in honor of the annual telemark ski race this weekend,
here's a peek at a few crazy-early morning backcountry training runs.
isn't it absolutely gorgeous?!!
go, dan (and co.), go!
check out my pics from last year.
iphone photography by uncle ray.
my boys left town this weekend to visit family, see our sweet niece be baptized and introduce benji to a real monster truck rally in southern utah. it was the manly event and highlight of the weekend; cousins, uncles and grandpa all joined in. boys will be boys. benji could not wait! i was a bit worried seeing cars get smashed would scar the poor child, but apparently he loved every minute of it. there was even a father / son monster truck team out there. and a monster truck that resembled a dog. at one point, i'm told, a jet engine rigged to the back of a fire engine completely melted another car into oblivion. (fortunately, as benji noted, a real brush rig was on the outskirts ready to tame the flames.) now tell me, who wouldn't want to pay good money to see that?! b tells me he was happy wearing his own ear protection too. last weekend he got his first train ride and now, monster trucks. this turning into a little boy thing is pretty awesome. i just love dan's face in that first picture; just the beginning of introducing his boy to rad guy stuff. in related news, benji has the chorus to cool guys don't look at explosions memorized.
meanwhile i was busy having some girl time; cuddling whitney's new baby, wren (she's here!!), painting furniture (and managing to get paint all over myself), cooling off in the basement and eating out with friends! hello summertime!
dan and friends participated in the 10th annual powderkeg ski race on saturday. it involves crazy technical vertical climbs with tele skis–skinning up and then skiing down. for safety in the backcountry, the participants have to carry / wear their survival gear; avalanche beacons, water, snow shovels, avalanche probes, warm layers, etc. not one bit intimidating for the racers' spouses back at the finish line. dan thrives on high adventure stuff. i thrive on the safe ride down the canyon afterwards, buckled in our seatbelts. luckily the sun was shining and all went well. the racers rocked the terrain while b and i comfortably made conversation with good company in the cheering section. my boys were both officially spent by the end of the big event. hip hooray.
check out our other powderkeg adventures here and here.
sidenote // thank you for your excitement about boy numero two. we are completely thrilled about it. and i'm already prepping myself on a life of worry with high adventures like building snowcaves, skiing, river rafting, target shooting, camping, jumping on a school bus (without me!), going trick-or-treating unattended (will i ever allow it!!?), little league try-outs, riding bikes without training wheels, balancing a wobbly cafeteria lunch tray loaded with healthy foods that will likely go uneaten... oh, how you brave mothers do it!
benji and i have been discussing being brave a lot lately. every evening we make a fun game out of checking for dragons and monsters in his room. i turn his flashlight on and check every nook and cranny. he laughs hysterically; it has become routine and he loves it. last night he asked me what it meant to be brave and i did my best to give him a good answer. we also tell him there are three things he can do when he's scared: #1. say a prayer. #2. sing a song. #3. think happy thoughts. i've heard him singing quietly to himself in his room on more than one occasion. it melted me into a pool of motherly love right there on the hardwood floors of the hallway.
what are your tips on teaching bravery to your children (or to yourself!)? somedays i feel a bit unqualified due to my own wobbly stack of worries that weigh heavy on me. i want my boys to be tough and brave and to believe in themselves and believe in their capabilities (even if they are scared!). i will have to learn how to encourage courage while cloaking my own motherly fears! check out what mara says about being fearless. i'd love to hear your thoughts on the matter.
awesome powderkeg logo is not my own; created by the talented wasatch powderkeg officials.
sledding in sun valley / his favorite place
happy, happy birthday to my favorite valentine.
i love that february comes in with a kick.
thank you for asking me out at the bakery (after i offered you a free sandwich).
your ham and swiss on wheat was always my favorite of the day.
thank you for taking us on so many adventures.
nothing else like being on a train in a foreign country with your main squeeze.
thank you for speaking japanese on random occasions.
nothing else quite like sharing a bowl of ramen in japan either.
