thanksgiving 2012

We enjoyed such a great Thanksgiving here in Redding with our friends. The day started in the chilly morning air for the Turkey Trot, which was the most refreshing way to start the morning. 

We had the most beautiful day weather-wise and I think that from now on we want to start all our Thanksgivings in the fresh air with exercise. 

Then we shared dinner together with our closest friends at Brad and Amanda's. We are so thankful for this group of friends who are truly like family. 

We also were officially married for 5 months on Thanksgiving, which was another fun thing to reflect on.

And yes, this was the view from their porch right before dinner. A major perk of Redding right now - the snow-peaked mountains. 

Video from the day coming soon.

the terrible awful

This week has been so full. So, so full. And we have plenty to share from Thanksgiving and a quick trip to San Fran, but before we get too behind, here's the story of this:

A week and a half ago it was our turn to make dinner for the house. I get bored making the same thing over and over, so I thought I'd try these pretty things.

Thanks Pinterest for easy dinner recipes. The kind that get deadly. 

To make your potatoes super thin like that you have to use a mandolin (no, not the musical instrument). If you aren't acquainted with the nasty kitchen tool, it's sort of like a cheese grater but for vegetables and fruit. I was using the single blade slicer to wow all our friends coming over for dinner with my very thin and crispy potatoes. 

I hadn't ever used one before and was really excited about how efficiently it was working. I was so excited, in fact, that I started using it at a pretty fast rate. And just as Cindy (our roommate) yelled from across the room, "Be careful!" I lost the top of my middle finger and a slice out of my thumb. 

We had pictures of that too but I haven't even had the stomach to look at them yet. 

What ensued was a night of me fainting multiple times (and Jimmy almost fainting too), calls to a friend in med school and our moms to determine whether or not to go to the ER, and lots and lots of bandages. I couldn't look at it for almost a week because I was so queasy.

We didn't end up at the hospital because there wasn't much they could stitch, and since then I've been sporting a rather attractive white gauze bandage on my middle finger.  It'll probably be wrapped up for quite a while and we're all waiting in suspense to see if fingers grow back rounded or if I'll have a flat spot there forever.

And you can't even imagine how important your middle finger is until you can't use it at all. 

Life lessons.

reflecting on thanksgiving 2011

It's so amazing to think that this video was made only a year ago. So much has changed since then that it feels like it happened three years ago.

But as we get ready for Thanksgiving in Redding Round 2, we're reflecting on what an amazing time we had here last year. It was during that Thanksgiving that we realized how much we loved being here and admitted that we both felt as though we could land here eventually.

We'll be documenting tomorrow and making another film - this time it will include a morning 10k and some new faces.

Also, we are so grateful and thankful because

JIMMY ACCEPTED AN AMAZING JOB

and will soon be a trained/licensed psychometrist (more info here).

The job search has been a long road and some days has made us doubtful, but in our hearts we knew that the right thing would open at the right time. I am thankful for a husband who did not make a decision to accept an ill-fitting position out of desperation or fear. The office he will be working with is amazing and we feel incredibly peaceful about the job. Thank you to everyone who has prayed about this journey. It truly feels like we've turned a corner. And we are thankful.

pardon the poor quality of photos

And the lack of posts. A recent injury to my fingers has made typing cumbersome. More on that another day.

This weekend we attended a beautiful wedding for friends. The weather was crazy - windstorm rainy crazy - but it was great to be with friends in the most beautifully lit barn.

It was the first wedding we attended since ours, which was actually a pretty special thing. It's crazy that it's already been (almost) 5 months. At other times though it's hard to imagine what it was like to not be married.

california sunsets

We just can't get enough of these mountains (especially now that they're topped with snow).

on elections

Here we are. Election night. 

It is by far the most uneventful election night of our lives thus far. I, for one, am feeling particularly sentimental for my days at Ashland in the Ashbrook Center. But together, we are feeling the great difference between living in California during an election versus living in Ohio. 

Truthfully I hadn't even thought about it until today, which is indicative of how non-existent the election is here. Really non-existent. 

No bumper stickers, no yard signs (and I mean literally none), no calls. Few commercials, and mostly for local California issues, although we don't watch much TV so that may be a bit inaccurate. The election does not exist here. 

A few weeks ago I was at the grocery down the street from our house picking up a few things. I borrowed Emilie's SUV, parked quickly and was heading through the aisles when I heard someone at the front of the store asking customers if the black SUV was theirs. 

I ran to the front, fearful that I had knicked someone's car because I wasn't used to the size of the SUV or that I had parked in a handicap spot.. something significant. When I got to the front and said that it was my car, the woman yelled (yes, yelled), "ARE YOU FROM OHIO? WHO ARE YOU VOTING FOR?"

"Um, excuse me?"

"I watch the news and Ohio is all the rage! It really matters there! I have to know who you're voting for!"

"I'm not really sure yet. Who are you voting for?"

"I don't know."

And then she walked away. It was the strangest interaction of my life. 

Jimmy's Grandpa is running for Commissioner in Ohio.

We'd be lying if we said we have been tuned in to the entire election, which is pretty sad considering that we're married Poli Sci majors. You'd think the excitement/involvement/anticipation would grow exponentially. 

Some of our friends who graduated with us were energized and I'm sure are doing great work in our political system. We, on the other hand, came out of our studies more disenchanted with the political realm than when we went into it.

We're saddened with the ridiculous amount of money spent on this election. We'd love to see that money used in places where it could be effective. We'd love to have a president who has the chance to be a president rather than an eternal candidate. 

But we're hopeful and we believe in the goodness of the United States. We are paying attention tonight and are always mindful of the blessing of our freedoms. Even if you had to stand in line for 4 hours, it may not be ideal but it's a privilege to get to stand in a line at all. 

here's to you, number 3.

Today my brother, Justin, turns 18.

He is the most amazing creator.

In his honor, here is a personal favorite. 86 Wives. They were learning about persuasive writing in school and had to do a multimedia project. Or something. And he chose to parody the story about the man from Nigeria or Nicaragua... somewhere... who had 86 wives.

Anyways, it produced this hit:

And I can't believe he's 18.

(Have I mentioned how much we miss our families?)

Justin, here's to another year of new adventures and exciting opportunities!