Thanksgiving Weekend

We spent a lovely Thanksgiving up North, visiting my extended family, enjoying my aunt and uncle's hot tub, playing games, and letting Hannah meet everyone. She seemed to really like my parents' house and got to play with Molly, my brother's dog. We also went to the hunting shack for a day where she got to run through the woods. Here are some pics from the weekend:

Hannah's Redecorating

When Hannah moved in, we gave her a room that we started calling "Hannah's Room." Even though the room was used every day by us and was previously known as "the laundry room," we knew Hannah needed a nice place to spend her days while we were at work. We put a water feeder in there, a little bed and blankets, some chew toys (ones she can't choke on while we are gone), and thought it would be a nice cozy place for a doggie to rest during the day.

Hannah, however, had other plans for the room. No sooner did she move in than the redecorating started! The first step? Simplifying. All the clothes - and the laundry basket - came off the top of the washing machine and dryer, two days in a row. Who did these people think they were, putting their stuff in my room? Clothes were scattered all over the room (thankfully nothing else happened to them), and amazingly she even managed to get clothes off of hooks that were almost six feet high.

The next thing she deemed important was more natural light. A small window in the laundry room has a bottom sill about four and a half feet off the floor, and a set of blinds covers the window. We had noticed some paw prints on the wall, as if Hannah was trying to look out the window. And then one day we came home and there were hundreds of little plastic pieces all over the floor, which effectively removed several inches of the blinds. In the process, she also added color, texture, and visual interest to the walls, with brown paw prints and scratches scattered beneath the window.

Her latest adventure topped them all, when she removed a shelf that was nailed into the wall about six feet high (the shelf was over my head, even!). We are pretty amazed at her handiwork. The same day, she pulled out a covered container of cleaning rags, opened the container, and spread the rags all over the floor, effectively adding floor coverings to her liking.

Since then, she seems to have settled down a bit. Is it because she has finished her redecorating? More likely, it's because she is feeling more settled in the house not as afraid when we leave her home during the day, which reduces the separation anxiety. In any case, Jenn has ceded decorating control of the laundry room ... for now.

Happily Ever After party

Last night Matt and I attended a party for Happily Ever After, the studio he (and sometimes I) shoots for, to celebrate the "end" of the wedding season. Ruth, the studio owner, went all out, renting our group a huge limo and taking us all out to Pazzaluna for dinner! It was a great group of people that includes both friends AND family, as my cousin Rachel is now working for the studio.

In front of the limo, downtown St. Paul

Getting ready for Xmas!

Back: Jenn, Matt, Melissa, Jamie, Rachel
Front: Lisa, Ruth, Kerri

Hannah Update

So many people have been asking about Hannah that I thought I would post an update! Hannah joined us on Sunday and has spent 3 days and 3 nights in our house so far. She seemed to adapt better than we thought she would. Moving to a new state, a new house, with new people - that's a lot! But she already seems very much at home.

Hannah is perfectly house trained, loves attention, listens well to commands, and is an all-around sweetheart (a high-energy one, but still a sweetheart!). She hasn't gotten into any trouble around the house, and has been sleeping in our bedroom like a little angel. Right now she is laying next to me, chewing very happily on a bone. It is so relaxing to watch a dog get lost in her bone!

The toughest part of adopting her will be her fear of strangers. We originally thought she was simply a little shy at first and would get used to new people after half an hour or so. Well, this fear has proven to be a bigger issue than we thought. She is still afraid of Matt. Our progress today was that she didn't bark at him when he came home! We are working with someone from the rescue organization to learn ways to overcome this behavior. And then we will have to start socializing her with other people too, so that she will be more comfortable being around people when we have friends over, or when we travel.

In the meantime, we are celebrating all the small successes along the way. She's very smart, and I was so proud of her learning to play fetch with her new stuffed toy in just two days! Plus, having a dog is getting me some great exercise - I can't remember the last time I woke up at 6:45 in the morning to go for a walk!

