February

It is a long and terrible thing to be lonely. It is especially terrible to be lonely far away from your family and without an outlet for your time. But things are changing for us. We have had a few big changes:

1) We recently found ourselves with a beautiful 1909 Cable-Nelson Upright Grande piano. It came to us free in a roundabout way from a dear friend of ours who moved to the same city around the same time as Justin and I. I took piano lessons as a child. It was a few years, though I am unsure as to what age or how many years I actually played. But I love the piano. I love piano music. I love the way the ivory keys feel under my finger tips. I love the smell of old strings and smooth wood. I love the intensity or the gentleness or the joyfulness that can be expressed from this one instrument. It utterly amazes me the feeling of my wrists and my fingers dancing across the keys to a song I finally memorized. 

I ordered some piano books and a few technique books in order to get back up to my former level. Reading notes has had to be the most difficult part. I have to recount every note and correspond it to the letter and then the key in my head. Hopefully I will eventually be back to skimming lines easily like I do with a good novel.

I feel so blessed that our friend, Kevin, helped to bring this piano into our lives as it has been a longstanding dream of mine to own one so that I can reteach myself and eventually give our children lessons in our home. One day, my babies will play with me and fill our home with music.


2) Valentine's Day! The history of this lovely holiday is fairly vague and many are unsure how it came to have anything to do with love. But I like it just the same since it gives an excuse to be extra nice to my husband and him to me.  It started off fairly rocky since Justin had a work meeting which last much longer than anticipated, therefore my home made buffet breakfast was a little colder and harder than it was intended. But the love was there and that is what matters, right? Flowers and movies and a homemade gift from a pinterest idea made a simple and sweet Valentines Day.

The DIY gift is 3 different cutouts of road maps that center around the 3 pivotal places where our relationship had taken huge turns. He thought it was pretty sweet and it will help to make sure we remember these special places and those special times associated with it. It took about 10 dollars and an hour to make since I couldn't find a road map and had to edit and print all the maps out, which took WAY more time than it should have. But I think it turned out alright :)

We did end the evening with a little more flare, visiting one of the upscale restaurants in CDA located on the seventh floor of their famous lakeside resort. The menu, and their PRICES reflected it. Beverly's however, blew me away with their romantic atmosphere, complete with lake view tables for two and a musician playing acoustic love songs. We shared a generous portion of calamari and asian slaw (which I will order WHERE EVER and WHENEVER it is on an appetizer menu), a lobster bisque and shrimp skewers with prime rib and horseradish. We basically ate ourselves silly in the summary of things. But hey, it only comes once a year right!?

NOTE: My handsome and amazing father never FAILS to send my sister, me and my mother bouquets for every Valentine's Day which is thoughtful and loving of him in more ways than the obvious. The less obvious is the fact that he remembers to do this while he is hundreds of miles away in the middle of the ocean catching fish on a commercial fishing vessel. I love him and thank him for always being the first man in my life and to teach me how a true man treats a lady. Love you Daddy.

3) We are officially a married couple in our own right, at least in our own way, because we are now the proud and glorious new owners of a KING sized bed. Isn't it just beautiful? Brings a tear to our eyes.

My darling hubby and I enjoy our marital bed. We have deep conversations there, we snuggle and relax there and we sleep each night with our two babies. However, we don't like a cramped bed. We felt squished in a queen, especially since it was dipping in the middle, causing us to roll into one another each night. But now, NOW, we are spread out and comfortable and it is fabulous. The next step is getting a bedroom set that we both like. An impossible task it seems. But we shall see. For now we are enjoying a different type of freedom. 

and last but not least.....


4) Employment has been found for this stay-at-home mom of two dogs. It is not a dental office, though one day I hope to find my niche in a pediatric office I love with a doctor I respect. But as of now, I am now exercising my barista skills this weekend at a new, busy stand in the area near our house. It is called Daybreak Coffee Co. and they make an amazing Kokomo mocha which is my new obsession. It is probably not good for you but I get it nonfat, so it should help a little. Either way, I am excited to start bringing in some cash flow as well as breaking up my days a little in between Justin's off time. Anything helps.

So that is a little slice of our modern day life. Until the next big event, its time for snuggles, tea and puppy love with these two heart breakers.