thank you for knowing how to do the perfect tuck in.
thank you for loving our little boy so completely.
thank you for knowing so many songs.
nothing else like singing our hearts out in a duet.
thank you for knowing me and still loving me.
nothing else like sweats, crazy hair and ratty slippers.
thank you for showing me how to have courage.
thank you for making goals and following through.
nothing else like looking back and seeing how far we've come.
thank you for watching silly shows with me.
thank you for being comfortable and predictable.
thank you for surprising me and being spontaneous.
thank you for continuing to challenge yourself.
thank you for never giving up.
thank you for being rad.
thank you for the art of the road trip.
nothing else like a mix cd, snacks, a good book and a stretch of road.
(thank you for stopping to read historical markers, just like my dad did.)
thank you for reading my writings.
nothing else like having my number one fan be you.
thank you for explaining the lawyerly stuff, even when i don't understand.
nothing else like talking about torts and may it please the court...
thank you for being brave. especially when it comes to karaoke.
thank you for supporting me when i have to work late.
thank you for working hard for our fam.
thank you for making us a top pri-o.
thank you for speaking my language.
thank you for showing me what love means.
thank you for making un-fun stuff totally fun.
thank you for taking me skiing, even though i suck at it.
nothing else like watching your girlfriend roll down a snowy slope.
thank you for doing all the little things; especially when i don't notice.
thank you for being an amazing cook.
(thank you for making pioneer woman's chicken fried steak on a whim last sunday.)
thank you for being such a darling to your grandma bernice.
thank you for making me laugh. all of the time.
thank you for being so happy-go-lucky.
thank you for leaving me funny messages.
thank you for calling my mom and making her laugh.
thank you for having passion in your hobbies.
thank you for making the shed so nice and tidy.
thank you for letting me craft my little heart out and praising my efforts.
thank you for the best first date of my life.
(thank you for letting me talk your ear off for the rest of our lives.)
thank you for always reaching out and making new friends.
thank you for being opinionated and open minded.
thank you for always making a morning mix; two types of cereal in one bowl.
thank you for always making an effort.
thank you for always being there.
thank you for knowing scripture stories and explaining them so clearly.
thank you for showing our boy what it means to be a good husband.
thank you for making our life more awesome.
am so happy we found each other.
am so happy you kept coming into that bakery.
thank you for giving the girl wearing the bandana a chance of a lifetime.
happy birthday babe.
dan and me / blue lily photography.
p.s. so as i was jotting that last post all about having picnics on the floor and sporting crazy hair, dan was scheming up a surprise date night celebration. moral of the story is, when your anniversary rolls around you should maybe shower and throw on some perfume for good measure. we had dinner at one of our favorite places; where you look at the menu and the words sound so good together. you trust it'll taste divine. (if you make a reservation with a special event, tell them and they will customize your menus. i never get over seeing our names in print.) thanks to dan for totally surprising me and pete for tending and showing us the super 8 film of our wedding video. best ten years ever. someone pinch me.
side note // lots of awesome etsy stuff has been rolling in for my new series. stay tuned.
archives.
our engagement.
when dan went to law school.
a cycling obsession.
family portrait by blue lily photography.
you have no idea how happy my world is right now.
let me tell you. (oh so many things to tell you. this will be a short smattering of thoughts.) i feel all me again, despite the random items in my fridge and explosion of a bedroom we're coping with. our new life here is coming together. it's terribly exciting. we have two rooms painted (am still admiring them) and our boxes are in (thanks to such awesome helpers). dan stole me away last week for a getaway in the mountains, so i'm still in the beginning stages of building our nest. found the shower curtain today. yay. and my kitchen cupboards are organized (thanks to you, whit) and my baking ingredients have been poured into oxo brand pop top containers (i'm madly crazy about them). we've been eating picnic style and benji's been playing with and around the packed and unpacked boxes. the chaos would be unnerving if i didn't feel so thrilled about the whole new house situation.
