Top Ten Tuesday: Reading Material

For this Tuesday's Top Ten: 10 things I love to read:


10. US Weekly: Yes, I have a subscription. Yes, it's my guilty pleasure. Yes, I'm terribly nosy.

9. Outside Magazine: Aaron has a subscription to it but, from time to time, I like to read the articles in it.

8. msn.com news: I love everything on this, from financial to gossip to health. Although the new aptly named "Bing" search engine makes me mad. Copycats.

7. Dog Fancy: Yes, I have a subscription. No explanation necessary, I'm sure.

6. Mother Earth News: It's a magazine my mother introduced me to. Now I'm hooked...

5. Reader's Digest: I've had a subscription to this magazine for the past 10 years. I love it and I love the humor section.

4. Facebook: I could spend an entire day combing through the home page. I love to read people's status updates (well, some status updates, some are just much too much.)

3. The Union Leader: I love this newspaper and those who know me know why.

2. Blogs of my family/friends, and a few strangers: I now only read the ones in my sidebar, but they are my favorites.

1. Yankee Magazine: I love, love, love this magazine. I read it cover to cover every month and look so forward to it. It has great recipes, great decorating ideas, and it is everything New England; the only place I'd ever want to call home.

School's Out...

Aaron on his first ever day of teaching, September 2007

Friday was Aaron's last "official" day of school, which means today is Aaron's first "official" day of summer vacation. I use the quotation marks because, while he is on "vacation," there are things he needs to complete over the summer for the next school year. Many people don't seem to understand that while teachers get "13 weeks" of summer vacation they still have to use the time to revise IEP's, edit their curriculum, add new material, and catch up on the most recent information to stay ahead of the learning curve. Hopefully, somewhere in all that, he'll enjoy a summer vacation!!!!! (and complete the "wife's" honey-do-list.)

Next year is going to be a big year for us. We'll get married (it's coming up-- about 3+ months!!!) Aaron is starting graduate school in the fall, he'll be tenured at the end of next year, and I am due to receive both my licenses by November!! Very exciting stuff.

So, this summer, we'll need to enjoy ourselves. We have some loose plans which include:

• Go to camp
• Go to Pennsylvania (I want to go to Amish Country)
• Plan the rest of our wedding/honeymoon(s)
• Finish up some miscellaneous house projects
• We are, again, spending the weekend in the Berkshires (Tanglewood) and this year we're seeing Yo-Yo Ma, Sheryl Crow and James Taylor!!! Who-hooo!
• Do some serious hiking and kayaking
• Spend a lot of time with friends
• Rest and Relax
• Read for pleasure (!!!!)
• Help to plan my Dad's 50th!!!
• And several, SEVERAL other things I don't have time to list here!

It's oddly strange, in the two years Aaron has been teaching I haven't felt like summer was "official" until he had his last day of school. It's funny, actually. The whole month of June my anticipation was building as if I was going to get some type of reward for him finishing up the year (well, if you saw "the list" you would see I am actually getting a reward.)

Now, if we could just conjure up some sunshine!

Photographic Friday: Where in the world is Rocko Santa Fe?

My mother brought my birthday gifts in these boxes that were wrapped. It's sort of like a reusable gift bag, but a box that she made (and even better, recycled.) I decided to keep them in our eave (storage area) so I too could reuse them. Rocko let himself in one day and loves it in there.

Fun Fact Thursday

I run groups with adolescent substance abusers. Running groups is my very favorite part of my job.

Something I've found so very helpful with this population of kiddos is structure. Every day we have the same schedule: at check-in (the beginning part of group where we come together and get ready for the day) we do a quote of the day which a group member must volunteer to read and interpret to their peers, we talk briefly about our weekend or day, our clean time, and our rose (best part of the day) and thorn (worst part of the day).

The only thing that is not rote is the opening part of group. Opening happens right before we begin "check-in." The purpose of opening is to get the kiddos to relax, center themselves (many come rushing from a job, or school, or a long commute) and to become cohesive for the day. On Tuesday (every Tuesday) opening is excerpts from Barbara Ann Kipfer's 14,000 Things to be Happy About. We read several things to be happy about and then move on. The kiddos love it!

