A Singing Tradition

Ever since I was a little girl, my lovely grandparents (who have been married for over 60 years) have always sung a duet to us as we exited their driveway. It was the perfect way to end a visit with them. I'm so grateful that Ryan had the mind to pull out his phone on our recent visit with them in Florida. Now I can always keep this dear memory with me. 

A Merry Little Christmas

Another Christmas has come and gone, but it was a merry one that we'll always remember. We completely Christmased out this year: Constant Christmas music in the house and car, multiple drives to see the Christmas lights at night, hot chocolate and coffee trips, Christmas movies galore, lots of family time, and a house full of lights, candles, and decorations. I'm pretty sure Aiden had a nice Christmas morning, too, if you can't tell by those happy faces.

There's always a very specific moment when I realize the season is in full swing. When the spirit of Christmas actually seems palpable. That moment came this year as I was strolling through Fresh Market. It was bustling with happy families picking up some final goodies for their holiday feast. I quietly and slowly ambled through the aisles, soaking up every wonderful scent that filled the air: roast coffee, fragrant flowers, fresh-baked bread, apple cider, you name it. I left with some chocolate-covered pretzels, a tuscan bread, and a huge orange swirled lollipop for Aiden's stocking. But most importantly, I left with a huge smile on my face and an ever-expanding heart. It's truly the most wonderful time of the year.

Hope you and yours had a lovely holiday as well! Time for 2012.

Biweekly Round-Up!

So there have been lots of fun activities in the past couple weeks! We showered Tara, one of my best friends, in anticipation of her upcoming nuptials in November. It was a fiesta-themed shower based on her destination wedding in Mexico, which we'll be attending in a few weeks. Our passports, tickets, and reservations are all ready to go! We'll be spending four days/three nights in the Iberostar Paraíso Maya all-inclusive resort on the beachfront of Playa del Paraíso, between Puerto Morelos and Playa del Carmen. And can you say "lazy river around the resort"? YES. That's where you'll find me when I'm not doting on the bride. Here's a photo of me with Tara and Katie at the shower. We've been best friends since about 7th grade. Unbelievable.

Clockwise from top left: Tara, me, and Katie

Ryan and I also attended the North Carolina State Fair last week. I have an odd love for this event... always have. People from all over the state (under whatever rocks they live beneath) emerge to convene at this melting pot of crisp fall weather, fried food, rickety rides, and bizarre spectacles. This year Ryan and I pigged out on the following (yes, all of it): giant turkey leg, roasted corn, lemonade, philly cheesesteak, al's french fries, deep-fried twinkie, root beer float, and a vanilla milkshake. We strolled around the stables to see all the cows, visited the art exhibit and craft vendors, and took our annual exhilarating ride on the Fire Ball. I can't stop laughing for about ten minutes after I exit this ride...so scary, but so much fun.

In the cow stables at the NC State Fair

The "Fire Ball" ride at the fair

Finally, this weekend we went up to Norfolk, Virginia to attend Aiden's fall festival. Activities and rides, cotton candy and popcorn, craft vendors... you name it. Aiden had a great time running around with his class buddies, and we got to sit outside on this sunny fall day, picnic, and see how many blow-up prizes Aiden could win (I think he got a microphone, an M&M guy, oversized blow-up shoes, a giant flower, and a fish... and probably more). On Sunday we took a trip to Newport News, VA, to visit the Virginia Living Museum, which exhibits more than 250 species of animals and plants native to Virginia (including sea otters, red wolves, and bald eagles!). It also had tons of cool indoor and outdoor exhibits, gardens, and a planetarium show that we attended on the Virginia skies. All in all, it was a great way to spend a Sunday with the family.

Ryan and Aiden at the fall festival (with his inflatable prizes)

Posing with the statue outside the Virginia Living Museum

Aiden inside a giant turtle shell, with his little round head

Hurricane? Not so much.