New Member of the Moses Family

We have been working with American Brittany Rescue to find a new member of the family. They have hooked us up with Hannah, a 6-year-old liver-and-white Brittany Spaniel (Matt's a little disappointed she's not the typical orange-and-white, but she looks a little more like the Springer Spaniels I've always been around :) ). We are doing a foster-to-adopt, just to make sure everything works out great, since we didn't have a chance to meet her before taking her home (she currently lives in Iowa). We are picking her up on Sunday but thought we would share this pic with everyone.

Matt's Latest Great Images

While I was at a scrapbooking retreat with my Mom in Two Harbors, Matt and his friend Jamie spent the weekend taking photos. Here are a couple that I think are stunning:

High Falls 1
High Falls 2

Wedding Photos!

ok, ok, I KNOW it's been awhile since I've posted to the blog, but I've been preoccupied with a few little things... such as a wedding (it was fabulous!), or a trip to Hawaii (super fun!) ... but now that we're back, I wanted to share with everyone the link to our wedding photos. We were so excited about these that we checked the photographer's web site every day of our honeymoon! When you click on the link, you will have to scroll down to where it says "Jenn & Matt Sept 21." A warning: there are nearly 600 photos! If you don't want to look at them all individually you can also just scroll through the thumbnail view. We were very lucky to have three talented photographers there for our day, and are thrilled with the photos.

Birthday Thoughts

Damn, my 20s were pretty good.

I got a bachelor’s degree – and a master’s degree. I had a career in marketing, and then was able to reenergize myself by switching careers. I lived in Duluth, by the shining Big-Sea-Water, where beauty and peace reigned. And I then moved to Minneapolis, lived in Uptown near the lakes, a land of history and character and charm and energy. As an urbanite, I spent a lot of time learning about the great stores and restaurants, navigating through traffic, socializing with friends, staying out late, and having tons of fun. I lived with Erika and learned the many nuances of the term “roommate.” In dating and jobs and the “grey everyday,” I went through many trials and had to learn a lot of life lessons along the way. And finally, I met the man of my dreams. And got engaged.

On a day-by-day basis, my 20s were tough. Often living paycheck to paycheck, unsure about my future, having to make a lot of tough decisions about where my life was going. Living through the quarter-life crisis. Frustrated about not having “more” … right now. In the path to discovering myself (or rediscovering, since it turned out I simply had to go back to who I was even as a child), I felt ungrounded, uprooted, lost. But now, as I turn 30, I can look back in awe at what I accomplished and the life I have had. In that time I made amazing friends, did so many things, became more outgoing, more confident, a little wiser, and in the end, much happier.

I wouldn’t want to live through it again but I will say good-bye to the years fondly and with sadness … and then look forward to the beginning of a new decade, with a new marriage and new career, and new adventures ahead.

Drought Tales

Where do our priorities lie in times of drought?

I just heard from a farmer friend of mine that the irrigating they are forced to do on their dairy farm is endless and exhausting. Thinking about how a neighboring town of ours, Chanhassen, banned irrigation because of low aquifer levels, I started to worry about how farmers’ wells will hold up. I can’t imagine the hours they are putting into keeping the irrigation running on their farm, the source of their livelihood … and our source of food. Beyond that, what can low aquifer levels do to our wetlands and streams, to our ecosystem’s health?

A co-worker of mine is a scientist and specializes in wetlands. We drove out to look at a site yesterday and she pointed to a wetland and she said “I wonder if there’s any water in there, even. You know, normally cattails such as that like about six inches of standing water. But earlier this year we were out there, and I had to dig to find saturated soil. And not just a little ways – it was about a foot down before there was water.”