and, most importantly, today is our 10th anniversary (it was warm weathered and blue skied ten years ago too)! i am so lucky in love with dan and the little boy who reminds me so much of him (i could go on and on, as you know). and my computer is unpacked (oh how i've missed the clickety clicks of this old dusty keyboard) and my internet is running (such pride in self installation)! which means i can finally say hello again to you and thank you for the kind birthday comments. seriously; i read them on dan's droid and felt all rosy inside. and blue lily sent me some amazing pics from our photo shoot which i can finally download (to be honest, i haven't even had time to look at all of them yet. this was the first one i previewed and am smitten. will be viewing them for a little anniversary activity.) now i'm off to clear some space for a romantic picnic of take-out on our grainy wooden floors. very movie-esque. but in the movies, i'd have some decent make-up on, my hair appropriately done and a babysitter for the toddler. thank goodness dan loves me as i am, all crazy haired and fresh faced with bubble wrap curling in the corners and a toddler bouncing about. sometimes real life is so much better than the movies.
from dawn to dusk. 206 miles in one day.
thousands of racers. (and lots of powerade.)
with a big celebration in jackson, wyoming.
image source unknown.
this weekend benj and i are the official support crew for dan's big bike ride. he has been riding 100 miles every saturday to gear up for LOTOJA again this year. major training going on despite our messy living out of suitcase lifestyle. we'll be cheering for you, babe. dan is the man when it comes to setting a goal and accomplishing it. the big thing for dan and co. is to eat small salted red potatoes, cooked of course, during the ride for refueling on carbs and sodium. we're also toting ham & cheese sammys and tiny jugs of chocolate milk too. wholesome and simple. what will they think up next?
next week (and the week after that) will be a little nuts. but thus is our life right now. i can already feel it, my shoulders are tensing up. it's exciting and exhausting, kind of like the summer we just had. and my logical mind knows that no matter how many lists i write, moving is moving is moving. it's chaotic and crazy. no matter how you crack it. there is no systematic way to move. and we're not even officially moving until the 24th. til then we're bombarding my sisters' homes with our wild ways and fickle schedules and diagonal cut sandwiches and stuffed suitcases; what good husbands they have. (sisters will do anything for each other, husbands have a bit more sense.) as we have house hopped from one to another, am feeling so grateful for family. they know us entirely and yet, still love us anyway.
now have a good weekend and ride strong and hold on.
p.s. am not sure when i'll get around to my big blog-a-versary post.. but i must put this in writing: martawrites is FIVE years old. shout hooray! more celebrating to come.
as i mentioned, dan and i have a new favorite tv show. and it's totally unlike anything i've ever watched before. i half-heartedly watched bear grylls sometimes, but have fallen hard for steven rinella. maybe it's because he is a writer and my heart sorta melts for writers.
it all started when dan read steven rinella's book, American Buffalo. he kept telling me i'd love it and that i should read it. steven is an outdoorsman / hunter / buffalo enthusiast / writer. the book never made its way to my nightstand. not that i have actually finished any of the books currently on my nightstand. now that pinterest has entered my life, i don't know how i'll ever actually accomplish anything ever again. fortunately dan's darling book-worm university-going niece, lucy borrowed it willingly, as they are always exchanging good reads. a few months after that i noticed a mention of steven rinella in an issue of oprah magazine. weird. my worlds were colliding.
then dan found out about steven rinella's upcoming television series. dan doesn't watch tv much at all, so i knew this was a pretty big deal. we made it a point to catch it one night. i played the role of supportive wife and curled up next to him, ready to fall asleep. but i couldn't sleep through it. which is saying a lot from one who has snoozed through many a bourne identity marathon.
the wild within has the element that i crave in reality tv; the camera follows steven through his journeys and he talks right to the camera. i think his skills in writing make him even more articulate, amidst his laid back, rugged mountain man persona. i love that i'm along for the adventure, in my jammies in my family room. plus, steven rinella has charisma. he is likable and spontaneous and normal and he'll probably remind you of someone you know. he often mentions his wife and baby, which is always endearing. he is not annoyingly conceited nor is he falsely modest. he's just real; very into hunting and exploring and making the most of what he and his family eats.
