Woodland creatures.

Hanna Lu had a great day with her grandparents today. Mom got some time to herself too.

 

We're getting on a plane very late tonight; wish us good and safe travels!

Another leg of the journey.

Baby and I traversed to Arizona today for a 36 hour layover before heading home to Maryland. We already miss our California family dearly but are looking forward to our next visit.

She eschews Skymall for more high brow in-air reading.

It's really nice to have this time after a short flight to hang out before a longer flight LATE tomorrow night. And, going from Arizona to the east coast versus California to the east coast makes a pleasant difference. Have a great weekend folks!

We're on the ground {& out of the air}!

Oh gosh golly we are here and we are tired; hey Arizona!!!!

I’m so excited for our vacation and the holidays and family and some sleep later tonight and we are grateful for a safe flight {& a baby who wasn’t too fussy/squirmy/impossible}…hasta mañana.

Back in the Valley of the Sun.

Hanna Lu and I arrived safely and bittersweetly back in Arizona tonight {so sad to leave California, so happy to be with Arizona family}.

And we get to enjoy our time here until the end of the month; yippee!!
xoxo, natty ♥

Not as hardy as their name suggests.

We safely arrived home, buoyed after a lovely weekend and happy to see out little dog.

But my poor mums!

Oh well, I'll nurse them back as best I can.

Here's to a good week to you all, newly wed or not!
xoxo, natty ❤ 

Backlog.

Oofdah.
I had a bunch of posts but hadn't pushed publish on them so here we go!

In other news, with some very sweet Chilean friends who are visiting we had our first go at Ethiopian food tonight.

It's kind of ridiculous since DC is know for this cuisine and there are several within a short walk of our home {as there were in California for that matter...} but Mikey and I try to be frugal and eat at home and anytime we decide to eat out it seems too adventurous to attempt something so new to us.

Not so much anymore! We had the traditional combination plate and shied away from the raw meat. I won't go into details but it's a lovely variety of about seven or eight separate dishes all presented on a large pizza sized piece of traditional Ethiopian bread which is spongey, ever so slightly acidic, and used in place of utensils. It was a yummy meal shared with some intrepid travelers and new friends.
Then we came home to a leaking waging machine {leaky valves?} and to get ready for my 7 AM flight back to California {yippee}.

Wish us all luck tonight and tomorrow morning.

xoxo, natty ♥ 

Sitting in a drag show crying.

Tonight, on a whim, we went to Lady Chablis' show. If you've read the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil then you'll know to whom I'm referring. If you haven't, then please read this book {it's one I've loved for a while, far before arriving in Savannah}.
I had a delightful time watching the performers sing and dance and interact with the audience. I laughed SO hard. And as wont to happen to me every once and a while when I have these joie de vivre moments, I started to tear up, y'all! What is up with that? I think that when or if I'm in a moment that finds me just.so.happy and full of life, it spills over. It's not like a sob-fest, just a bit of lacrimal leaking.
Anyway, I'm exhausted and sore-throated from screaming and lauging so happy night y'all!
By the way, we did a ghost tour last night that was an amazing experience, mostly because our tour guide is, in his words, "a historian who went off the deep end 15 years ago." I'll try to recap that experience a bit later.
Let's go Niners!
xoxo, natty ♥

Suh-VAN-uh!

Unexpectedly, I've ended up in Savannah, Georgia, for the weekend.
I've always wanted to visit this city and I'm pleased as punch to be here, though there won't be too much time for lurking around.
However, I did get in several solid hours of checking out some of the many little squares that the city is built around.

Think of a little city block that has a statue or monument in the middle and benches and grass surrounding it and many beautiful tall trees around it all.

And the Spanish moss.

Oh the Spanish moss. 

I'll have a post all about this beautiful place soon enough but I'm still including a few of the pictures I took today.
Have a fantabulous weekend y'all {I ate at The Lady and Sons tonight!!!}.

Aaaaaaaaaand...Go Niners!!!!
xoxo, natty ♥

Home home home home home home home.

We're back in DC.
Yea!
After a red-eye flight and a connection from Boston {hey Fence!} we got to our apartment and our dog and we're putting in some good rest and recovery time.
Happy Tuesday!
xoxo, natty ♥

Storage Space.

I'm still without more storage for pictures for this old blog, but I'll hopefully get on that in the next few days...until then, some niceties?