And yet here in the metro area, businesses and homes continue to use their automated sprinkler systems. Living here, one could exist in a world of lush green lawns, completely oblivious to the fact that it’s dry here. Occasionally MPR does an interesting story on the drought and I listen, thinking, “I wonder if people really get this?” I doubt it; even if they have heard it on the radio, I doubt they understand it. Air conditioned homes and businesses, lush green lawns to look at, makes life so aesthetically pleasing, comfortable … and fake. It’s almost as if our short-term comfort is more important than long-term health.

Oh that’s right, I forgot what society I’m living in here. It’s true that lawns are more important than food. This all hit home a couple weeks ago when I was told by our city that you could get water permits for irrigating NEW SOD but not for watering VEGETABLES - since when is grass more important than food?

I know I’m not a saint. I know that in my commute to work I contribute to the climate change that may be causing this. And I’m horrendous at taking too-long showers … but somewhere, somehow, our priorities have to change – for all of us.

Life's Little Luxuries

Six days of being at a bike race . . . six days of working, eating, and being with the same group of people for endless hours. Some days are easier than others, maybe a few hours of being at the race itself and working on results afterwards. The first morning is always meetings with the teams and other officials, which means you're in the relative comfort of hotel meeting rooms with nearby bathrooms and food. After that though, you quickly adjust to the reality of port-a-potties that look pretty scuzzy after being used by long lines of bike racers and spectators. There's no such thing as running water. On the long days, you go 12 hours without a break, 12 hours between meals. And during the long road races, bathroom stops are nonexistent - so not only do you not eat, but you also ration your water sipping very, VERY, carefully.

I spent last week simply devouring my dinners. Usually eating in my room at the hotel, I would eat an entire meal without stopping to even breathe (not that I'm really proud of that ;) ). You do learn to appreciate, though, those times where you can freely gulp half a bottle of water and enjoy the cool smoothness down your throat without hesitation or repercussion.

This really hit home on Monday morning, at work. Now, it's not that my job is such a glamorous place to be, but about 10:00 I got up from my desk and walked to the bathroom. I had been drinking coffee all morning and filled up a water bottle at the drinking fountain. I stopped, looked around me, and thought "Now THIS is the life! Bathrooms nearby, running water to wash your hands, and fresh water!" These are life's little luxuries.

A Day at the Arboretum

Last Sunday dawned bright and hot, and yet we decided to spend the day hiking around the Arboretum anyway! Matt had made plans with his friends Jamie and Marianne to spend the day experimenting with photography, and I picked up one of Matt's cameras and joined in. It was a very fun day, great people to hang out with, and I actually learned something! I don't have my pics online but you can see Matt's and Jamie's.

Bonnie’s Dress

My mom already has a dress for the wedding - but she wanted other outfits for shower, rehearsal dinner, etc. She's not a shopper at all, but all of a sudden is obsessed with finding clothes, which I think is a little funny, but also fun and well deserved – this is her time to enjoy being mother of the bride! On Tuesday she wanted to shop at Tanger Outlets, so she followed me on my way back to the Cities and we went shopping. After trying on piles and piles of clothes, she found THE DRESS - she put it on and I could hear her from the dressing room saying that it was perfect ... the only problem was it was about 2 sizes too small! My mom had the staff call around to all the other Dress Barns to see if they had it, and there were none to be found ... my mom was so disappointed. We both went home feeling bummed and spent the night on our computers seeing if we could find the dress or another like it online. But no luck. We were on the phone with each other much of the night and finally I said, "you know mom, that woman at the store wasn't really that helpful or knowledgeable. One of us should call the other stores and see if we can dig one up." So she got on the phone and found one in the size she thought she'd take at the Dress Barn in St Louis Park. Of course I said that I'd go pick it up the next day for her.

About a half an hour later my phone rang again and it was my mom ... apparently my dad wanted to drive down and get it for her! He wanted to make sure she could have the dress she wanted. So, my dad got my uncle Roger to drive down with him yesterday. They wanted me to go with them to the store to verify that it was the right dress. So they came to my house, I went out to lunch with them (introducing Roger to his first ever Chipotle), and the crazy entourage of me, my dad, and my uncle went to get my mom's dress.