the whole premise is based on his pioneering passion for attaining his own food rather than utilizing outside (and sometimes mysterious) sources to feed his family. i've learned a lot about fishing, wilderness and animals from him. i now know how crazy dangerous a wild boar can be and how fatty and wonderful cooked beaver tail is. supposedly it tastes like butter. (in case i ever get stranded near a pond.) i appreciate that steven is not pushing his agenda or views about hunting / gathering food on me, i do not feel under attack while watching this show. he also does not go on and on about guns or bullets, i would bore quickly if that were the case. the camera catches incredible scenery, the highs and lows of exploration and interesting tidbits about the culture of his locale. the fact that this show is so appealing to someone like me just proves the point that when there is passion, the audience can feel it. he adventures far from his home in new york city to hunt in alaska, hawaii, montana, canada and this week, scotland.
i must admit (and warn you), in every episode he usually hunts a large animal and as a result takes care of it right away–on camera. he is very straightforward and reverent about the ordeal, however i can't handle all the blood and guts so i always shield my eyes and ask dan to tell me when the animal prep is over. until further notice, i am happy to live in the dark. i prefer my meat clean (and usually boneless) shrink wrapped from the butcher. i realize steven and i have different views on the matter. still, i very much appreciate what he's all about. it's entertaining, riveting and highly recommended. yay for good television for manly men and the girls that love them.
sunday nights / if you watch it, do tell me what you think.
recently i colored water for dan's shooting activity. (i thought four gallon jugs was enough. lo and behold his friends brought along a whole truck-bed full of colored water.) recently i love that dan has outdoorsy passions that he enjoys doing. recently i realized i have very little enjoyment when i'm outdoors in the wintertime. i see this as a major weakness that must be overcome. recently i've been admiring dan's beard growing back. even though i complain about his scratchy whiskers, i still love it.
recently benji has almost outgrown his shoes. which is just in time, they are looking haggard. recently i've been wearing a warm turquoise-y sweater i snagged at a swap party. recently i fell in love with swap parties (thanks ashlynn!). it is the perfect motivation to rid your house of clutter and you end up scoring awesome new stuff. (carefully selected of course, as you don't want to replace the clutter you just rid yourself of.) recently i made oatmeal craisin white chocolate chip cookies for activity day; none of the nine year olds went after them. they all chose chocolate chip instead. it was cute watching one little gal check out which flavor cookie her bff chose before she made her decision. oh how we all do that sometimes. recently i've been documenting how my mini diaries are made, start to finish. (anyone interested in the process?) recently i have been deeply involved in re-introducing myself to adobe illustrator. a whole new happy world to explore. (thank you, alma for the encouragment.) am almost done designing march dollar downloads!
recently b hangs out in his crib reading (aloud to himself–cutest thing ever) in the morning. when he begs to take two or three books to bed at night, i always give in. recently i am wearing earrings. all the time. recently i've been snacking on plain almonds and banana chips. they sit on the counter in a cute container. recently i resisted the urge to splurge on cadbury mini eggs. recently i let benj color on plain envelopes. i like thinking that they are little artpieces for the mailman. recently i've been beefing up on new fonts. recently i ran in to get a free bang trim. this could be the best part about having bangs. yay. recently i've been wanting to see friday night lights. everyone is talking about it. recently we bought little moleskine notebooks to keep track of favorite scriptures we read and thoughts that come while we are studying (dan always has the best ideas). new notebooks always give me an excited push in the right direction.
idaho mountaineering.
i love photographic evidence of my husband in his element. i am rarely never in the hills of the snowy backcountry mountains, so getting a glimpse of dan's tele tracks on fresh powder is almost like being there. thanks to trevor ball for snapping these shots with his iphone 3GS. it's so beautiful! for a valentine's date night we're headed to our local banff mountain film festival. nothing says love like a ski flick and an audience of puffy patagonia coats and corduroys.