On Wednesday, opening is usually a short story, or poem by Shel Silverstein, Mr. Rogers or something from Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Thursday happens to be the kiddo's favorite opening. Fun Fact Thursday! My co-facilitators and myself scour the Internet to find interesting little quotes/factiods to read to the kids. Our first words after "Grab a snack, get a drink and sit down" are usually "Are you ready for Fun Fact Thursday?!?" We deal with a rough population, but this small thing we do for them gets them so excited. They LOVE fun facts.

I'm going to start doing this on my blog. If the kids like it so much (and I do too, that 's why I instituted it) then maybe my readers will also. Who knows? Like all other topic days on my blog (Wednesday, Oui? Top Ten Tuesday, Say What (formerly Quote of the Day) and Photographic Friday) I will do Fun Fact Thursday if I don't have any other blog-worthy material.

So for the first official Fun Fact Thursday:

1. Hitler's private train was called "Amerika."
2. On average, in any given hour, there are 61,000 people airborne over the United States.
3. Diseases spread by fleas have killed more people than all the wars ever fought, combined.
4. The apparatus used for measuring feet at a shoe store is called a Brannock Device.

There you have it. Fun Fact Thursday :)

¡Feliz Cumpleaños!

Don't think of organ donation as giving up part of yourself to keep a total stranger alive. It's really a total stranger giving up almost all of themselves to keep part of you alive. ~Author Unknown

Ashley,

You have changed my life in ways too profound to articulate. May the next year bring happiness, hope, love, and health.

Happy Birthday and MANY more

Top Ten Tuesday: House items

In an effort to combat writer's block, I'm trying to come up with some fun new ideas to add every now and then. So, for Tuesday (when I don't have other material) I'm going to start doing "Top Ten Tuesday." Top Ten Tuesday will be much like all the other blogs that do Thursday Thirteen; I just don't care for the number thirteen so, I'm modifying to "make it my own."

For the first Top Ten Tuesday: My ten favorite new/old items we bought or remodeled for the house:

1. My side-by-side washer and dryer. I was unconvinced that I would like them but my sister has been raving about them forever. So, I bit the bullet, and paid a few extra (but worth it) dollars.



2. My Amish made hutch. I wanted something for the dining room to store some dishes and such. This was an incredibly great deal, too.


3. My dry sink. I wanted a "catch all" by the front door but didn't want a plain table, I wanted something interesting. This is Amish made and perfect for the spot.



4. My L.L. Bean sand dollar quilt. Although I live a bit far from the ocean, the sea (or any body of water) brings me peace and comfort; the perfect feel for a serene bedroom.

5. The bookshelf Aaron built. It's not new, but we repainted the inside black to accent the other furniture and it gave it a brand new feel.

6. The "king" chair. We found this chair on clearance at Bernie & Phyl's (quality, comfort and price -- that's nice) Our living room is NOT huge, by any means. It fits perfectly in the spot.

7. My bathroom hutch. This hutch was almost the demise of our relationship. No exaggeration (just kidding) Seriously, though, this hutch weighs just over 250 lbs. We moved it, just the two of us, up a flight of stairs (our stairs curl around a wall too) at 11:00 pm after a long day of work. Yeah, it wasn't a shining moment in our relationship. But isn't it gorgeous? ;)

8. Up until about 2 months ago, I had never owned a "coffee table" I've never been crazy about them. This is actually a bench (again, Amish made) that I purchased to use as a table (I'm creative like that.) I love it in this function.

9. My upstairs bathroom sink. When we purchased the house, the entire upstairs bathroom was floor to ceiling pink tile with a cheesy white cabinet/sink. I found this one at Lowe's (cheap) and we installed it. I love it!!!

10. Our HUGE dresser. I'm a clothes whore. I love clothes. We bought a very large dresser to hold all of our clothing that isn't suitable to be hung. I love this furniture. Again, moving the dresser up the stairs, was another moment in our relationship I don't care to remember.... LOL!