Our newscasters had been incessantly warning us all week about the upcoming Hurricane Irene, which was to reach our area on Saturday. Not to diminish the effects that it did have on the Carolina coast, but a hurricane/tropical storm in Raleigh? You mean those pleasant, wonderful-feeling wind gusts we had? Ryan and I spent a chunk of our time on Saturday sitting on our back porch enjoying the breeziness and cooler temperatures. The few spouts of rain we had just made the weather even more enjoyable, and then on Sunday, we woke up to blue skies, tons of sunshine, and heat. Instead of our anticipated all-indoor weekend, we ended up going to the pool and cooling off with Aiden's outdoor sprinkler globe. Yes, it was raining all over the world!

And as you can tell from the photo below, Ryan had an even better time deflating it. Or maybe that's just him passed out from heat exhaustion.

Coastal Bliss (Pun intended)

Indian Beach, NC: My own personal Nicholas Sparks novel.

A couple years ago, Ryan's parents bought a condo in Indian Beach, a small beach town nestled in between Emerald Isle and Atlantic Beach. The large porch looks right over the sound, which always strikes a serenity chord with me. You can just sit on the porch or the large dock down below, wine in hand, with a cool breeze and a beautiful sunset. Heaven. During the day, you can fish or use the shrimp nets or crab cages to collect your next meal, or just sit and relax with your legs hanging off the dock.

Aiden spent the first part of the week here with his Nana and Papa, and then Ryan and I joined them for the latter half of the week through the weekend. They had already done lots of swimming, fishing, and kayaking, so it was our turn to join in the fun. We caught eleven crabs the first day (!), and were able to keep nine of them for size purposes; Ryan steamed them and we had a delicious, succulent lunch!

Besides going to the ocean, spending time at the pool, and fishing/crabbing off the dock, we took a 20-minute drive to Beaufort, NC to visit the NC Maritime Museum, which now has a special exhibit: Blackbeard's Queen Anne's Revenge. It's so neat to see these old artifacts and trinkets that were handled by someone so well-known in our country's history. Seeing it in the flesh also brings this fable-like story to life; this really happened and these people really existed. What a world that must have been.

We finished the afternoon with some ice cream and a stroll through the Old Burying Ground, a historical burial site of individuals spanning centuries of North Carolina history. As you walk along the paths lined by gnarly trees and some hardly recognizable graves, you can peruse all the various tombstones, many with fascinating stories behind them. One tombstone of an English sailor is engraved as so:

     The form that fills this silent grave,
     once tossed on ocean's rolling wave,
     but in a port securely fast
     he's dropped his anchor here at last.  

Following our trip into Beaufort, we had a fabulous dinner out on the deck at The Ruddy Duck Tavern in Morehead City. Burgers, pasta, fish tacos... you name it! Looking right over the water with the boats happily passing by just added to the lovely and calming atmosphere.

Anyways, it was another great trip to the North Carolina beach with Ryan's family. We always look forward to genuinely relaxing while we're there, and this trip was no exception.

The only hard part about taking off to the beach for the weekend was Moose's failed attempts to try and come with us.

Have a Magical Day!

This June we finally made our way to Disney World with Aiden (!!). He turned nine in May, so we figured this summer was the perfect time for his introduction to this truly magical place (for both kids and adults). I haven't been in twenty years, and I was just as excited as Aiden when we drove underneath the arching welcome sign. Chill bumps, seriously.

We went to Florida for our vacation this year, spending four days on the beach in St. Augustine and two full days in Disney. Our first day in Disney was at Magic Kingdom, and we did everything. We got there when the gates opened, and immediately ran to Frontierland, where Aiden had his first experience on Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (this turned out to be his all-time favorite ride). From that point on, we got our fast passes for the rides with the long lines (this was a lifesaver), and experienced all the other treats the park had to offer. Some of the "filler" things we did actually turned out to be my favorites. The Micky's PhilharMagic show was a 3D movie starring Mickey and Donald Duck, featuring characters, scenes, and songs from all the classic Disney films that we grew up with; by the time "A Whole New World" came on, I was in tears.