plus i already read the latest issue of Outside magazine to prepare myself. i know it may be a magazine for people who live in the city who want to seem like they're into the outdoors, but i seriously enjoy reading this magazine. i'm not just saying that. it's full of interesting articles–well beyond my scope, but completely compelling, like this one titled Rough Cut by Aron Ralston. i also dig their layout ideas and designer elements. if i had an ipad, i'd probably page through it there.
image via the banff centre
p.s. thank you for your thoughtful and fantastic comments from yesterday's post. cheers to finding (or, more accurately, creating) fresh content and blogging your heart out! i also added a blog try-out folder in my google reader, thanks to your suggestions. valentiney goodness coming soon.
dan's moustache made its annual cameo last thursday. you may think my craft boutique was the big deal of the weekend. not exactly. facial hair is always a hot topic of discussion amongst family; a topic most everyone has an opinion on.
my man is very happy these days. saturday he got to hike in the mountains with his favorite little buddy, go to the shooting range and hit some targets and see the first snowfall of the season. he even got a sweet new puffy coat for the winter. hip hip.
the latest news. yesterday he really surprised me. after months of my tireless campaigning, he went out and bought his very own cell phone. yay. speed dialing a lover never gets old. love you, babe.
p.s. did you ever wonder where my little boy got his huge hazelnut eyes?
dan headed out to grand targhee for a spring ski day this weekend. i sent the camera with him to get a glimpse of what he sees from way up there. here are a few favorites from the upload.
dan's favorite mountain range, the tetons. also seen here.
tiny people on top of a huge hill.
a view from the top.
dan's dream car.
the crowds gather for the annual cardboard box derby.
homemade sleds hit the slopes for steep competition. dan cheered for the etsy.com sled on my behalf. supposedly this poor sled stopped mid-slope. still, the design concept and green tutu get stylish points from me.
my bearded man (who, as it happens, is no longer bearded) kisses the season goodbye.
By Dan.
Eight years ago today I married Marta. It was a really great day.
When we were married, I knew a lot of things about Marta. I knew that she is creative, kind, thoughtful, beautiful. I knew that she makes me feel wonderful.
I only found out after we were married that she is also an insightful writer, a gifted designer, an empathetic teacher. I found out that she is unfailingly supportive and infinitely patient. I found out that she has the capacity to be positive in trying circumstances. I found out that she is a devoted wife and compassionate mother.
I found out that with Marta by my side, every day is a really great day.
Happy anniversary. Love Dan
We stayed up way too late watching movies and Marta turned in, so you're stuck with me. She asked me to announce the winner of this week's giveaway. Erin is the lucky random individual who will be receiving a print of her choosing from JJ. Congratulations. (Please send Marta your information.)
With access to this Bully Pulpit, I planned to write an insightful, thought provoking post about some of the issues that concern me. But, sadly, we stayed up way too late watching movies and I'm turning in. So you'll just have to look forward to Marta's next post and this Thursday's giveaway.
I honestly can’t believe that cinnamon bears are not universally available. Marta told me that some of you have never, ever experienced this gooey, gummy, stuck-in-the-grooves-of-your-teeth ursine goodness. I’m shocked and appalled. Cinnamon bears are (or at least should be) as much a part of every childhood experience as hand-me-downs and Super Mario Brothers. Next you’ll be telling me that there are places where you can’t get Fry Sauce with your burger combo meal.
I realize that the economy is on the skids, and that Congress thinks they’re doing us all a huge favor by concentrating on the stimulus bill. What they should be doing is ensuring that all Americans have equal access to cinnamon bears. Like Marta, I’m campaigning for cinnamon bear reform. I won’t rest until cinnamon bears can be found in every grocery store, quickie-mart, and truck stop from sea to shining sea!
To start, I’m sending (well, technically Marta is sending) a free package of bears to Victoria, our completely random winner, who loves When Harry Met Sally and who has apparently been leading a life without cinnamon bears. Please email your info to marta@martacards.com.
