Some Goals for 2010

*Learn how to use my sewing machine*

*Swim More*

*Refloor a room in our house*

*Take care of my body and mind*

*Become a better photographer*

Hope everyone has a wonderful new year! What are some of your goals?

New Year, New Projects

Kevin and I have been a little slow to start on our home improvement projects since we moved in, what with the weather being freezing, Kevin being out of town, and then the holidays hit! Well, yesterday we decided to bite the bullet and get working on a project. When we had our inspection done, it was recommended that we fill in some of the holes in the grout in the shower where it had come out. Seemed like an easy project to start with, and we could feel good knowing we did something that will help maintain the integrity of the house structure.

Easy, right. Well, when we started really cleaning and inspecting the tiles, we noticed that the wall underneath the window in the shower moved when you pressed on it. That didn't seem good. We are assuming that the caulking around the seam of the window had come loose, and water had gotten inside of it, and now the plaster or dry wall is water sodden and likely covered in lots of mildew and mold.

The Main Suspect: Missing caulk around the window
There's a lot of mildew in these here parts!

Using a hairdryer to maybe dry it out a little. We don't really know what we're doing! :)

What were just a couple little areas to patch has now become an entire wall that we need to take the tile off, cut out the old wall, put in new wall, and then retile. Retiling the bathroom had been one of my projects that I had hoped to do, in like 3 years. After we refloored the rest of the house, painted all the rooms, got our landscaping done. You know, later. Well, looks like we'll have to do it sometime soon now. We're thinking we'll probably just get all new tile and spiff up the bathroom, which will be nice to pick out our own style. We also discovered that some of the floor next to the tub has become lose from the subfloor, so we'll probably that to put in new floors, too! Yikes! Our tiny little bathroom just became the big focus!

So, yesterday we got started on a stopgap measure to not allow any more moisture to seep into the wall. I cleaned the whole shower tile area really thoroughly, then Kevin scraped out the old caulk around the rim of the tub. Then we went to Home Depot for our weekly trip (funny since we haven't done any real projects, yet we have literally gone every weekend since we moved in!) and got our supplies. Then we got busy caulking the tub and the holes in the grout between the tiles of the wall, and around the window. It was a bit of trial and error, but we pretty much got the hang of it by the end. It only took about an hour of actual caulking, so if any of you have any holes in your tile grout or gaps in your caulking, fix it now, so you don't have to redo your whole bathroom! :) Which will be very interesting for us to do, since we only have one bathroom. Oh, let the adventures of home improvement begin!

I have a caulking gun, and I am not afraid to use it!

Okay, maybe a little afraid, but we'll do it anyway!

Smoothing out the caulk, so fun.

We feel we did an impressive job, considering how not handy we both are! We are trying though, getting our feet wet, and trying not to be afraid to making mistakes. It can always be fixed later, right? :)

Today, Kevin attempted to make our bathroom fan more effective, but discovered it is basically worthless because it doesn't pull any air out, and what little does get pulled out doesn't actually have a vent to escape from. So now we are thinking new fan, plus building a new vent pipe through the roof. Fun! We also managed to pick up about one million paint chips yesterday, and have been agonizing over colors for different rooms. We think we have the bedroom picked out, and possibly the kitchen. Progress! Looking forward to a year of learning about all this crazy house stuff, and getting some work done around here! Next up, cleaning out the garage and cleaning up the garden area.

Babies to Big Boys

Christmas celebration

We are home from visiting all of our family on Bainbridge for Christmas tonight, enjoying the quiet of our little home, digesting all the wonderful food, finding spots for all our wonderful presents, and trying hard not to think about going to work tomorrow. I feel so lucky to have all of my family close by, and that each one of us loves to get together for the holidays, or really any occasion!

This was my first year not waking up with my family on Christmas morning, and while it was definitely different to be with Kevin's family, in a way it felt just like being home. We all woke up when Corbin got up, and headed downstairs to see what his reaction would be to all the goodies Santa left him! He was more excited to look at the reindeer on a chair than his presents, but eventually he got into it! We had a nice long morning of opening gifts, eating breakfast, and enjoying each other's company! Then we headed to my parents house for more gift opening and dinner, and had a great time playing with Nate and Jackson! Here's some photos from the long weekend, hope you had a wonderful holiday!