More than just a peek

As you can see, my blog has been overhauled and recieved a face-lift. I have changed the names of some of my topics and am in the process of working on new topics. Stay tuned all week to see the new additions to I Spy: The Adventures of Aaron & Jessi.

The Wolf

"Now is the Law of the Jungle---as old and true as the sky; And the wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk, the Law runneth forward and back---
For the strength of the pack is the wolf, and the strength of the wolf is the pack.''

-Rudyard Kipling

Photographic Friday

Two proper nouns explain that face: Edward Cullen

Say What?: FML

I have a saying that really isn't a secret (as it is actually a website.) I say it all the time. FML. It's a cute/cleaner way of saying: "Fuck my life", "this sucks", "why me?" and so forth... you get the point.

So I have a quote of the day and a huge FML.

On Tuesday, which was my birthday, my father called me and the conversation went something like this. (I'm paraphrasing as I have repressed much of it)

J: Hello?

D: Hi Baby! Happy Birthday!!!!

J: Thanks. What are you doing?

D: Oh, just working, you?

J: Heading into work.

D: You're working?! Today?!

J: Ah, yeah.

D: I might make a trip down tonight.

J: That's sweet Dad but I have plans. I don't get out of work until about 7:30 and then Aaron is bringing me out to dinner.

D: Oh, okay. Well are you coming home this weekend?

J: No.

D: Oh, I thought your high school reunion was Saturday.

J: It is.

D: Then you're coming home?

J: No, (annoyed) the reunion is in Portsmouth. (I grew up in Rochester)

D: Oh, where?

J: I don't know (Lie. I just suspect he would try to crash it) I haven't really been paying attention.

D: Well, is Kristy going?

J: Dad, I don't know (really annoyed) I haven't spoken to her in like... 10 years!

D: Well, (sweetly, in baby talk, which I despise) do you want to know what I got you for your birthday, just to tide you over until I can give it to you?

J: Sure.

D: It's a whole ensemble.

J: Gggrrreeeaaatt (ungratefully. I'm really not a bitch, but my dad is the worst gift-giver in the history of the world, just ask my brother; he received a spice rack.... three years in a row)

D: Okay, you ready for this?

J: (playfully sarcastic) I can barely contain myself.

D: I got you a Tweety baseball-type shirt, Tweety boxer shorts, Tweety flip-flops, do you know what a flip-flop is?

J: Yeah, if memory serves.

D: Oh wait, it doesn't end there.

J: Oh boy! (sarcastic and pissy)

D: The shirt is like a Red Sox shirt, but it has a Tweety bird right above your spleen. (Who uses the spleen as a point of measurement?!?!) And it comes with a bright yellow Tweety watch!

J: Wow, Dad. That's... a lot of yellow.

D: Yes, you LOVE yellow!!!

J: No, Nicki loved yellow... that was her favorite color.... about 15 years ago.

D: But remember how you used to love Tweety, and I used to call you Tweety?

J: Yep.

D: Oh and I got you something else.

J: Really? (Sounding somewhat hopeful/skeptical)

D: Well, you know how you're a history buff and all?

J: Yes, I do know that about myself.

D: I got you a giant poster, with all the 44 Presidents on it!!!

Legit. FUCK. MY. LIFE. What the hell am I going to do with that stuff?

Wednesday, Oui? On Blogging and Ouis

I have some new readers!!!! About 7 to be exact! I never imagined, when I began blogging, that people would be so interested in what I have to say. I have people from work who read, people from college (both undergrad and graduate), high school, I have old friends, new friends, family members, frenemies and complete strangers. I get comments via text, Facebook, in person and on my actual blog (where I usually prefer people read from-- because it is a nicer view of the blog.)