Aiden was such a little happy trooper and didn't hesitate on the big rides or complain about the shows/rides that might be "too little for him." I really think the three of us just opened our hearts to the whole Disney experience and were so intoxicated by the true magic of it all. Even though we went at the end of June, the weather was so mild, and the rain sprinkled on and off, which was such a welcome refreshment. We spent a minimal amount of time waiting in lines (no joke), and were just taken away with flying over Neverland, drifting through this "small world," jetting through space, meeting all the Presidents, cruising through the jungle, exploring Tom Sawyer's island, cringing through a haunted mansion, climbing the Swiss family treehouse, exploring the Caribbean with our pirate friends, cracking up at the Monsters laugh floor, and plummeting down the waterfall with Br'er Rabbit... just to name a few of our adventures. What a great family vacation. And I simply loved when I heard someone yelling behind me, "C'mon, we're late! We're late!" and there was the White Rabbit scurrying through the park. What I would have paid to get a photo with him. 

The second day we went to Animal Kingdom, which animal-lover Aiden was thrilled about. We started the day on a safari, seeing the most amazing animals and catching poachers along the way. We saw an interactive Bug's Life show in the Tree of Life, went down some raging rapids (I looked like I jumped into a swimming pool once it was finished), and went on the treacherous Mt. Everest rollercoaster (a ride that Aiden might learn to appreciate with a few more years on him... he was not amused this time). We saw the Lion King show, which was like a mini-Broadway production; in other words, it was spectacular. Ryan and I bought some beautiful wooden wind chimes as our souvenir, and Aiden started a pin collection of all the sites and characters he loved. We were sad to leave, but we were completely happy and satisfied by the time we left; you can only have so much fun before you want to pass out.

Safari ride at Animal Kingdom

Tree of Life at Animal Kingdom

Family pic in front of the Mt. Everest ride

The goofy pandemic has set in! Time to go home. :)

Our four days in St. Augustine are not to be downplayed by Disney, however. We spent our days boogie boarding in the beautiful Floridian ocean, and one day, a few dolphins swam right by us. When does that EVER happen? At first I just saw a dorsal fin, looked back at Ryan and said this bluntly, so his knee-jerk reaction was to sprint to shore; but then we saw the arch of the swim, and were immediately in awe of these beautiful friendly creatures that just swam by to say hello.

We also went to downtown historical St. Augustine to see the Castillo de San Marcos, per Aiden's request. He studied about this national monument that was built by the Spanish in the seventeenth century, and he couldn't wait to put his studies to good use and go check it out. He's such an academic! Here he is next to one of the canons guarding the castle over the intracoastal waterway. You can also see the historic Bridge of Lions in the background.

Between our trip to Martha's Vineyard last year and this year's trip to Florida, I really feel like we have so many sentimental places that capture a little piece of "home" in our hearts. It's a trip that I know Aiden will remember forever, and it warms my heart that we were able to open up this magical world to him.

I Love a Man in Tights.

Ryan had the sudden urge last fall to audition for a musical production of the play Cinderella, put on every year around Christmas-time by the local Raleigh Little Theatre. And to my surprise, he didn't just talk about it... he actually auditioned. Most of the cast members tend to come back year after year, so Ryan was doubtful on whether they had a place for him. Not only was he called back for a second audition, but he was one of those up for the prince role! God I would have loved that. He ended up being in the quartet and in the ensemble, which he preferred and was perfectly content with. I went to the family preview night, and then a second time with Ryan's family and Aiden, who got to see his dad with a white-painted face, dancing in tights, in full garb. It... was.. priceless. Ryan's always had a love for community theater and has his heart set on being a returning cast member this winter. I can't wait.

Ryan signing autographs for the kids after the show.

Catching up (I'm slow). Vermont.

I feel like I'm being anti-productive with this blog, considering it's supposed to document the most up-to-date events going on in our lives. But there's so much you've missed! Forgive me if I backtrack for just a few posts, but I'll only take forward steps once I've filled this empty hole.