1} Though still drizzly outside {see YESTERDAY}, it's up in the 60s today.
2} I've been trying to cook my way through our perishable pantry since...
3} we're going to be heading out West for quite a while very soon!!!
4} Back to #2; we've had SO much soup {several butternut squashes, watercress/pea soup, sunchoke soup} but I've also been stockpiling almost half of it in the freezer so that there can be some easy dinners in the future. The best thing about the squash soup, in my opinion, has been that I don't even have to follow a recipe, I just crockpot chopped up squash {& usually an onion or two} along with spices {salt, pepper, nutmeg, & minced garlic} and four to six cups of water, leave it on low all day, and then blend it using our immersion blender {wonderful wedding gift!}.
5} Did I mention that California and Arizona are in our very near future??!!! 

What's lovely in your neck of the woods today Reader? Any SNOW?!?!?!

xoxo, natty ♥

Falls.

We went to Great Falls in Virginia today. My lovely in-laws and my cousin John who rolled into the district via MegaBus at 4 AM today are with us and my brother-in-law joined us. It was a beautiful and sunny, though slightly cool, day and there were tons of families there who were obviously taking their holiday-greeting-card pictures.

Then I came home and slept for five hours. I was tired. Lets hope I can even fall asleep now that it's actually bed time!

Maybe tomorrow or the next day I'll pull up our pictures from when Mike and I went to Great Falls in September {or was it August?!} so that we can see how the leaves and trees have changed.

xoxo, natty ♥

Beauty.

We're watching the Patriots game right now and enjoying the cool breeze coming in from outside. As of yesterday it has cooled down significantly over here, in New York where we were, and in DC. I think that we'll actually be back up to the seventies later this week but it's definitely a reminder of what weather is NOT like in the Bay Area.
We drove up to our little neighborhood about two hours ago and had a wonderful time visiting my cousin; thanks for letting us come up there John!!!
I have a plethora of pictures of leaves and pretty road-side vegetables {interesting to only me and Rebecca, I'm pretty sure}, though I had forgotten my camera and they're all on my phone and I'm for some reason not able to transfer them to my computer tonight; oh well!
Happy weekend to you and may your week go nicely for you!
xoxo, natty ♥

Home?

We got into San Jose a bit over an hour ago and I felt so relieved to be home in the way one feels only after a vacation; ready for normal days and more greens in my diet.
Except we're not really home anymore. We're in a weird sort of limbo. For us, it's staying with my mom until Monday. Between now and then we have some more refined packing and sorting to do and some sad goodbyes to make.
I'll end this little hodge podge of a post with a picture of my favorite part of today; other than spending great time with three great guys.

Still toasted!

We had another great day; we checked out what felt like almost all of San Diego and Coronado island.
Again, I'm having such a good time and so happy to be down here.
Happy Monday to you!

Toasted.

We arrived in San Diego last night at about six PM. We left San Jose at seven AM. It took us a bit longer than it should have but that's OK because we had a lovely lunch in LA and we are all super happy to be here!

Last night's dinner was delicious, we hung out with Mike's parents{who drove up for a few days from Phoenix} and their friends, and just enjoyed not being in the process of moving.

Today brought us to the beach and though we weren't there for more than a few hours I got completely and totally ROASTED. I'm red and not happy about it. Let's hope for a quick recovery.

We had dinner in Old Town tonight which is a fun place to walk around and tourist watch.



There was a bit of a wait for our table so we walked around the shops and enjoyed window shopping. I'll have up more pictures, probably when we return to San Jose, but here's my favorite of the evening.

I'm having a wonderful time here, sunburn be damned, and I'm super excited about more hanging out tomorrow and some zoo time on Tuesday! 

Long drive #1.

Here we go...I'll be posting throughout our drive because there's not much else to do.

Memory.

A hearty thank you to our veterans. Then, now, and in years to come.
Today was a lovely and low-key day. We checked out a U-Haul option for our move and visited with family. The male inhabitants of our apartment made naps a priority and I even got in a bit of running and some laundry. It sounds mundane but, y'all, these days recharge me.
In other news, let us think about the week ahead.

Who wears mouse ears?!?!

1} Since classes are over {shed a tear; I totally love my classes} I have time to grade this week. And there is a loooooot that needs to be done.
2} Maybe I'll get in some more miles this week? I'm being very cautious about my running but, at the same time, loving every minute pounding {not-too-strenuously!} the pavement.
3} Perhaps Guinness will get some longer walks? The poor thing certainly would enjoy it after a busy school year of lightening fast constitutionals.
4} We're getting more and more planning {& visualizing} done towards getting to D.C. in July; this is scary but really exciting folks!
5} A retrospective; I got to go to Disneyland last week which kind of kicked off my Leaving California Extravaganza. There are a handful of things I have on my informal list. It's not as though I'm leaving forever but, well, I am leaving and there are tons of things I love about this great state and our Bay Area. A taste of my interests :

