happy halloween...

from us nerdy newlyweds to you!

four years

today, 1, 461 days, 208 mondays and 4 years have passed since i first met the man that I now call "husband".

i remember that night very vividly, he was late. thirty long minutes late for our first date - not good. i was still hopeful, but was sweating by this point and was worried my hair had gone flat. i called erika to tell her that i had been stood up -the nerve! and then, there he was. it was unmistakeably him. tall. very tall. just like rosemary said he was. we walked towards each other and stopped, both smiling sheepishly. he said, "you must be lauren". i tried to stifle my smile and said, "you must be ryan and you're late." apparently, i had the wrong restaurant. but he found me. and i will never forget the outfit he was wearing and how handsome i instantly thought he was.

we ate sushi and the margarita i ordered to "take the edge off" ended up taking me off my a-game. i was so nervous and now tipsy too. not a good combination. but he was such a gentleman and laughed at my stupid jokes and got me water. he didn't drink and I remember worrying he was either a prude or a recovering addict. Now, I realize this was a good sign and luckily he is neither an addict nor a prude.

the next day was halloween, and we talked about our costumes. he told me that he wanted to dress up like an old man and rent a lark to ride around in at work. i thought it was one of the funniest things i had ever heard. we still laugh about it. he wouldn't leave until we planned a second date.

he left and the next afternoon, i called my mom and giddily told her that i was sure i had gone on my last first date.

***

from that first night that we met, 1,461 days ago, we couldn't get enough of each other. I still feel like that and hope that we always will.



thank you for the best, luckiest and biggest four years of my little life, Bebe. I love you long time.





P.S. The above picture is the first picture we took together...on Christmas morning in 2006. It is still, our favorite picture together.

thursdays are for spray painting

last night, I went on my run (brrr!) and once i got home i became a spray painting diva. you should see my fingers today-not pretty-I couldn't stop! I think these faux hydrangeas look uber spooky now that they are black...just in time for Sunday.

remember last week, when i mentioned that my sweet dad helped me collect spooky sticks for a spooky arrangement? well, i finally got around to spray painting them black. i then added a creepy crow and voila - free decor! do you think I can leave it up all year long, minus the bird?

and then as the giant's cinched game two (woo hoo!), we ate a lovely vegetarian meal. again. sheesh.

oh yah, and Modern Family was a real scream this week. did you catch it? we had to rewind it every two minutes we were laughing so hard.

happy night.

leaf love

the leaves on our street were stunning today. and I am soaking them up.

soon the leaves will turn, fall and be swept away and the trees will appear naked, lonely and barren...

but lucky for me, last weekend's rainstorm left a leaf tattoo on our driveway. i think it may just be the cutest thing i have ever seen (second of course to the babies in my life and my mister's smile).

i wonder how long it will last... maybe until spring?

****

p.s. have you noticed? i have given up capitalization here on my blog. i said to myself, "why not?" i know, such a rule breaker i am. it actually feels quite refreshing.

p.p.s. have you also noticed that i am addicted to elippsis? i can't stop...no, really...it's a problem. i think my little problem stems from the time my fourth grade teacher told me that i "abused" use of the comma in my writing. i must have just eliminated the comma in favor of the * ... * forgive me...

what's been going on...

...in the kitchen lately:

english muffins with cream cheese, tomato and pepper...it's delicious. and is there any better comfort food than the grilled cheese, accompanied by tomato soup? ryan says, "NO WAY JOSE."

artichokes are a big treat in our house...I like to admire their natural beauty before stuffing them in a pot of boiling water.

relishing in the last of Casa de Awesome's tomatoes...with mozzarella and balsamic!


i made pesto on saturday and told ryan that i was storing up for the long winter. he laughed and said, "ok, Laura." as in Laura Ingalls Wilder. he always sees right through me. and yes, i am aware that california winters are nothing compared to those on the prairie.


last weekend's rain signaled that summer was officially over and that it is most certainly time for all things PUMPKIN, especially muffins! esther was thrilled to be back in commission after a little hiatus. and this is her game face. doesn't she look poised and ready?