The guys were being very silly and I kept teasing them about driving to the cities to go dress shopping. When my dad paid for the dress the sales clerk gave it to him all wrapped up, on a hanger, in a pink bag. I told him that he got a "pretty pink bag" and he took it and danced out of the store pretending to be a woman. I could almost imagine him wearing high heels. It was hilarious - even the clerks were laughing!

Just one of those stories that will go down in Reed family lore ... my dad driving all the way to the Cities to go dress shopping!

LSCC Memorial Weekend Cycling Series

I just spent the last several days in the Duluth/Superior area, officiating at this series. I just have to write about how much fun it's been! - it reminds me of why I loved officiating and the sport of bike racing to begin with. The promoter, Tone Coughlin and the Lake Superior Cycling Club, was amazingly well organized for this first-time series, and yet the whole weekend carried an air of relaxation and of just enjoying the fun of a bike race. I was able to meet new people (LSCC folks including the team's 2 new officials), spend time in a wonderful part of Minnesota (including my hometown of Cloquet!), and enjoy watching the sprints for primes and race finishes. For a team of 8 people, LSCC managed to get great volunteers to run all the events. I have to say the Cloquet Criterium was my favorite, not just because it was my hometown and because criteriums allow you to see almost all the action, but also because we judges got to hang out on top of a flatbed trailer (better viewing!) and because we got to eat at two great Cloquet restaurants, Julie's Diner and Mexico Lindo.

Crowds were small the whole weekend, and many of the racing fields were small, but I really think this race could grow. I already can't wait until next year!

*Jenn's * Job*

As of Thursday, I have very exciting news!

Starting June 4, I will be working as a Environmental/Urban Community Planner with SRF Consulting. I am so excited about this job. SRF has a good reputation, and I'm thrilled that I get to work in these two different areas, both of which I feel passionate about. I've liked everyone there that I've met, feel like the benefits are fabulous, and it's not going to be a long commute (so we don't have to move!). It's all good. I feel so relieved and so happy that I've been giddy for two days straight!

Graduation

Last weekend I attended the Humphrey Institute's Graduation Ceremony. You can see lots of pictures here! My parents and grandparents came down for the ceremony, and I was joined by friends and family afterwards for dinner at Kafe 421.

D.C.

The District of Columbia has been on my mind a lot lately. First, there was the spring break trip focused on research for my assistantship. I was enamored with the city, particularly the Metro, its walkability, marvelous neighborhoods, historic character, and the energy—that sort of energy where you know important things are happening all around you.

I returned to D.C. last weekend. My friends Tom and Steph had considered driving down to Richmond to watch a bike race that Matt was officiating in. I couldn't resist visiting them and joining in the fun!









They are expecting a baby this fall, so it was great to share in the excitement and to see Steph's growing belly!

Then, shockingly, I got an amazing job offer for an organization in D.C. (I hadn't even officially interviewed!) It was a dream job, research and policy analysis regarding transit oriented development. It's all about making change and making our cities more sustainable—what I've said I want! I would be working in an office right around the corner from the White House. I would take the Metro to work and spend my days doing research and analysis about transit, trying to influence federal and other policies.

It has been a really emotional week as I've debated the benefits of this job compared to the sacrifices we'd have to make regarding finances, selling the house, time apart, and quality of life issues. In the end I decided not to take it. The repercussions were too great. I don't have regrets and know that I will be much happier on a different path, but I think there will always be a part of me that is sad, that imagines the Jenn-in-D.C. life.

The Hump's Personal Listserv

The Humphrey Institute is full of intelligent, politically-minded people ... who love to engage in email disputes and clever banterings over the personal listserv. Usually the battle begins with something ordinary and maybe even mundane, such as an announcement of a soccer game. One person responds and soon the floodgates are open! It's entertaining being a sideline watcher of these. At the Humphrey Banquet this year this video was shown depicting the race to be the first one to respond to an email. A side note - my friends and I are sitting at a table in the background of the video :).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0ujdCZ0qPw

Divorce Because You're "Bored"???