I had originally started this blog as a scrapbook of my life (a random sampling of what I wanted to share publicly) for myself and Aaron. Never did I imagine I would grow to love blogging, or find it so therapeutic. What's great about it is that I enables me to keep track of memories, forces me (in an encouraging way) to document things, and helps me to communicate with others about myself. Those who interact with me on a day to day basis know that I am pretty "closed." For instance, you and I could have a conversation and you might walk away still knowing absolutely nothing about me. I do that. I don't know why. Since I've starting blogging, I've been able to let go- a very, very, tiny, little bit to some of my "reservedness." And what do you know? It has improved some of my interpersonal relationships. Huh!

I started "Wednesday, Oui?" posts almost the same time I began blogging. It is my favorite post to write, it is my favorite day of the week, and EVERYONE who reads looks forward to my "Oui." The purpose of my Oui is to post about something that makes me laugh, smile, something warm and fuzzy, or something nice about my/our life.

A little history on the "Oui:"

Many have asked the significance of the "Oui." Well, in case you didn't know, however I am sure you do- but that's assuming, so, I will pretend that you don't, "Oui" is French for "yes." Although English is my first (only) language, I often end a sentence with "Yes?" -even if it's not a question. Why you ask? I couldn't tell you. It's just one of my many malfunctions. Wednesdays have a very significant meaning for Aaron and me, one which I will not elaborate here because it is our secret. But part of it was that for a long time, due to our grueling schedules, it was the only day we could see each other. Anyway, one day, while feeling particularly clever, I said to Aaron "it's Wednesday, Oui?" He replied, " Oui!!" And so it began. I know it is a bit of an anti-climatic definition, but like I said that's about all of the true meaning of Oui that I'm prepared to discuss.

I try never to post about the bad (I'm not going to air my dirty laundry in public- that's what my journal is for) and I'm certainly not going to post about all of the good. I don't have time to, I don't want to, and y'all really don't care to hear about every good detail in my life, every trip we take, every hike we go on, every success, every small smile. "I'm just not gonna do it"

So there you have it. That is the story behind the Oui and why I love to blog. To my readers, both new and old, thank you for reading; it supports me in my writing and forces me (again, in an encouraging way) to write. Although I blog for me (and Aaron) it's nice to know others take time out of their day to follow the Adventures of Aaron & Jessi :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Though you probably thought we(me, bi%G, M&nnY, $hred@ and R0(*0) forgot your day we did not. So HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!!!

One of my worst fears... intercepted!!!

Little known fact about me... okay, I lie.... widely known fact: I am obsessed with Bing and Manny. I'm pathologically, borderline unhealthy, overly protective, anal retentively in love my with Chihuahuas.

Every morning before I go to work I perform a series of rituals, most of them serve to quiet my self-diagnosed O.C.D, the others serve to protect my puppies.

My greatest fear is something happening to the pups due to my negligence. I'm afraid to: leave something out, forget to take off their harnesses, leave food out which they could choke on, leave an electric cord exposed, go out without leaving a light on which may cause them to trip (yes, I do know that animals have night vision, but I don't like to leave them in the dark) or my very biggest, worst, most horrible fear.... the possibility they could/would eat a battery.

Where would they get a battery, you ask? Well, perhaps if I left the remote control on the couch, which they would accidentally knock off the couch and it would break open and a battery would fall out and they would find it and chew on it, releasing the acid which would burn them... not that I have given a lot of thought to this ;0)

Thank goodness I thoroughly checked the other morning. This is what I found.

Photographic Friday: "The Bird-room"

It has been a while since I've been in the routine of my specified blogging days, ie., "Wednesday, Oui" and "Photographic Friday." Now that the house is ALMOST complete I should have more time to get back to my regularly scheduled programming.

I named all the rooms in my new house. Yes, just like on the movie, Clue. (Amber- your favorite!) I love this picture for so many reasons. For one, Bing looks like he's almost saying "Who, Me?" which automatically makes me think of Clue... "Bing did it in the bird-room with the dog bone" LOL, I crack me up.

