thankful list | July 2016

01. a quiet day in the office, heading into a long weekend.
02. brownie chips for my birthday breakfast (thanks, Oaks!).
03. Ian's birthday gift: a 3D printed planter he made himself and a pencil cactus.
04. lunch at Roxy's.
05. an afternoon full of my favorite stores (Niche! David's Tea!)
06. a drive along the Charles River with the windows down and Mutemath blasting.
07. ice cream at Toscanini's.
08. an evening at the Middle East to watch our friend compete at air guitar.
09. a great morning at REUNION.
10. time to prep for our birthday slash Independence Day party without too much stress.
11. time with so many people we love dearly.
12. Ian's new grill, for cooking up great burgers.
13. watching fireworks in Waltham (we were so close, I had firework bits in my hair).
14. getting home in time to watch the Boston fireworks on TV.
15. heading back to Brookline to celebrate a friend's birthday.
16. snacks from Sofra.
17. a great DR teambuilding meeting.
18. Follain.
19. REUNION's Live It Out event (we spent the morning working along the Charles River).
20. the Live It Out afterparty picnic.
21. hors d'oeuvres at Branch Line.
22. Astrid's cuteness.
23. a fancified laundry area, thanks to a new rug and trash can.
24. lunch after church with a good friend.
25. an evening hanging out with our community group.
26. construction signs for the new office chicken coop.
27. outdoor movie night at the office.
28. dinner with the Drs. Hu (who we don't see as often as we'd like).
29. Shake Shack and successful errands.
30. a DR team sendoff at REUNION.
31. brunch with a new friend.
32. ice cream.
33. a beautiful evening walk through Christian Science Center.
34. a successful DR trip packing party.
35. ending up with all the trip supplies despite a few snafus.
36. dinner by the water with our new friend.
37. seeing the DR team off at the airport (we did it!).
38. a much needed date night at our beloved Orinoco.
39. a friend's birthday party at Sweet Cheeks.
40. those biscuits.
41. old friends moving in down the street.
42. after a fiasco with a clothing purchase, getting everything sorted out.
43. Ian, always.

thankful list | June 2016

Life felt a bit overwhelming in June, so I'm clinging to this list a little harder.

01. an amazing community group
02. lunch along the river with Ian.
03. all the water fowl that hilariously at my leftover bread.
04. a successful day of errands.
05. a (more) complete capsule wardrobe (flipped to summer!).
06. Super Cluckin Sunday.
07. a Russo's fueled cooking extravaganza with friends.
08. a good DR team meeting.
09. a quick breakfast with Kelly.
10. a good dental appointment.
11. shopping at the Brookline Trader Joe's, for old time's sake.
12. strawberry fusilli with homemade basil.
13. a mostly painless trip to the vet for Astrid (just a minor ear infection).
14. our explosion of ferns.
15. a final weekend on the Cape before our family officially moves.
16. Roxy's on the drive.
17. hanging out with Pfluff and Ming.
18. our first trip to Martha's Vineyard.
19. peonies.
20. crab cakes.
21. warm sand and ocean waves.
22. ice cream at Katie's with Grandma Judy.
23. compost planning at the office.
24. yoga.
25. a great late night chat with Micki.
26. after one of the craziest mornings at the office maybe ever, time with family.
27. Ian (happy birthday!)
28. rest.
29. a new house in the Denver area.
30. lunch at Centro and Finding Dory with Micki and Grandma Judy.
31. a grapefruit rosemary spritzer.
32. time to plan a belated surprise birthday party.
33. brunch at The Kitchen.
34. strolling on Pearl Street.
35. the guys (and kitties) arriving safely in Colorado.
36. brunch as a family (Em, we missed you!).
37. my dads (original and in-law!).
38. old photos.
39. talking to Grandma on what would have been Grandpa's 95th birthday.
40. a comfortable bed.
41. the movers (so we didn't have to do the heavy lifting).
42. quality time with Ren.
43. time for Ian and I to sneak out to see Finding Dory (yes, again).
44. made beds and a (somewhat) put together kitchen.
45. the almost two years of living so close to family.
46. safe flights.
47. not getting stuck overnight in JFK.
48. our own bed.
49. G and H's attempts to coax Astrid out from under the bed.
50. the joy of 1600+ balloons in the Sasaki Gallery.
51. a quiet evening.
52. Ryan and Kelly, for all their help in pulling off Ian's surprise birthday party.
53. pulling off the surprise part (because I'm a terrible liar).
54. all the friends who helped make it amazing.
55. strawberries, especially in Smitten Kitchen's strawberry summer cake.
56. an all-afternoon Sunday nap.
57. clean laundry.
58. Astrid.
59. The Hulu app on our TV. game changer.