The Food:
Eggnog cookies, fudge, homemade pizza with friends on Tuesday. Had to show that off even though it wasn't the weekend!

More Food:
Sausage stuffed mushrooms, deviled eggs

The Scene:
Christmas at our new house, frosty morning at the farm, stockings hung by the chimney at my parents' house, brown paper packages tied up with string

Corbin:
Trying out his new bike, showing off his chef's hat, ripping into presents with mama, ripping into presents on his own

Those Silly "S" Boys:
Neal and Kevin yuck it up over a gift, funny brotherly love, Bapa and Corbin read a new book, Kevin and Corbin snuggle up to read

The "D" boys Christmas:
Matt and Jackson show some Sounder pride, Nate ripping open gifts, Jackson completely pooped out

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year to you all!

Babysitting Corbin!

Kevin and I had been feeling like we don't get enough Corbin time what with living 90 miles away, so we offered to go up to Bellingham this weekend to babysit him. Adam and Erin got some much needed alone time, plus baby-free shopping, dinner, and a movie! Kevin and I got to hang out with our littlest nephew, and he is so much fun!!! We had a blast with him, playing with his trucks, drawing, tickling, learning all kinds of words he knows, eating yummy food, and getting a good love in with him. We even put him to bed, without a single cry!

He pretty much calls me "Mae Mae" which is what most little guys call me, although several times we got him to say "Meghan" after we said it to him a few times. But I like being called Mae Mae, so its great either way! He calls Kevin something like "Kahkee." It sounds a lot like "daddy" which we thought he was saying for awhile since Kevin and Adam look so much alike with their beards, but we finally figured out that he was trying to say "Kevin." I bet after Christmas, he'll have a lot better annunciation. But he definitely knows who we each are, which is really exciting!

He knows so many words, I couldn't possibly list them! He knows things like alligator, octopus, and Santa! Such a smartie!

Busy coloring, he likes to draw lots of circles!

What are you doing with a monkey around your neck? :)

Blueberries! Doesn't he look like such a big boy with his new haircut? :)

Helping Dad make pancakes for breakfast this morning!

We hope to make these trips a more regular thing, he's growing up so quickly, and we love being apart of his life! Thanks for loaning us your kid, Adam and Erin!

When we left, it had just started snowing in Bellingham, and continued to dump until we got to Marysville. There were lots of accidents and cars that had spun off the road, so it took a really long time to drive down, but we made it home safe and sound!

It took so long we actually had to go to a rest stop for a bathroom break! Photo op for snow accumulation!

We got home, had some lunch, and immediately headed off in search of Christmas lights! We got a fancy ladder from Kevin's parents last week, and finally had a chance to put them up today. It took many, many, many stores, but we finally got what we needed, and got them up on the house! We still need a couple strands on the tree at the front of the property, but we are pleased with how it all turned out!

It's Christmas time in full swing at our house! Music going all the time, starting to get into the baking spirit, presents getting wrapped and put under the tree, and enjoying finding little ways to decorate our home! :) Can't believe it's only 12 days away!

52 Books in a Year

I set a goal at the beginning of the year to read at least 52 books this year. I knew I read a lot, and mostly I curious to see just how many books I actually read. When I first began this, I was plowing through books like chips through dip, and thought, "Hey, this will be a snap!" Then spring and summer came, and I didn't want to read as much. It became a bit of a chore for awhile, because I really wanted to make my goal, but it wasn't always the thing I most wanted to do! Go figure, I don't actually want to read ALL the time! Just most of it. :)

I also had big plans to review each book I read, but clearly that didn't happen! Life just got in the way, and I was also feeling a bit shy about sharing why I thought a book was good or not so good. I'm pretty opinionated, but I find the enjoyment of books is really private, and depends on so many factors. Earlier in the year, I read all of the Twilight books, which I think if I picked them up now, I would hate them. At the time, however, I was desperate for easy reading, and the story is actually pretty interesting. The writing is horrible, sort of like Dan Brown for me. Good idea, bad execution! There were several books that I started reading this year, but absolutely could not get through and had to quit them. I think if I were to try again on some of them, they might actually be great, but at the time, they weren't what I was in the mood for.

