the time. has come.

Every year, on this day,  Courtney and I come to opposite conclusions. You see. The first day of summer is one of my most favorite things ever. For one, it is the longest day of the year. Two, it marks the official start of the best season. And three. Well, there is no three. Need I say more!?

Courtney, on the other hand, thinks it is actually a little sad, because the days are getting shorter and we are inching our way toward fall (inevitably winter) and away from her favorite season, spring.

Fortunately, being one of five, she's accustomed to compromising, and is more than willing to celebrate the day with me, even if she's secretly having a minor anxiety attack that the leaves are looking just a touch too crispy for her liking.

Tonight after work, I fully intend on being outside for every possible minute. From dinner to dusk, I'll be embracing the daylight, and I hope you can do the same.

Happy summering, you guys!

image

happy birthday crosby!

I don't normally post about birthdays, except my own (selfish? maybe...), but today feels too special to go unmentioned.

Happy, happy, happy birthday sweet Crosby! Just thinking about where we were a year ago brings tears to my eyes and I'm so grateful we are celebrating your first birthday today.

I love you!

float like a butterfly, sting like a bee

When Courtney, Katie and I ran the Chicago marathon in 2007, it was unseasonably hot, inching above 90 degrees, with the race black flagged. One runner died, 30 were hospitalized, more than 400 sought medical attention, and Katie threw up.

Courtney and I both recently admitted we nearly stopped multiple times at the medic stations, terrified because we were no longer sweating, had goosebumps, and were pretty sure our hearts were about to fail. I'm fairly certain the only reason we didn't stop is because we have unrelenting wills that are made possible only because of two parents who think it's normal to do things like paint 100 Willow on their own in the middle of the summer. It's a wild combination. And kind of scary.

That being said, yesterday Duke, Courtney and Ryan did the Tough Mudder in Virginia and Court said it was almost as hard as the '07 thon. Describing it as both awful and awesome, they used those wills of steel (Duke's being stronger than ours. No offense Court. The kid didn't tell anyone he had mono.) to dominate the race.

Afterward they were talking casually about submerging in a steel pool of ice water and climbing through obstacles with electric shocks, and I felt incredibly proud of them and also a teensy tiny bit envious that my foot kept me sidelined.

Unless an intense case of rosy retrospection kicks in, it seems unlikely they'll do the race again. However, if they do, you better believe I'll be right there with them. Let's just hope I can keep up with these champs.

Good job you guys!! I am so proud and impressed! And they even look so cute after a two and a half hour race.

happy happy friday

I straight stole this from Court's blog because I'm obsessed and can think of nothing else. Obsessed. For real.

Could anything make you happier on this Friday? I think not.

Stripes!

we say we aren't competitive...

But on a recent trip to Denver to meet the wonderful, beautiful Diego (of whom I took no pictures. which is sad and lame), Courtney and I engaged in a little lawn mowing competition. We raced to see who could get their half done the fastest and I'd say the videos are better than any description I could offer...

I had so much fun with Courtney and Ashley (and Crosby, Griffin and Diego) and I was rilly sad to leave them, because they're wonderful and fun and the bestest.

marco polo

Last weekend in Virginia, we attended a polo match. It was held at the bottom of mountains in a vineyard and was absolutely gorgeous. 

For some reason we thought we should BYOB, so my mom and I snuck in a bottle of wine. Why we thought we'd need to bring wine to a vineyard is beyond me. We'll chalk it up to the fact that it was a new experience for me...

Also, Finn was an excellent divot stomper...

so long weekend...

Courtney and I had such an amazing weekend together and it left me wanting to SOS my family with this message...

And on a side note, how cute is this bracelet?

via the neotraditionalist & kate spade

Five Reasons to Yaay!

1. It's Friday. 
2. I have my first official house guest this weekend.
3. Her name is Courtney.
4. It's going to be warm and sunny, and we're going to play outside.
5. Even when the weekend is over (sad), it will be OK, because we'll be ONE day away from March.

Happy weekend! What's making you yaay!? 

via erin ever after

babies on the go

Although I'm still far from the world of babies, sometimes I feel like I know a little bit more than the average girl my age, thanks to Courtney and Ashley. 

And while I certainly do not understand the woes of motherhood, I like to think of myself as empathetic, and at the very least, I understand that they experience challenges everyday that make my life look like a cinch.

From boogers to pouters to meltdowns, the world they're living in takes a touch more preparation and patience than my little world of one(ish) does.

So, I couldn't resist blogging about these on-the-go baby changing kits. While they may not yet be necessary in my life, they do fulfill a few of my favorite criteria: cute, efficient, easy to make, great for gifts, and color coordinated.

I'll just file it away for the day when baby bags replace purses and onesies are more thrilling than skirts and dresses.

via lovely design

[no]meatlove

Although I like to give her a hard time for her non-meat-eating ways, Courtney is my favorite vegetarian around.  And even though I think we'd have a grand old time grilling chicken together, I support her decision to love the animals (even if she secretly doesn't want a dog either).

So, today, on Hug a Vegetarian day, I'd like to send her some virtual love.  If I were in Virginia with her, we'd certainly be celebrating this lovely holiday together (probably with froyo, because, let's be serious, we're not vegans). 

And while I tell her (all the time) that I wish she'd join in my carnivorous ways, it takes a very special vegetarian to buy me deli turkey every time I visit. She's certainly a friend of the animals, and of mine.

A special thanks to Erin for telling me about this monumental holiday.
Photo via dolce vita.

Cooking with Skippy

My dad is easily one of the most precise people I've ever met. He measures spaces before he buys furniture for them, he researches products, he tests paint colors...

And all of this creates a stark contrast to my mom and me.

So, when my dad and I decided to host a little HGC cooking show, it was bound to be entertaining. While he suggested I look at the recipe, measure, and test before taking action, I was more into the idea of just dumping in the ingredients and seeing how it all turned out.

However, while I may be impulsive, I'm not afraid to admit his accuracy typically leads to him being correct. So, I let him play chef while I played sous.

First, we made Court's Dried Fruit and Nut Clusters and, for the second batch, we tweaked the recipe by adding peanut butter and vanilla, switching out a few of the fruits, and turning the whole shabang into a dessert.

The actual rolling of the clusters was up to me and the combination of my patience and disliking of sticky hands led to the little guys looking a funny (compare them to Ashley's gems if you dare). But they still tasted decent and we got to take the old Cuisinart for a nice spin. And, of course, it was a lovely activity Skip.

ta da!

After months of searching for a new chair for Ryan's birthday Court was about ready to throw in the towel. However, exactly seven hours before his birthday began, we found the perfect chair.

After sitting in it for about 30 seconds, we threw it in my mom's car and drove it home. While Lily and Finn were napping, we went to work making the chair fit in their house. We rearranged. We turned rugs. We vacuumed. We were sure this chair was perfect and we'd make it fit. We had three hours until Ryan was supposed to be home.

Once we had the room completely flipped upside down and were thoroughly uncertain as to how we'd make this chair work, Ryan called. He - who never gets home from work on time - was on his way home. He'd gotten off a few hours early.

However, if there's anyone who can make a quick rearrange happen, it's my mom. So, under her supervision, she directed us how to put the room back together and somehow, the chair, which seemed a little too big upon first inspection, makes the room look bigger.