To those who weren’t quite as random and yet still want to experience the blessings of cinnamon bears, I have only one suggestion: write to your Senator or Member of Congress.
(I'm informed that Marta promised to announce her favorite romantic movies in this post. Since she's busy, I'll take the liberty of listing her top chick flicks, in order of preference: (1) This is Spinal Tap, (2) The Godfather II, (3) The Bourne Ultimatum , (4) Fast and Furious 3: Tokyo Drift, and (5) Beaches.)
Hi. This is Dan. Marta is sick today so she asked me to fill in. I'm here to announce the winner of the fuzzy cookie contest.
Who's the big winner? Desiree. Congratulations, you're the big winner. And, you share a name with my third favorite Neil Diamond song. The greatest Neil song of all time is, without a doubt, Holly Holy, followed closely by Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show. While I'm partial to the classics, Neil's 2005 album "12 Songs" had some remarkably good music. Notably Captain of a Shipwreck. If you haven't seen 1980's "The Jazz Singer," starring Neil in the title role and Sir Laurence Olivier as his long-suffering father, you're really only hurting yourself. Not only is the acting absolutely phenomenal (I'm pretty sure Neil won the Oscar for Best Actor that year), but the soundtrack will blow your mind. Check out this, this and this.
Anyway, congratulations on the fuzzy felt cookies. Hope you enjoy them. Email your contact info to Marta and she'll take care of the rest.
I couldn't find a credit for this photo.
My sincere thanks to the unknown photographer who captured Neil at his most radiant.
three years ago we embarked on an adventure. i say we because this sort of adventure involves the whole family. some called us crazy. some said it was risky. (and boy was it expensive.) this adventure was a little thing we call law school.
back then, i was just a wee one. i knew nothing; let's face it. people told us this time would fly by. i did not believe them. people told us that law school was the most memorable time of their lives. yeah right. people told us that the friends you make in law school will be your pals forever. hmm. doubt it. for some reason, 3 years ago, all of these romantic statements thrown our way were not the things i really wanted to hear. sure optimism is a good thing.. but sometimes you (i) need a bit of reaffirmation. you just want the cold hard truth. you want to hear that being poor sucks. you want to hear how being a law school widow sucks. you want to hear that you are saying farewell to your husband and tossing him into a pile of books. which will cost you a lot of money, by the way. you'll want to hear that moving miles away from your family is super sad. you want to hear that attempting to support your two person family is really hard. you want to hear that you are the bomb dot com, hero of a lifetime to support your hubby through three years of law school. and you want to hear that your husband is a stud for heading back to school. you want to hear that this self-imposed torturous endeavor will pay off in the end. (and you will want a guarantee on that.) these are the kinds of things you wish people would say, but they don't. so you simply jump in. luckily we had each other.
so the first year we were like newborns. feeling strangely uncomfortable leaving the womb. law school society was a whole new world; especially because that whole new world was called orange county, california. we lived there and played there and it was more dreamy than i imagined. we were still poor and pathetic, but we had plenty. we ate like nobody's business, because the OC has the best restaurants and juicy fresh colorful produce is unbelievably cheap. and i worked hard. harder than i have ever worked in my life. i learned a lot and grew and grew. and that year, dan planted a big fat smile on his face because he discovered his new love. he spent hours devoted to her. he spent his nights with her, cooped up in the library. he and she would whisper back and forth as he read words with too many vowels in books with too many pages. her name: the Law.
i didn't resent her of course. all this time he spent with the Law made him happy. really truly actually happy. i couldn't have been gladder. i busied myself with projects and work and doing five loads of laundry at once (the one pro of using a laundromat) and reading on the beach on saturdays. dan would come home with stories upon stories of torts and trials and cases. i tried to be a good wife and listen and be interested. i especially liked when they were dramatic cases and i could try to detect the ending and decipher justice. i liked to pull out all the stops and imagine every grisham movie i'd ever seen; a little part of me wants to be darby shaw.