In my catching up on the news the other day, I came across a Star Tribune article that discusses middle-age women who initiate divorce. My shock at some of the comments from these women brought to light how traditional I can be when it comes to marriage! (not conservative or religious, just one who really believes in the importance and value of the commitment). Some of the other articles in this three-part series I found interesting, perhaps inspiring, especially about some of the different ways to get through a divorce. But bored of your husband? Always wanting something better? Don't get me wrong - there are many things outside of abuse and cheating that could lead to an intolerable marriage, and I'd assumed that in most divorces there was something that totally wasn't working, like communication issues or constantly fighting, etc. But to hear such cavalier attitudes from women who admitted that had been married to wonderful guys, or "I love you but I'm not in love with you" - Hmph.

It was actually a relief today to read Katherine Kersten's blog. And I've NEVER said that, probably never agreed with her before either. I don't agree with all the comments on her blog, but some parts of it were right on.

And better yet, there's a great discussion going on with all sorts of fabulous comments. I'll quote a few of my faves here:

"I initially felt a sense of “trite-ness” (if that is a word) and trivialization of marriage, probably similar to KK. I certainly dont agree with divorce for the sake of boredom, however, am interested in understanding this apparently growing issue rather than condemning it and leaving it at that.

I recall a fairly recent study, but can’t recall who authored it, where successful marriages were studied over a 10 year periods, with pre-testing of the couple’s traits. the study concluded that the only factor that they could identify as valid in the marriages that lasted was the male’s capacity and ability to show empathy to the female.

It is concerning and painful to read that marriages are breaking up due to feeling unloved, distant and bored. however, judgment aside, perhaps this ability to empathize with our partner and truly emotionally connect and express love and intimacy through the challenges and adversity of marriage should is a quality that will enhance and support lasting marriages."

"I support marriage between two humans (got around that crazy bestiality and polygamy argument people throw out as reasons allowing gay marriage would be a slippery slope.)

However, I am pretty conservative when it comes to upholding the “vows” of marriage/civil union especially when it comes to families with children. While I totally support a person who wants/needs to get out of a marriage because of abuse, I just shake my head when people leave spouses because they are bored. I, too, would be interested in what percentage of divorces are actually due to “boredom” or lack of being passionately in love - I hope it is a small proportion.

I’ll just say it - I think ditching a spouse simply because you are no longer la-la over him/her is stupid and selfish. Marriage is a work of love. Good days/bad days, sickness/health, whatever. I also think it is a terrible message to send kids that “Dad no longer makes my heart go pitter pat so we’re splitting up.” What? What about taking some ownership of your own happiness rather than waiting for someone to serve it to you on a silver platter? Life is not one big fancy dinner party.

I know a couple that fits this description very well - she wasn’t excited about him anymore. Neither one had an affair; they had no financial strains. There was no violence or abuse. She just thought he was boring - that’s exactly what she called it. So she left him and they share custody of the kids.

Life is less boring now that they have to negotiate vacations, trips, school and sports car pools, holidays, etc. I guess it was just too boring to live under one roof and wake up together as a family day after day after day."

"We as a society (im my opinion) have just become too temporary. We can upgrade cars, houses, and spouses when we feel we want something shiny and new."

Molly-Girl

I took these photos when I was visiting my brother at the end of February. You can see more Molly pictures on flickr.

Day 1 in D.C.

As some know, I am in D.C. this week, first working on some research for my assistantship at the Humphrey Institute (conducting interviews on public participation in transportation projects) and at the end of the week visiting my friends Tom and Steph.