a day on Martha's Vineyard

Before the impending move, Micki really wanted us and Grandma Judy to experience Martha's Vineyard together (we'd never been and neither had Grandma Judy). So the last weekend before their big move to Colorado, Ian and I headed to the Cape for a final hurrah. We arrived Friday evening, and woke up bright and early the next day to catch the Island Queen Ferry. It was a beautiful day, and so we picked seats on the upper deck to enjoy the views. And we even saw a biplane fly-by!



A short 30 minutes later, we arrived on Martha's Vineyard. Micki had a full day planned for us, to make the most of our time. We strolled around Oaks Bluff (after picking up some Murdick's Fudge and caramel corn to sustain us). The gingerbread cottages were particularly fascinating. The cluster of tiny, ornate houses started out as a summertime Methodist campground with open air revivals. Lodging for the revivals started out in tents, which were eventually replaced by permanent structures. From the outside, it's hard to believe these tiny summer cottages, built in the mid-1800s, have transitioned into modern homes.



We made our way to the bus stop to get to our next destination — the Polly Hill Arboretum — but due to some unlucky timing, we ended up taking a cab. We spent a few hours wandering the grounds, and it turns out we were there at an incredible time. All of the peonies were in full bloom, and we saw some incredible trees in bloom as well, like the dogwood allée, and the giant Julian magnolia.



We finished up just in time for the private island tour Micki had scheduled with a local guide. He picked us up at the arboretum, and we spent the next few hours driving all over the island. We picked up some chowder and crab cakes at Larsen's Fish Market, visited the Gay Head Cliffs and Lighthouse, passed lots of locations where Jaws filmed, and learned more of the local history and culture. We finished up back in Oaks Bluff with just enough time before the ferry to make an ice cream pit stop.



The next day, back on the Cape, we stuffed ourselves at the Old Yarmouth Inn's brunch buffet before beach hopping the afternoon away, and ending up, as we usually do, at Katie's for ice cream.



Micki and Grandma Judy, thanks so much for making our first trip to the Vineyard such a great one. We're going to miss our New England adventures with you!

Memorial Weekend adventures around Boston

Micki and Grandma Judy headed our way to spend the long weekend in Boston, as part of our attempt to squeeze in as many sights and fun memories as possible before they move to Denver this summer (#denial).

Saturday included a stop at our favorite sandwich shop followed by an afternoon at the Gardner Museum. It was their first time there, and they loved it! As a return visitor, I especially appreciated the Off the Wall exhibition. The second floor in the original building is under renovation, but they temporarily moved some of the key pieces into a gallery in the new wing so patrons could still view them. It was so interesting to get a closer view of some those famous paintings in a modern museum setting (i.e. at eye level with optimal lighting and more information and context), along with larger prints and the history of the famous stolen paintings. And no visit would be complete without stopping by El Jaleo, the courtyard, and the greenhouse.