• Disneyland; check!
• In-N-Out Burger; I don't often go here. I can't really remember the last time, actually, {possibly last summer as a second dinner} but I live comfortably knowing I can snag an easy dinner if I want to. Not for much longer.
• Tacos; I'm talking about little tortillas, {GOOD and grilled} meat, some chopped white onion, cilantro and lime. Times that by ten and I'm a happy girl. I'm not sure what the Mexican food situation will be in our new home but it's a ways further from our south of the border neighbor than California is and I'm fearing a lack of taquerías.
• Beaches; I try to get in at least one random day. It's only half an hour away and I don't take advantage of our location nearly as much as I could.
• Lake Tahoe; I skipped last summer's trip in lieu of preparing for our wedding and it was a good choice but I'm afraid I won't get a chance to this year since we're leaving somewhat soon.
• California; I've heard that things are different on the east coast. And I think that we're pretty laid back {soccer shorts and jeans are totally appropriate for dinner out} and that said way of living isn't the norm where we're going. We'll find out!

How did you celebrate the holiday weekend? Do you have family or friends who have served our military? Please thank them! And happy week to you!
xoxo, natty ♥

Warmer days.

Today was lovely. We had a little breakfast and walked around the zoo some more; when it's a free zoo I could go every day!!
I especially enjoyed the small mammal house; the hedgehogs were a highlight for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the statue out front of the building.

The lions were very focused on several little duck families that were floating in their moat {no rhyme intended}.

This gorilla was having a bit of a munch.
I feel very conflicted about zoos. Morally, I have some issues but going to the zoo growing up is one of my FAVORITE memories. My papa would take me to the San Francisco Zoo and I was so happy there. I still am; we go every year or so <3.
Then we went and saw The Hunger Games. I can do a bit of a review at a later date since I'm ready for bed now but it was exactly what I expected.
Happy weekend to you! We're bowling tomorrow and heading home on Monday.
xoxo, natty ♥

Lovely days.

Well we've certainly been enjoying Washington D.C.. We saw some great friends yesterday and did more exploring today. I'll have legitimate updates in a day or two or three but I will tell you that tonight, after grown up milk shakes, we had a private tour of the West Wing of the White House; thanks so much to our intrepid tour guide!!!

The lighting makes me look as though I'm missing a front tooth. I still have both of them in case you're curious. Good night y'all!
xoxo, natty ♥

Easter Basket Reveal.

As I mentioned last week, I enjoy Easter. Apart from the less tangible symbolism t's such a harbinger of Spring for us in the Bay Area {& in other places obviously} and it also means that Summer is just around the corner. This year we broke with tradition and had the egg hunt before brunch. Woah! Then we brunched. It was a lovely day and very low-key. It also wasn't blustery or rain soaked which has happened before.

Mikey and I shied away from actually searching for eggs, we just enjoyed the scenery.

And one of the cats.

My poor aunt in the background HATES cats.

This thing is so old and beyond prickly but I love her. 

I like to think that the feeling {feline feeling, that is} is mutual but that she just can't express herself very well.
Another highlight of the day was a certain Oryctolagus cuniculus; the Easter Bunny does indeed come to visit us once a year and ever-so-kindly brings some treats.

This year Mr. Mike got a pickle in a bag {which is patiently waiting in the fridge for our return}, little chocolate balls covered in sports wrappers, some mints {just because he likes them, not for any other reason!} white chocolate peanut cluster thingies and ingredients for pad thai.

I got McVities Digestive biscuits, a chocolate mousse mix, a tiny bottle of prosecco and a min panettone; yum!
Thanks Easter Bunny, you're great.
In other news, we explored Boston a bit on Tuesday. We stayed in Harvard Square and got a neat little tour Monday night with dear Ellie {hi Fence, we had so much fun with you!} and shared a great dinner. The next day we took the train and checked out the downtown area and walked a bit of the Freedom Trail. This trail is a self guided tour that walks through many neat-o and very historical sites. 

Not a big fan of being in or taking pictures; we compromise.

It's literally a red brick or painted line in the sidewalk that guided us; follow the red brick road!
We walked past some really beautiful homes. One had a very creative decoration in it's window planter boxes in preparation for this next Monday's Boston Marathon.

So cute!
I loved every minute of my time in Boston despite being exhausted from an Easter Sunday red eye flight. I'm super grateful that my amazing friend hosted us and took care of me for a few zombie like hours.
We're currently in D.C. hanging out with my brother-in-law and taking in the sights of our nation's capital. I'll have much more to say and many, many more pictures to share soon but I'll sign off with something I fell in love with; airport stragglers. 

These little guys were inside the La Guardia airport in New York during our layover on Monday; they were glad to be inside, I'm sure, but definitely not thrilled with my photo-taking attempts. I can't say that I blame them; ha!
xoxo, natty ♥