But also because the bird room is very special to me. It is my space and my space alone. Aaron gave the room completely to me because it's positioned perfectly in the house to where I can sit on my bench, enjoy the morning sun, and listen to the birds right outside the room (where I have feeders, birdhouses, and the like.) It's very exciting to have my own private space where I can watch the birds in my very own yard. It gives me a profound sense of satisfaction. What's more is at night the room, being mostly windows instead of walls, provides a nice view of the night sky... a perfect place to relax with a glass of wine after a grueling day. (Although, lately there has been no relaxing after work, it has just been more work, work, work- but soon. Very soon....)

Say What?: 50/50

We have a hideous (HUGE and INTRUSIVE) picture of ourselves. When we had our pictures taken for our engagement photos the photographer loved us. He had a ball taking our picture and was one of those amazing, eclectic, Los Angeles-esque type photographers who include sound effects when snapping your picture. Truly, his work is amazing and he has actually been photographer to the stars before relocating from California to Maine.

Anyway, when we went to pick up our engagement photos the photographer (God bless him) came out with this GIANT picture of us. Immediately, I thought to myself "Yeah, nice try, printing up a huge picture of us. We aren't buying it... I don't even care that it's printed on canvas." There was no way. We had already purchased over $1000 in photographs/guest book/ save-the-date magnets. There was NO WAY I was spending money on a poster sized picture of us knowing full well that the five 8X10's were $66 each!!! Lord knows purchasing this would certainly rule out stopping in expensive Portland for dinner.

CPM: (Crazy-Photo-Man) "Heeeyyyy Guys, look what I have!!!"

A: "Wow, that's.... big."

J: "Hmmm."

CPM: "You likey? It's yours. I liked it so much I printed it on this poster and entered it in a competition. It won! So, you guys can have it!!! Yay!!!!"

A: "Great." (feigning a smile) "Thanks!"

I didn't even bother saying anything. It was a very big picture. I am a horrible liar.

So we took it, we didn't want to be rude and honestly it would have cost about $300 if we had bought it. Plus, I must say, the photographer was the most amazing, awesome, friendly, accommodating, funny, and skillful artist I've probably ever met.

So, that was in February. Still, it is sitting in the bubble wrap, untouched. We are NOT hanging it in our house. It's large. It's, heck, I don't even know the dimensions, but big enough that if we hung it it would seem utterly indulgent and probably scare our dogs. (It's a fancy print that looks almost as if it was painted, you know?)

So, as I am getting ready for bed last night Aaron says, completely out of the blue:

A: "I have a great idea for the big picture."

I know he's not speaking metaphorically about "The Big Picture." It's too late at night for Aaron and any deep conversation so I devise that he is, indeed, talking about the "big picture."

J: (Oh boy) "What, Babe?"

A: "Let's do a raffle... at our wedding."

J: "A raffle?"

A: "Yeah, a 50/50."

J: "I don't follow."

A: "People pay for tickets... for the picture."

J: "So how is that a 50/50?"

A: "We get the money-- they get the picture."

J: "That's a raffle then, not a 50/50, and we are NOT raffling our picture."

A: "Well, it will be for charity then..."

J: "The picture? What charity?"

A: "Well, they will get the big picture of us, and we will give the money to charity. We get rid of it, charity gets money, and everybody wins."

J: "Aaron, we don't even want that picture of us... nobody else will."

A: "So, no?"

J: "Yes, Babe, no."

A: "I still say 50/50, but, okay...."

WTF? Seriously. A raffle?

For the hideous, almost life sized picture of Jessi and Aaron-- who's in? (Crickets)

Yeah, thought so....

Wednesday, Oui? "Fruits" of our labor...

Forgive me, please, for always posting about the house. I have tons of other joyous events going on in my life right now, but I am just so dang proud of our home. It's something that, even months ago, felt so far away.