A few posts back, I blogged about our upcoming trip to Vermont (yes, last September). Ryan was finally introduced to the million and one things I've talked (and talked... and talked... and talked) about concerning my childhood home. We stayed at my Meme's house in Hinesburg for four days or so, and were able to spend a night in Montpelier with our friends Josh and Roxanne who had moved up there in the summer. We did as much as you could possibly do in this amount of time: visited the cider mill, toured Ben & Jerry's (with our friend Josh as the tour guide), spent an afternoon in Stowe, got creamies in downtown Burlington, cooked out on the lake in my hometown, went to Shelburne Farms, ate maple candy, visited my elementary school, hiked Camel's Hump, had dinner in Montpelier, went on beautiful drives, and spent some quality time with BOTH sides of my family. In other words, wonderful trip. Well, except for all of Ryan's whining on the hike. He was not a happy camper. But the view was worth it!

Like I always say, something about that place centers me. It's a different way of life and one that I will always long for. Everything moves a little slower, but with that comes the appreciation of your surroundings. My favorite moment of our trip was driving around with Ryan on my Meme's property in one of her golf carts. It was early morning and the grass was covered with dew; the sky was misty and the air was crisp, with the rolling mountains on the skyline. I didn't want to put my jacket on because I wanted to breathe in all the freshness and goodness of my "home." I think Ryan finally came to understand what all my blabbering was about.

Standing in Meme's front yard. Hinesburg, VT

Lunch on Main Street. Stowe, VT

On the top of Camel's Hump after a day's hike.

Ben & Jerry's in Waterbury, VT with Josh, our friend and tourguide.

Ryan, me, and Memere. Dinner at my aunt's house on Lake Iroquois.

Where I'm From...

Ryan and I are taking a trip up to Vermont this September (plane tickets booked!). In tribute, I'm reposting an entry I made in my old blog years ago about Vermont and my childhood. I can't wait for him to finally experience everything that I've been injecting into his brain about my home state for all these years. Enjoy!
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I'm from a little town in a little state. Hinesburg, Vermont. Nothing that Google Satellite has ever been able to identify. My little street was Silver Street, and it was my years here that my head was filled with secret paths leading to hidden hideouts, goblins, and the mysteries of bumblebee hill. You had to have quite an imagination if you grew up in Vermont; there were no neighborhoods with kids to play with, and I had the pleasure of having only two TV channels... both were fuzzy. I used to play "Ms. Adventure!" with a little twig (aka, my "wand") and roam around the woods trying to find something cool; the best I came up with was slugs.

Our neighbor was Harold, one of the friendliest old men you will ever come across. Even when I was that young, I still was able to appreciate how nice he was. He still lives in that old, green house to this day. My dad used to hit golf balls out in the front yard, and Harold never said a word about them coming onto his property. He's a good man. His front yard was filled with lilac trees and at the time, it was the sweetest most wonderful scent I had ever come across.

I had my very own raspberry bush, and it was always an exciting trip to go pick the berries in the late summertime. We also grew carrots and tomatoes, and squash and pumpkins in the fall. Everyone in town just about bought their pumpkins from 254 Silver Street; we'd leave out empty coffee cans at the end of our long gravel driveway and collected the money for the gourds on the trust factor. Even if there were only a handful of dimes and nickels, it was so exciting to me to make what seemed to be a small fortune.

Summer in Vermont was also when my dad would take us for rides in the back of the pickup truck up the street to the local diner for Creamies (aka, soft-serve ice cream). Rainbow sprinkles were my staple; my teddy bear Snowball would get a taste occasionally if I was feeling generous.

In the peak of summer (the whole two months that it was actually "hot"), we would go to my Aunt and Uncle's house at Lake Iroquois. It sounds like it would be far away, but it was just a quick little drive across town. We'd go out on the motorboat, and I'd sit in the seats in front of the driver; the boat would go up on it's side and I thought that was the definition of freedom. When you get to the other side of the lake, you can see the old 1960s camps and docks that my dad would play at when he was a kid. It's weird to think of "Good Golly Miss Molly" playing as he's jumping off into the water with all of his cousins; all the people I know to be in their 50s and 60s today. It's hard to fathom that we've all experienced childhood.