All that said, I'd like to point out what some of my favorites from the year were, and hope that some of you will enjoy them, too!

1. Tender at the Bone by Ruth Reichl - This is a food writings memoir of Reichl's discovery of food as a child and adolescent. As a foodie myself, I've been gravitating towards food writings books this year, and really enjoyed how she weaved the story of her unusual upbringing by an offbalance mother and a meek father with her growing love of cooking and the joy of taste.

2. Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins - The first two books in a trilogy, these teen books center around a young woman in a future America divided into 12 districts with the Capitol ruling over them. Each year, the districts must choose 1 boy and 1 girl to go to the Hunger Games, a fight to the death where there is only one victor. The main character Katniss basically turns it all upside down, and what happens is too good to spoil here. All I can really say about this is you must read them! The third one is coming out in August, which is so ridiculously long to wait!

3. Hands of My Father by Myron Uhlberg - A memoir about growing up the son of two deaf parents, Uhlberg does an astounding job of bringing his father to life for the reader, how his love was conveyed through his hands. One of my favorite moments in the book was when he is describing something his father is signing, and he does so with Yiddish accented signs. The idea of having accented sign language really interested me, and he brings it up a few other times. Guess the linguist in me was coming out!

4. War Dances by Sherman Alexie - I adore Alexie. Actually, I think I am a tiny bit in love with him. Kevin and I were invited to hear him speak at Town Hall right after the release of this book, and seeing him in person reading his work brought me to a whole new level of adoration! He is hilarious and self-deprecating, brilliant and humble. And he's pretty darn cute! This book is basically several short stories, each capturing such unique moments in different characters lives. Some are poems, others prose, and I loved every last one of them. He described this book as a mix tape, which I think is a brilliant descriptions of this collection. Read him, read all of him! :)

5. City of Thieves by David Benioff - The tale of two Russian men sent on a mission to find a dozen eggs for a general's daughter's wedding cake during WWII, the characters go through incredible ups and downs, insane close encounters, and form an unlikely bond. It is a quick read, but the story is packed with goodies. It made me laugh out loud, as well as cry, which is one of my favorite things to happen when I read a book.

6. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell - This was a really fun read about Powell's year of cooking her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I haven't seen the movie yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Powell is really funny, and this book actually helped me stick with my resolution to read 52 books this year. I mean, she made crazy stuff! I can read a few books in a year. :) She has a new book out called Cleaving that I am not sure I want to read. She apparently has an affair, and I just can't stand the idea of her husband being hurt. He was so sweet and supportive! Boo on adultery!

7. Hunting and Gathering by Anna Gavalda - A French Bestseller, Gavalda writes the story of a ragtag trio of unlikely roommates who fall in together through a series of events. They are a dysfunctional family of sorts, and I loved every minute of this book. We read it for my book group, and we all loved it, although many members did not like the way the book ended. Without giving it away, I was one who loved the ending, and think Gavalda made the right choice for her characters.

8. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Another young adult read, the novel takes place during WWII in Germany, following the story of one family, with the twist that it is told from the perspective of Death. It is haunting, and beautiful, and so full of incredible imagery. I highly recommend this as well.

9. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery - Also a French novel, Hedgehog is a dense book full of philosophy and art and a lot of things I didn't really understand. But it didn't matter, because the heart of this book is the relationship between and young girl and a middle aged woman who forge a friendship that will break your heart. Oh this one made me cry and cry and cry! So good!

10. The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz - Actually three books so far, with a fourth due out in March, the Spellmans are a family of private investigators who just can't seem to stay out of each other's business. The main character, Isabel, is a lovable, hilarious, irresponsible twenty something who is fed up with her family digging into her life. But shaking them is tough, and Isabel herself is no saint. There are mysteries weaved into each of the books, but the real story in the family itself. Loved every one of them!