(where is waldo lauren?)

a special trip to the sierra nevada factory was made by ryan last week for some special brew...and special it is. careful!

spuds always bring a contented smile to my mister's face.

and salads, still with casa de awesome tomatoes and avocados - such an intoxicating pairing.

what's been going on in your kitchen on these fine fall days?

P.S. i completed this post and realized that i look like a raging vegetarian. i most certainly am not...perhaps you can share some carnivore friendly meals. i am clearly in a rut and i would hate for my strapping irish lover to wither away from lack of protein.

Weekending

As always, the weekend began on Friday afternoon and raindrops graced my windows and my toes begged for Uggs. Could there be a better start to a weekend? Maybe...

A trip to the library in an effort to learn about my new piece of machinery added to my joy...but all that technical language bores me after about 50 minutes and I soon found myself engrossed in a biography about Dorothea Lange...such an artist and what a true bohemian! I remember studying her in my high school photo classes and thinking that I could stare at her photographs for hours...I still can.

Saturday found me celebrating the second birthday of this little girl. Such a dear and quite a little cowgirl party! Impressive! The birthday girl even said thank you and acted interested in each and every gift...gracious and well-mannered already. Do some babies just come like that?

Saturday night led us to the costume bin and a short drive to our neighbor friend's for a birthday costume party...I was laughing all night in my nerd costume and spent most of my time giggling at Ryan's hair and avoiding Jimmy-those teeth freaked me out! And I may have had two cupcakes.

Sunday is for sweet babies. And part of this lazy Sunday was spent at the Caldwell's for some time with my little baby Logan, darling-as-can-be AJ, and their mamas and papas. All of us ladies busted out our new picture takers as the mens poked fun and called us Papa Paparazzi. It is somewhat true. But do you think these rain boots come in my size?

The afternoon was consumed with a stop at Taqueria Rosita 2 (I couldn't resist) and then on to Costco with Sister Rachel...it was sample day. Awesome.

Onward to Casa de Awesome for some time with the parentals and Sunday dinner. I love sitting in their kitchen, talking about the latest, flipping through magazines while sipping my Mom's coffee. It is thick, strong and rich. Oh yah, and mom's coffee was the perfect companion to Rachel's HOMEMADE cinnamon rolls - which just might be the best in the land.

And of course, some more pet pictures and a walk to the "crik" with Papa to see if any rain water had collected.

After dinner, I drove home to our cold little house (brrrr!) and waited for my Mister to come home and warm me up and chat about the day.

And then he did just that.

Capitol Park

For me, this will always be the park. The finest one in the city, in my humble opinion, and the one where Ryan acted real nervous, got down on his knee and asked me to be his. So yes, this will always be the park of all parks in my mind.

I jetted out of the office yesterday as fast as my high-heeled feet would carry me and followed the sunset west...it was a sight to see. Much better with the human eye, in fact. (someday, someday soon, I will master this fancy new camera!)

I struggled for a bit...black and white...or full on technicolor? But the color of the sky and the promise of rain made the decision for me...it was too blue, too foreboding to miss.

The details are just stunning...whenever I visit this park and once that huge building comes into sight, it truly takes my breath away. And no matter the hour, the Capitol always seems to glow. It is a building that is worthy of what it stands for, worthy of what it represents.

And the view from the front steps is hard to beat too...

As I hit the winding path that would lead me back to my car, I smiled as the near full moon slowly rose over the roof of the Capitol...it was a sight to see indeed. (Someday I will also learn how to photograph the moon, but in the meantime I will spare you from the twenty blurry pictures I took - any tips, friends??)

I stopped mid-step, remembering that no trip to this park, the park of all parks, is complete without a visit to the bench, the bench where we sat when my heart exploded at the mere sight of Ryan's face and that shiny, brilliant ring.

P.S. Just wait...a post touring the second half of the park comes next and come December the grandest Christmas tree graces the front lawn of the Capitol and you know I will be back to photograph that. ;)

P.P.S. Does anyone know what happened to my sidebar? Why is it down below? Any blogger tips would be appreciated. Many thanks.

life as I knew it...

...has changed forever.

date night.

We needed props for our costumes. It was date night. So Halloween City became the venue. I wouldn't have thought that fake blood and plastic daggers could spur romance, but I forget the mystical powers of my Mister and his ability to make any place...fun. So Halloween City it was...