In the winter, there was no such thing as "snow days" unless there was a blizzard outside. We'd pack our snow clothes up every night, and lug them to school every day. My classmates and I would roll down the snow-covered hills for recess every afternoon, and then come back to our classrooms as red and purple as mixed berries. With the size of my cheeks back then, I looked like an oompa loompa.

As a class project, we'd go collect and measure the sap from the tree sitting outside my kindergarten classroom. I had the same teacher from K through 2nd grade. Mrs. Barber. We wrote letters back and forth once or twice a year after I moved to North Carolina, but I surprised her about 4 years ago when I went back to visit. She just screamed "JESSICA!!!!!" a moment after she saw me. I guess teachers really can imagine their little students growing into adults.

Fieldtrips usually always involved walking to our destination, whether it was the town library, going to visit the fire department, or walking up to the sugar house to see maple syrup being made. It seemed like a journey to get there back then, but it was probably only a mile away up the hill in the center of town. It's still there today, and is always closed up when it's off-season; you can peak in though and see all the empty buckets ready for fall to come again.



So many times a year, we would go on our hikes up Camel's Hump... one of the closest mountains. Every time I visit, I try to make my way up there. I can't sprint up the rocks like I used to, but I am reminded of how hard of a climb it is, yet how gratifying it is to finally reach the top. Words can't describe the view and the feeling up there. One time we met a man who was hiking nonstop through all of New England, and this was his lunch destination for the day. He'd sleep wherever he could find a dry place to pitch his tent. He looked so weathered, but you could tell from his face that he had seen some really beautiful things. I questioned whether or not I could hold up doing that. I'd like to think I could.



That's me on my last trip up there. I miss it. Have you ever found one place that recenters you when you're there? Whether it puts things in perspective or just rejuvenates your spirit? This is it for me. I feel a little chipped away each year I stay away; life has too many distractions to take time out for this, and I need to start ignoring them. I will always be a little Green Mountain girl.

Oh... New England.

Welcome to Happy House! Located in the Oak Bluffs district of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts (in case you're unaware, Martha's Vineyard is an island off of Cape Cod, MA). Ryan, Aiden, and I stayed here for an entire week of New England bliss. Yes, we were blissful Blisses! And it was indeed a happy house. A few highlights of the trip (see more photos in the slideshow at the end of this post):

We took a couple trips to Tashmoo--a beautiful, private, and quintessential New England beach that can only be accessed by driving for miles on a hidden, bumpy dirt road. Ryan caught some clams there, we went in the freezing crisp water, caught crabs through the rocks on the jetty, collected the gorgeous beach rocks and sea glass, and just enjoyed every moment. We even got to see a private wedding ceremony take place right on the rocks.


Every morning we would walk and get coffee, doughnuts, or bagels from Back Door Donuts. Every morning or afternoon (depending on our main activity for the day), we'd play croquet in the lawn surrounding the Tabernacle in the center of the campground. Who knew that game was so much fun?





On another gorgeous day we went kayaking out on the lagoon. We met a lovely little french bulldog named Betty Olive (owned by the woman running the kayak rentals) who Aiden and I wanted to take home with us. The lagoon was just gorgeous, and I continually pined for all the lovely cottages that lined the banks.



In the meantime, we enjoyed all the quaint and unique little shops and restaurants covering the island. I got my tie-dye Black Dog shirt after dining at the Black Dog Tavern in Vineyard Haven. We repeatedly got blocks of fudge from Murdick's and ice cream from Mad Martha's, tried out the supreme nachos at Sharky's (holy cow!), and I tried my first fresh oysters at the Oyster Bar Grill. Aiden discovered the "best cheeseburger ever" at Nancy's, right on the harbor (which we visited about three times throughout the week). My favorite meal of the trip though was getting fresh lobsters and clams from the fish market, and cooking them at home in our cottage. After Aiden went to bed, we'd have a glass of wine out on the porch in our rocking chairs. I don't think life could get much better.



