call me a fan.

its true. i wear my heart on my sleeve. if you have seen me excited. you know it. 

there are a few things in life that i count as pure joy. 

we all have "a list." the things that make life special. 

mine include:

lattes.

cookie dough ice cream ice cream (obsessed).

going to bed at 10 p.m. (okay maybe 9:30)

runs in the morning. 

family dinners around a table. 

tacos. homemade. hard shelled. red onions. (&& my secret ingredient- only some know :) :) 

civil wars. ingrid michaelson. ben rector. matt kearney. (pretty much the extent of my itunes)

sunsets.

walks. 

blueberry pie.

red pepper flakes. 

today show. 

kathie lee and hoda. 

so on a rainy monday morning. one of my favorite things rewarded me. big time. 

i was kathie lee and hoda's fan of the week. talk about shocked. i thought to myself "they know me!?!?!?!?!" nbd of course. (thanks nicole for informing me of this news- i had no idea!!)

so anyways.. you can only imagine. i wore a huge grin on my face all day. telling everyone who walked across my pathway. watching the clip 100xxx times. who know's- maybe one day i will make it on the today show. in real life. now, that would be the day! but until then- i will bask in my 30 seconds of fame. 

 

oh ya, i kinda of like him, too.

two families.

what's better than one family? two. 

being married for only a short while, i feel like i constantly ask caleb "what did your family do on a sunday afternoon? for birthdays?  for movie nights?" ... you get the point 
so when you get to see your new family in action- it is truly a joy!

caleb's family (well, part) visited us quickly after my family left. the fun never seemed to end- from running through a fountain, souring on a segway tour to watching hello dolly [at the ford, nbd]. all of which these events seem so much more special with people you love. 

thank you, d.c. for your never-ending amusement && family for coming to visit us.

...

it's amazing how much fun you can have with family. these people are irreplaceable. and, when they are here, it makes you realize how blessed you are :) come back soon. 

p.s. gretta, we will have to find you a cupcake shop next time?!

let's go to the zoo.

for my mom's birthday, i was beyond blessed to spend the day with her & my dad. just me. it was so nice (not that i don't enjoy spending time with caleb- i sure do). however, i am quite a homebody and being hundreds of miles away makes a day at the zoo with mom & dad... very special. 

we started the day with milkshakes and breakfast (at a place called, the diner) yum. they have a delicious milkshake with honey, bananas & ice cream. ummm.... yes, i have tried to revisit this recipe at home. not as good, yet i have already gone through more honey than i ever have in my entire life. 

&& what's better than breakfast & a milkshake. nothing. 

so mom, dad && i thought we would only spend an hour at the zoo.

one hour. 

not enough. 

we somehow got lost in the moment. going to literally every exhibit. elephants, monkeys, panda bears. we hit them all. 

near the end, my dad insisted on buying me a panda stuffed animal (which i couldn't understand at the time). however, when i was a little girl, i couldn't leave a zoo without an animal. so alas, as a twenty-something, my dad felt the same way today. it was truly a step back in time. && i loved every second of it :)

so what am i telling you-  drink a milkshake. get a stuffed animal. go to the zoo. 

\

tight grip.

there are days you want to hold on to with a tight grip. you would do anything to not let them go & to possibly freeze time. this was that kind of weekend. my parents and gram came to visit caleb and me for easter. 

i was thrilled. i had planned an entire easter brunch, stopping frequently at pottery barn waiting patiently for the day that the easter dishes would go on sale (and i could actually afford them). the pastel egg bowls, bunny saucer, colored eggs- i had everything set in my mind. a ham bought, a new recipe for pinapple stuffing recipe ready to be tested, and round cake pans expecting to be filled. 

...

the flood sadly ruined my living magazine easter brunch. i had to quickly switch gears-  calling every restaurant in town hoping someone still had an open table for 5 - with ham and a gluten free menu. 

let me tell you, that was a challenge more than you think! sorry, ebbit grill for calling nearly everyday. a frequent conversation still plays in my head: 

"will you be having ham for brunch?" 

"sorry, mam, we still haven't decided on our easter brunch menu." 

(thankfully, they did have ham & something gluten free. & an easter bunny.)

...

the weekend seemed all a bit overwhelming at first. my parents would call and say:

 "cal, if it's too much, we can come another time."

"no, it's not, please come." 

i am incredibly grateful my family joined me that weekend. although, my martha stewart easter did not go according to plan, it didn't matter. we filled our days with laughter, sight-seeing, crab banging, animal watching, champaine toasting... (more than just a little bit of fun.) 

it was a beautiful weekend. one i will always remember. thanks mom & dad & gram. i think i needed you that weekend. love, cal

^^^  28 years :)

^^^ in her glory 

^^^ i think she like it. 

^^^ playing dress up

^^^ kite festival on the mall

^^^ annapolis. i'm obsessed.

^^^ you are mine, little crabby.

come back, soon, please. 

cherry blossoms.

my first year fully experiencing the cherry blossoms of washington & 

notes for next year: 

1. do NOT try to drive to get to the blossoms (as tempting as it may be- it will not save you time)

2. bring a blanket for the picnic

3. be patient for the flowers' arrival- apparently they were stage fright this year

4. don't ride a bike anywhere near the mall

5. run the cherry blossom ten miler. truly a delight

6. buy a bigger cherry pie

^^^ kate & i before the race. a little chilly

 ^^^^ crowded.

 ^^^ best fan.

 ^^ these are not fake smiles. it was a delightful run. truly.

^^^ until next time, Mr. Jefferson

life is like a box of chocolates.

"life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you're gonna get" forest gump

i don't think i quite understood these words as a young child. i got the chocolate part, but not the other stuff. 

i see this gap even with the students i teach today. i have to gently remind them,

"yes, you are right. this is not fair. life is not fair." 

i wonder what age i started to understand that life is a roller coaster and that i am not entitled to anything. maybe it was in high school when i thought: why does she get to receive straight "a's" and never puts an hour in of studying. or maybe when i started to think, why are some people sick while others are healthy? & maybe it was when i went on my first missions trip and realized that over half the world is truly hurting. 

life just isn't fair. 

...

so alas, i have come to the conclusion. life is not fair. you don't know what is going to happen. totally confusing. yet, i am thankful for the blessings i receive each day from God. those blessings that i so do not deserve, but he graciously pours down on me. i am so thankful to serve a God who is just & "abounding in love and faithfulness" (psalm 85:15). 

...

so it's the moments that you find yourself enjoying life that are so special and worth capturing. these special times that are often taken for granted. those really yummy dark chocolates with the creme inside.

caleb and i found ourselves in the squares of savannah on our last day of our mini-getaway. and boy was it fun! we got to see the square where forest gump did sit and where he realized, life just isn't fair. 

this city is beautiful. locals call it a sister city to charleston. i can't really decide which one i like better :)

i would be happy to visit both again soon...though... really soon. 

^^ we saw pirates on our trolley tour

^^^ paula dean, anyone? lady and sons restuarant :)

three floors to the place & completely packed.

^^^ forest gump moment. 

^^^ beautiful squares of savannah 

beach cruiser. (hilton head)

what do you do when the forecast for a beach vacation is fifty degrees and windy. 

wear a sweater, pack a bathing suit (just in case) & rent bikes. 

just what we did.  

 ^^ you want pancakes, waffles & french toast? vacation- order all 3 :) 

yep. ordered all three = happy boy

^^^ a runner's dream. 

^^^ we make a good match :)

 ^^ what a suprise! hello, gator. don't come too close. 

we'll be back hilton.