There, I did it! Brief, not necessarily that informative, but now you know which books I really loved. Now I will go back to reading book #53, Angela's Ashes, and think about what sort of challenge I should put down for next year! Happy reading!

The 2009 List:

• 53. Angela's Ashes
• 52. Ford County
  
• 51. Vanishing Acts
• 50. Jennifer Johnson is Sick of Being Single
• 49. Tender at the Bone
• 48. Catching Fire
• 47. The Hunger Games
• 46. Hands of My Father
• 45. The Girl Next Door
• 44. War Dances
• 43. Lost in a Good Book
• 42. Juliet, Naked
• 41. The Lost Symbol
• 40. Straight Man
• 39. The Art of Racing In the Rain
• 38. The Geography of Bliss
• 37. Her Fearful Symmetry
• 36. The Friday Night Knitting Club
• 35. Shanghai Girls
• 34. Bitter is the New Black
• 33. City of Thieves
• 32. Julie and Julia
• 31. Geek Love
• 30. Fat Girl
  
• 29. The Book Thief
  
• 28. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
  
• 27. Dune Road
  
• 26. All About Lulu
  
• 25. Pretty in Plaid
  
• 24. Hunting and Gathering
  
• 23. Between the Bridge and the River
  
• 22. Watermelon
  
• 21. Breaking Dawn
  
• 20. Eclipse
  
• 19. Real Life and Liars
  
• 18. New Moon
  
• 17. The Eyre Affair
  
• 16. Twilight
  
• 15. Stiff
  
• 14. A Homemade Life
  
• 13. The Invention of Hugo Cabret
  
• 12. Handle with Care
  
• 11. Safer
  
• 10. Thanks for the Memories
  
• 9. The Bean Trees
  
• 8. My Sister's Keeper
  
• 7. Revenge of the Spellmans
  
• 6. The Elegance of the Hedgehog
  
• 5. The Appeal
  
• 4. The Curse of the Spellmans
  
• 3. The Spellman Files
  
• 2. Coraline
  
• 1. The 19th Wife
  

More Holiday Cheer!

We awoke Saturday morning to the news that we were going to have a second Thanksgiving celebration with Kevin's parents, who were heading home from Bellingham. We were charged with the task of getting the turkey started, and between us and Neal, I think we did a mighty fine job! It was a beautiful turkey, and tasted awesome, too! We stuffed it and everything! Yay us!

Not bad for our first try! It was nice to have a no pressure attempt, as everyone has already had Thanksgiving round 1!

Kevin learning the ways of hacking, ahem, carving the turkey!

Stir that gravy sir!

Voila! Dinner is served! What lucky people we are to have so much family and love to share! Thank you to Susan, Mark, and Neal for celebrating with us!

On Sunday, Erin drove down from Bellingham with Melissa and Joanne, and we girls all headed off to make wreaths at Bainbridge Gardens, one of my favorite new traditions! I love getting to spend a bit of time with Susan and enjoy all the the wonderful clippings from her gardens, and at the end of the day, I get to take home a wonderful wreath!

Erin, Melissa, and Joanne take a break from the wreath extravaganza. Joanne is a record pace setting wreath maker, and Melissa kept stride right with her. Susan, Erin, and I are a bit slower, but I still managed to get two wreaths done this year!

Wreath #1 for my door

And Wreath #2 for my mom and dad's door!

We headed back to Shoreline Sunday night, after we picked out and cut our tree down from the few remaining trees from the Christmas tree farm that Kevin's family had when he was young. Kevin and I love to decorate our tree, sip a little eggnog, and listen to tons of Christmas music! Our tree looks perfect in our new house!

I like this, Kevin looks like a giant!

Sadly, my wreath does not get to hang on the front door as I had daydreamed about, because when we went to put a nail in, we discovered that the door is actually metal! Whoops! It has found a nice home next to the door though, and I am pleased with how festive our house is beginning to look! Now to get started on all the shopping!