Every morning I ran a 4-mile loop and came back along East Chop Road (where East Chop Lighthouse is located). It had the most breath-taking view and the most beautiful cottages lining the street. Every morning the same elderly woman would be sitting in front of the lighthouse looking out over the water. And I understood exactly why she did it. I hope one day to live in a place like this that simultaneously has such vitality and tranquility. What a gem.

One afternoon we strolled down to the Flying Horses Carousel. On Aiden's second ride, and my first, we both caught the brass ring! There's only two per ride, and those two riders get to stay on for a free ride. Ryan's been going to MV since he was a kid, and has yet to get the brass ring. We were excited to say the least. : )





Getting there and departing from the island was an adventure of it's own. We had bought our ferry tickets months in advance so we could bring our car over. The fog was so thick on our trip over that I wasn't able to see the island until we arrived, but on the trip back to Cape Cod, I saw West Chop Lighthouse from a distance, and even saw some seals in the water. What a magical air when you're standing on the deck of that ferry, and what a truly magical place.

Martha's Vineyard

So we leave for our family vacation this coming Sunday for Martha's Vineyard! My first vacation since the honeymoon... so it's very much needed. As you probably know, Martha's Vineyard is a quaint, beautiful island off the coast of Massachusetts. Ryan's family owns one of the little gingerbread houses in the Oak Bluffs area, right in the center of town. How lucky are we?

Ryan spent many of his childhood vacations here, and he's been wanting to take me up there ever since we started dating-- after all, it's the quintessential "New England." And I love anything New England. : ) So I'm banking on a full lovely week of the following: fishing, eating lobster, clamming, walking, kayaking, drinking wine, visiting little shops and bakeries, and most importantly, relaxing. Most vacations seem to be so jam packed with activities in order to take full advantage of your days off from work that it's hard to fully experience the place you visit; however, the environment of Martha's Vineyard caters to the old-fashioned summer vacation... enjoying the outdoors, spending time with your family, and appreciating the little things in life.

Here's just a few of the little stops I'd like to make on our trip (those within walking distance are my favorite!):

Mad Martha's Ice Cream
Vineyard Haven, MA







Flying Horses Carousel
Oak Bluffs, MA
The nation's oldest operating carousel. If you catch the brass ring, you get a free ride! (Know the Dispatch song "Flying Horses"? Yep, this is it!)



The Black Dog Tavern and Bakery
Vineyard Haven, MA
Opened in 1973. Self-explanatory!








Murdick's Fudge
Edgartown, MA
Murdick's Fudge has been making fudge and brittle with the same recipes since 1887.

I Heart Charlottesville.

I did it! Marathon #2 is officially (and successfully) complete. I got my PR at an official time of 3:53:27, which is an 8:55 pace (full results here). I can't believe that I beat my best time at such a hilly (but BEAUTIFUL) course. I was sooo much better prepared this time, mentally and physically. I didn't peak too early, and I tapered down in my training after about 21 miles, both to prevent injury and so not to psych myself out. I already knew that I could do it and it wasn't a matter of finishing, but instead, feeling as good as possible during the entirety of the race. I knew my limits, I knew when fast was "too fast," and I knew that I should enjoy every moment because finishing would make it all worth it.

As you can see, I couldn't do anything but smile when I crossed that finish line. Even though this was my second race, I finally felt like a trained marathon runner. I had trained all by myself for this race, which was a huge feat mentally. It took me a lot of willpower to get out of bed on my Saturday mornings and run for multiple hours with only myself to hold me accountable. Also, after finishing my first marathon back in 2008, I remember saying that I would never do another one... that it was the hardest thing I'd ever done in my life. This experience was the total opposite. When I returned home, I immediately started looking for the next race to sign up for--I felt so gratified by the run, the organizers, and by the town. Charlottesville is truly a little gem: historic, diverse, rich in character, curvy, and truly loved by its inhabitants. I genuinely feel that it inspired me to never quit this sport and instead, to wholeheartedly embrace it. I'll be back next year.

With my husband Ryan at the finish line.