Of course, we had to play dress up for a bit...

I am crazy for these holograms....so creepy!

And all the gore was actually quite frightening. It was like being in the midst of a rated "r" movie and my hand gripped Ryan's just a bit tighter when I saw that red eyed baby, whose head rotated 360 degrees every once in awhile. That baby actually gave me quite a memorable nightmare last night.


Think..."Rosemary's Baby".

No vampire, murderer, demon or goblin can beat the creep factor of a clown. For suuuuure. Right, Em?

For dinner, we had breakfast. One of our favorites.

Ok, breakfast and dessert, all at once. Ryan is a big fan of the milkshake and he usually shares with me and he gives me the cherry. It's a win, win.

He also played a song for me-California Girls by the Beach Boys. How did he know I had hoped he would pick that song? It's magic, I suppose...

I giggled and told him that I will be his California Girl, forever and ever.

And then our waiter came and asked us where we were "from". I guess only tourists eat breakfast for dinner at nine o'clock, sit on the same side of the booth together, and take a bajillion pictures while doing so. It was kind of funny and embarrassing at the same time. I told the nice waiter that we lived just down the street and that I was just an obsessive picture taker, while Ryan shook his head, smiling into his lap....

He is so patient and kind. And when everyone else looks at me with eyebrows raised, I find his familiar face in the crowd - and there he is, looking at me with eyes full of love. And it gives me all the courage in the world to be me. Freak flag and all.

Sunday Funday

Sunday morning and it was time for my date with my mama. I was tickled and drove through the rain, wearing my clogs (in honor of our mother-daughter day) and wondered if the day could, just for once, not go by so fast...

Our first stop was this estate sale. How could I resist this camera? I see a new collection in the works...

We stopped at Larry's Produce to snatch up some brussel sprouts and grapes. We went home and looked through cookbooks together. And then into town for a stop at the market for butter and wine and a coffee. My mama is very funny and we laughed, and laughed in that market. Right in the produce section I nearly had an incident laughing a bit too hard. How lucky I am...we not only laugh like mothers and daughters do, but also, like friends. It is sweet.

Once back at the homestead, I was in awe...Halloween had arrived at Casa de Awesome!

Isn't it all just darling?

Soon, it was time to get our bake on. I learned how to make an apple pie with my grandma's pastry recipe and apples from her tree. Mama is a very patient teacher. And pie crust still intimidates me. But not as much...after learning some tricks: keep the dough moving and flour that board!

Of course, we wear cute aprons. And for some reason, I thought pig tails were fitting. I may reconsider that choice in the future.

With our apple pie in the oven, and the rain on hiatus we headed out to the garden to pick tomatoes...such a bounty there was! And the chickens follow my mom every where she goes. I think they think she is their leader...or maybe, just the lady with the food. Whatever, it's pretty clear they love her. And it's really cute to watch.





Have you ever tasted a cherry tomato, dotted with a rain drop? Its pretty much delicious.

Out to the chicken coop so I could load my purse with fresh eggs...

And all the while, these dogs stole my heart with every wag of their tale and droop of their eyes. I feel like dogs only have two emotions: somber and elated. But it's those puppy dogs eyes that really get to me. And Annie is basically a supermodel. Doesn't it look like she is striking poses for me? Jill, on the other hand, likes to move. Fast. Too fast for my shutter.

Sweet, sweet Annie.

As the chicken BBQ'ed, we walked...talking about weather and change, dirt and hobbies, grapes and baseball.

How could I ever tire of this image...?

Daddy helped me collect SPOOKY branches for my Halloween decorations and explained how to BBQ perfect chicken...

While Mom steamed the most delicious sprouts, Rachel arrived and together we ate salad as the fog rolled in...

...and as the sun set on one fine, happy day we gathered around the table for supper.

By the end of the day, I felt all warm inside. Sometimes, a day with mom is like a spoonful of sugar, or, just what the doctor ordered. Just everything good, true and happy.






I drove home with a smile stuck on my face, mud on my shoes, and a little bit of BBQ sauce left over on my chin.







Yah......Pretty much perfect.