he would tell me about the cases and we'd discuss what fairness is all about. i learned how everyone deserves a good lawyer, that everyone deserves their day in court and how we have to be honest, ethical, good citizens of the world; because it's our duty. this reminder made me stop the once in a while lemonade in my water cup at cheap restaurants. it made me stop speeding or making u-turns at illegal points in the road too. well most of the time. i didn't realize i would get a new roommate; but i did. i was living with a bearded judge judy. i became a super sleuth with dan's new knowledge. suddenly i knew all my rights and knew i could tell the officer that i would have to see a warrant for that. or that i don't have to say anything until my lawyer is there. dan can tell me the laws about everything and how much time i'd spend in the big house if they caught me and would then ask me how i would defend myself if on the stand. i don't know the heimlich so good, but i am going to be really prepared if ever the SWAT team shows up at my door.
our more serious discussions soon became very logical and precise, i learned that dan would want the court report read back to him if i said some silly blunderous statement that made no sense at all. yeah, i do that. a lot. he was a lawyer in training, and he had me to practice on. though annoying at times, it was genius. and i loved him more and more. my mom and i would chat on the phone and she would say she thought of dan everytime she watched Law & Order. a show i'm sure dan (and all other law school students) would love, if they had a free moment to actually watch it.
speaking of television, dan has been very lucky to have me. throughout his law school career, i've kept him up to date on everything important: what tyra did on Next Top Model or what simon said on American Idol or the state of billy bush's tan on Access Hollywood. without me, dan would have had no clue about hurricane katrina, mitt running for president, paris in the slammer, katie leaving the today show or that the last bachelor didn't choose either girl. while stuck in traffic or on a weekend road trip, he'd detail the history of the constitution and quiz me on the names of the supreme court justices and i'd update him on everything worth knowing and quiz him on how many babies angie and brad have. {what can i say, we work as a team.} i'd also tell dan about my clients at work and how stressful and crazy and hilarious it all is. he would tell me about his classes and ask if i'd make cookies for the study group on fridays. i became known for my chocolate chip & rice krispie cookie. which makes me a very happy girl.
after the first year, dan had the opportunity to transfer to the university of utah. we rejoiced at the thought of coming home and cried at the thought of leaving the oceanside campfires, the in & out chocolate shakes, trader joes grocery store and our wonderful new friends. but we headed to utah with happy, thankful hearts. {coming home was an unexpected jaunt in our adventure.}
throughout the entire adventure, dan never complained about the tower of mammoth books on his cheap ikea desk, or the fact that he was expected to actually read them (nor the fact that he has never had a proper fancy true law school studentesque oak table to read them on). he never complained about the socratic method his professors used, naming students unexpectedly (by their last names, mister so and so...). he never complained about riding his bike to school every day or staying late at the library every night. he never complained that his meals were rarely hot or that he had to wear an old suit to mock trial. he never complained about the workload or all the fun he was missing out on. he never complained that most every weekend was spent in the library at his desk with his head buried in a book and his fingers tapping away at his laptop.
instead, he would tell me the 'dinner' i packed him was delicious, that he had a spot in the sun to work at all day, that his bike was the best commute ever, that he loved the case he was working on, that his professors were inspiring, and that he wanted to be a good lawyer someday.
now that our adventure is wrapping up and dan will be graduating from law school in two weeks; i am getting all sentimental. this adventure has flown by. i will always think fondly of this special time; where it was just d and me. the three short years where we made so many memories and lived off bowls of linguine. the years he discovered that orange flavored rockstar can keep him awake to cram all night. the years i figured out what i wanted to do and actually did it. the years that we made friends who are unforgettable. the years where our short li'l trips camping in the desert were better than a stay in any lavish hotel. the years where dan and i took long walks; memorizing all of our favorite houses in all of the neighborhoods we lived in. the years where we wrote emails back and forth and cheered each other on from desktop to laptop. the years that we learned and grew and became brand new people.
cheers to a fabulous finale and a new birth of possibilities.