Sunday was overcast, but after church we headed to the Crane Estate in Ipswich. A wealthy industrialist purchased the land in the early 1900s as a summer retreat, and built a gigantic mansion in  the 1920s. Walking through the house and grounds made me feel like I was stepping into The Great Gatsby. We strolled the long lawn to take in some beautiful ocean views, then found the path down to the beach. I love gray days on the beach — it's empty and quiet and hauntingly beautiful.



Before heading back to Boston, we stopped for dinner at the Clam Box, which apparently is an institution. We waited in line, but it was worth it. I'd recommend the fish and chips!

Monday (I love long weekends!) we visited the Harvard Museum of Natural History. The highlight was the renovated Blaschka glass exhibit, showcasing Harvard's rare and priceless collection of botanical samples crafted in glass. A first look is unimpressive: they're just plants. But the Blaschkas' skill to craft glass into something so delicate, beautiful, and lifelike remains unmatched.



After wandering around the museum, we grabbed lunch at the nearby food trucks and Micki and Grandma Judy headed home. We'll miss them dearly when they're gone, but we're so thankful we can make the most of their remaining time in Massachusetts!

thankful list | May 2016

01. post-wedding brunch at Nathan + Sara's house.
02. lunch with my parents.
03. hanging out with Karemy and Emma: we picked up where we left off, with one small addition.
04. driving by some of our favorite KC spots
05. dinner with mom and dad.
06. breakfast with Megan and Ollie.
07. a short, quick flight home.
08. a clothing swap with co-workers, which are always fun.
09. a birthday party for G, who turned four (what?!).
10. REUNION's leadership community.
11. a Home Depot and lunch run to prep for the afternoon.
12. a freshly painted kitchen (thanks, Micki!).
13. Toscanini's to celebrate.
14. a good morning at REUNION.
15. Mother's Day brunch at Sofra with Micki (Mom, I wish you could have been there too!).
16. a drizzly trip to Mount Auburn Cemetery.
17. a free repair for loose stitches on my favorite jeans.
18. unexpectedly finding the pendant light we wanted for the kitchen after it looked discontinued.
19. an impromptu dinner date at Tiger Mama.
20. the pig rice at Tiger Mama.
21. a Skype session with Luis and Torre: so good to see those faces.

22. celebrating our friend Ryan finishing his AREs.

23. Astrid lounging by our feet in the wee hours of the morning.
24. a fun multi-family rummage sale.

25. extra space after selling some old furniture that wasn't working in our new place.

26. a sidewalk chalk mani/pedi from two tiny nail technicians.
27. Nate, for helping us sand the garage doors in preparation for paint.

28. $2 meatball subs at Joe's.

29. beautiful spring weather.
30. a big setup team at REUNION that allowed us to handle some extra work with no stress.

31. knocking out the primer coat on the garage doors.

32. a hot shower after working in the cold (with Kansas wind).

33. an early bedtime.

34. safe travels for Ian on his business trip to Virginia.

35. getting my favorite jeans back after repairs.

36. a pit stop to see Ian's project under construction at Bristol Community College.
37. introducing Grandma Judy to Google Cardboard.
38. a fundraiser with Micki on the Cape... the entertainment was hit or miss, but the company wasn't.
39. lunch with Grandma Judy.
40. beach hopping.
41. a walk through the artist shanties in Hyannis.
42. Katie's ice cream.
43. grocery shopping at Wegmans.
44. freshly painted garage doors.
45. fun treats for Astrid (because our failed attempt to take her in for a nail trim required an apology).
46. Micki and Judy driving to Boston for the long weekend.
47. lunch at Cutty's.
48. a visit to the Gardner (their first), with a fresh look at old masterpieces.
49. an afternoon at the Crane Estate.
50. overcast weather for a quick beach stroll.
51. dinner at the Clam Box.
52. a family trip to the Harvard Museum of Natural History.
53. a parking spot in Cambridge (Ian had to hunt for a while).
54. the Blaschka glass collection being back on exhibit (after a haitus for restoration).
55. lunch at the Bon Me food truck.
56. dinner with friends at a new restaurant.