Buying a house has been one of the "rites of passage" I thought was so unattainable for us. You know, one of those things where you have a negative internal dialogue that constantly challenges you? "Will I be able to afford a house?", "Will I be able to afford the house I want?", "Will I have to do a ton of work to it?", "Will I be able to handle being a homeowner?", "Will I love the house right away?", "Can I (we) actually do this?", "Where am I going to settle?", "Will it be big enough?" ,"Too big?", "Will my parents be proud of me?" , "Will I be able to afford everything I want for it?", "Do I know how to be a homeowner?", "What?! Lawn-mowers and snow-blowers don't come standard in a new house?!" , "What do you mean I need to buy a washer and dryer?!", "Will I be patient enough for the work to get done without pulling my hair out first?" and on and on and on. I tend to be really hard on myself, so trust me when I say these are the nicer questions I ask myself... and Aaron.

Ah, Aaron. Poor, poor Aaron. But that is a story for another day; if I live to write it. Trust me when I say he is probably plotting my murder. If there is one major thing I (and probably everyone who knows and loves me) would change about my personality it would be that I lack patience and would love to be more patient. Actually, strike that. "Lack" implies that somewhere within me exists a morsel of patience. Not true. I am not patient by any stretch of the imagination. Again, poor Slave Aaron.

Something I am pretty satisfied with is the landscaping. While it does need some weeding, this house came mostly ready for my green thumb. Whomever owned this house before us loved this yard and loved to garden. It's serendipity that we ended up here, I tell ya. The yard is just waiting for my loving hands, and the annuals that are here already are EXACTLY what I would have picked.

Bleeding hearts

Some form of a Lily, I think. Any thoughts on this one?

Strawberries!

I'm not really sure what this is, but I'll consult my gardening bible. Any thoughts?

And roses! Roses! Roses!

Gardens... ready to go. Is that a "Oui?" or what?!

Friends & Family- Volume II

To continue with Family and Friends Appreciation month (the entire month of June) I will continue celebrating the people in my life who make a difference, provide immeasurable joy and unconditional support.

Today's post is all about my partner in crime, catastrophe magnet, gorgeous, "hil"arious, bestie, Ms. Hilary.

I met Hilary about two years ago at work. Almost immediately I loved her. Usually I can tell right away (there are a couple of exceptions- you know who you are) if I'm going to love you, hate you, or simply coexist with you. Immediately I knew Hilary was "my kind of people. Hilary accepted my quirkiness, respected my privacy until I fully "let her in", and took all I could give her when she finally cracked my shell.

Hilary happens to be one of my favorite traveling companions, one of the first people I call when I'm pissed off, frustrated, happy, dying of laughter (or embarrassment) or when I have a juicy piece of gossip to deliver. We exchange an obscene number of texts every day (legitimately upwards of 50 [in and out] on any given day) and we talk almost non-stop in a language very few people understand, laced with code, inside jokes and nonsense that keeps us laughing.

In many ways, Hilary is my sanity, my comfort and my confidante.

Hilary has taken the bull by the horns where planning my wedding is concerned, is always up for a trip; anytime anywhere, and was the first person to haul over to our new house, 20 minutes after we were handed the keys.

My relationship with Hilary is something I share with very few people. I can simply text her one phrase, three letters long, and she knows to immediately pull out all the stops to cheer me up or call me to get the scoop.

Honestly, some days, it's Hilary that keeps me from quitting my job, plucking out my hair, smashing my computer, or going certifiably insane.

We find "trouble" wherever we go (your dick is out, zephyr, 243, roots) we laugh hysterically at things few people find amusing, and we can take the worst possible scenario (GAIN, JMATE) and make it memorable and funny. We have been to another country together (eh?) our Nation's Capitol, stuck on a subway for hours and hours, and trapped in a vehicle screaming at our GPS.

Hilary, you're my Jerry Maguire- for you, my lovie, I would hide the body.

A Oui? For Banana

Six (Whoa!) years ago today, I had my cell phone glued to my hand because I was expecting the most important phone call. Finally, when the phone rang it was just who I wanted it to be; my brother-in-law with three words that changed my life, forever.

"It's a boy."

