicious to get away and spend some time having fun and not thinking about the future too much. The first day we walked and walked. Saw The Rocks and the Opera House in the morning, then we took the train (subway/tube-esque) to about the middle of the city and then walked to a Saturday market. We didn’t know exactly where it was, and on the way we passed through a very gay end of town. I think that it was the highest concentration of gay males that I have ever thad the opportunity to be around. Anyway, we finally made it to the market and it was really neato. Independent-y fashion but not too pretentious and some cool products being sold. We bought a lamp that you assemble yourself from sheets of like frosted plastic that you wrap into cylinders and stack to form a striped pattern. (looks cooler than it sounds) I also bought a couple of frosted glass rings made from thin segments of old wine bottle necks (a spanish glass color and a traditional dark-green).
Day two saw us at The Rocks (think artisan mixed with useless) and Paddy’s (think kitschy and cheap) Markets and then Bondi Beach in the afternoon. Once we made our way to Bondi (slightly confusing/aggrivating and warm) it was beautiful. The water was refreshing and it was nice to lay out on the sand and relax. I also managed to get to the Target at Bondi Junction which, let me tell you, has nothing on the US’s Target. I was sorely disappointed.
Day Three: Sean’s 25th birthday! We shopped in the middle of the city and Sean lied and told me he had bought me a giant Bulgari ring. I didn’t actually believe him. We then went out to dinner for his Birthday at King Street Wharf in Darling Harbour. It wasn’t the fanciest or most expensive meal but it was the best one we ate while we were there. Great atmosphere once we got out of the sun, great food, and great company! (Insert - On day one or two we also went across the ferry in the evening to Luna Park and I had my first ferris wheel ride - I completely freaked out at the beginning, but settled down enought to enjoy myself for the rest of the ride) After dinner we changed into more comfortable clothes (we had dressed up slightly) and got some gelato from a place we had discovered on day one. We then walked around the botanical gardens and watched many, many bats winging between the trees.
Day four we took the ferry to Manly Beach after checking out of the hotel and spent the day walking around and laying on the beach. The afternoon was all transport and airport. We got back to the house by shuttle at around 2am. SIGH*
And now it’s back to the real world. Sean’s house is in escrow. Somone offered way more than he thought he’d get which is epic. We’re house hunting for him now. Job hunting, house hunting, trying to get another work permit so I can come back. Stress. But, the great thing is, I love that man.
Will edit soon with pictures added, but I never know when I'll get internet on my laptop so I'm posting the words now.
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