Happy, Happy Birthday Xander, Banana, Xanny, Xanny-bananny, Xander-bander-boo, X, X-man, and of course... Beeee-yaaaayyyy-beeeee

I-ya and Uncoo love you so very, very much. Since your birth, our mission in life has become evidently clear.... to spoil you rotten and provide you with the most amazing, coolest, hippest wardrobe ever. (More for I-ya's benefit than yours. You don't even want clothes, do you?)

Friends & Family Month: Mom & Dad M.

Due to demanding schedules, I had to postpone Friends and Family Appreciation Month. It's about a month late, but here none-the-less, drum roll please.....

The first person/people I am posting about are the Aaron's parents. It didn't even take me a nanosecond to decide whom I should thank first, or why.

I will start off by first saying this house would not have been possible without Jim & Linda. The move would not have been possible without Dad M and Mom M. The remodel would not have been feasible without Dad M., and without Mom M., we would have surely starved to death (oh and she was also referee a few times when Aaron and I thought we would kill each other.)

During the closing they were there every step of the way. Every last minute piece of paperwork, every question I had, anything, anything, anything I needed they were a phone call away; both taking much time out of their professional lives to help us/answer questions/let me vent. Even for the first viewing of the house... Jim came.

The pre-closing help was unbelievable. The post-closing help was insurmountable. Jim and Linda came the day we closed, with dinner of course. So many nights when Aaron and I were up late packing, reading paperwork, remodeling... they would just show up with dinner in hand, Jim ready to work; Linda there for encouragement and to keep me company when I needed a break.

Jim helped with painting (every single room, except three) he helped put down every single one of our new floors. He made trips to our old apartment to help us load trucks, he brought all of our old building material (ripped out of the house) somewhere (I don't even know where, all I know is that he took care of it) he put together furniture, he made thresholds, (yes, MADE them) he put up new light fixtures (I insisted on new light fixtures in every room... somewhere in the vicinity of 12 to 13 light fixtures) He made trips (what must have felt like 100 trips to him) to Lowe's. One day, in particular, he went to three stores for me. He gave us tile for our bathroom, he lent us many tools, we could come raid his house/refrigerator and we never came up empty.

And Linda, oh my darling Linda. She would stop by, almost every night with food, food, food! Half the time Aaron and I wouldn't have had a meal yet that day, and didn't realize how hungry we were until she carried in a bag of some delicious smelling concoction. I'm not talking about finger sandwiches, I'm talking about chicken and roasted potatoes... and steak with all the fixings. One day, I said in passing, I was CRAVING veggies and then low and behold, I had a huge bowl with a gorgeous salad in my fridge just hours later... unbelievable. She helped with curtains, decorations, where-to-put what, and mostly a lot of phone calls from me, at my wits end. I can't even begin to recount how many times I called her, on the verge of tears, and she consoled me; telling me it would all be done soon. She always had some sort of antidote to make me feel better.

Everything given, everything shared, everything offered doesn't have a price tag. We don't owe them anything, they just kept (keep) providing; unconditionally. Even when I think we have absolutely exhausted them in every sense possible, just as they are about to walk out the door to go home (at 10:00 pm, with work the next day) they will both kiss us goodnight and say "see you tomorrow" or "what's on the agenda for tomorrow?" or "If you need anything, call us we're right up the street." (.07 miles to be exact).

It really makes me think about my future in this family. You know how people have "in-laws?" Well, these two folks know every detail of our adventure in buying and remodeling. They will be able to recount it so much better than we will remember, when we are ready to reminisce on it. They continue to talk and help us plan our wedding, no one else is really this involved in every detail of our lives. They are watching us grow together, and someday we can all talk about this, when the dust settles and the house quiets. I know when this happens we will all laugh about how crazy, for about 2 months, Aaron and I were.

I know I have probably forgotten, hundreds-- no, thousands, of things they did for us in the blur that has been the last few months. Their physical labor, the emotional support-- everything. They would be horrified at the thought of me even listing the things they have done, because that's the kind of folks they are. They don't keep score, they don't make lists, they just "do".... because they want to. That's how they're built. They don't give their own kindness and generosity a second thought. I love them for that, I thank them, and we appreciate it.