It’s been a while since I’ve traveled someplace completely new on my own! And I think traveling in a new place makes me even more flustered than I normally am. It all started at the airport, with an awkward moment at the Northwest check-in area. Then when I got to D.C. the taxi pulled into the hotel sooner than I expected and I had to quickly calculate a tip—I forgot to ask him for a receipt (which means I won’t get reimbursed from the U).

This morning since I had an 8:30 am interview, I left the hotel at 7:30 and thought “I’ll grab coffee and a muffin on the go for breakfast.” So I went to the coffee shop next to the metro station ... I paid with cash (which I never do) and was fumbling around trying to get both bills and coins back in my purse and trying to grab the coffee - and left my muffin in its bag on the counter! Needless to say, I was quite hungry all morning.

What I probably should’ve done was left the coffee and taken the muffin. Because as I was soon to learn, taking coffee on the train is a huge taboo! I thought it odd that none of the other morning commuters had coffee (on the bus I take there’s often coffee!). And then I saw the sign: no eating or drinking on the train, which I assumed meant not even bringing coffee let alone sipping it. I looked for a garbage can to stash my coffee in before getting on the train, but none to be found. I only had to be on the train ‘til the next station ... but ya shoulda seen all the nasty looks I got.

To top it off, I developed huge blisters which made for great fun walking several blocks. I got back to the hotel at the end of the day with bloody heels, exhausted from a day of having to be “on” in a completely new place.

Still, I think the interviews went well. I interviewed 3 people today, all of which were involved in the TOD (transit oriented design) planning for the Clarendon area here in Arlington. At least I could enjoy meeting people – it’s always interesting how people can have very different perspectives on the exact same process.

My friend Cindy is on her way back to the hotel and we’re headed out someplace tonight. The weather is gorgeous!

Our Weekend in Sandstone

Last weekend Matt, our friend Jamie, and I spent some time at Minnesota Wildlife Connection in Sandstone. Here's Matt and I with an arctic fox. You can also see some of Matt's photos of an arctic fox, red fox, arctic wolf, and lynx.

TV News

This weekend we are celebrating the inaugural weekend of something wonderful and new in our house: a 50" Sony HDTV. It's smooth, sleek, and, wow, watching The Phantom Menace last night made us feel like we could go into hyperdrive ourselves!

The story of this tv actually goes back over three years, to Matt's and my third date. After spending a chilly fall day at Minnehaha Falls and unsuccessfully trying to warm up with hot coffee, I told Matt that I really wanted to sit by a fireplace. As it turned out, he had one, so we picked up pizza and came out to his house to get cozy by the fire. I hadn't been to his house before, and was surprised to see a new house in a new development, built for a techno-geek. The entire house was wired for ethernet, had already been wired for an alarm system, and the family room had surround sound, with speakers attached to the ceiling! One would expect to be wowed with a theater-like experience, except for the 25-year-old hand-me-down tv from Matt's parents.

Don't get me wrong, here ... I deeply appreciate that we have the capability to use gadgets and appliances until they're completely worn out. It makes us less wasteful. It fits with my environmental ethic. Yet somehow I still blurted out, "wow we need to get you a bigger tv!"
And I don't remember exactly how this happened, but it morphed into the crazy notion that I should be the one to buy Matt a bigger tv.

What started as a small remark has morphed into a 3-year-long running discussion. All our friends know about it and even Matt's dad has asked me when I was going to buy that tv! Well, as of this weekend, we can put it to rest. Matt found a good price on a good tv, and we went to the store and brought it home yesterday, just in time for today's Super Bowl game. And yes, I was the one to buy it, with my hard-earned student loan money.

Ironically, we bought it two days after I decided that my incessant tv watching needs to end! Watching tv must be a bit like alcoholism; at first it doesn't seem like so much, but you start to add more and more, and it becomes a daily routine, until it's taking you away from the rest of your life. Over winter break I didn't have a lot to do and started watching two hours of Friends reruns every day. And then last week I wasn't feeling well, so I started watching more tv, on top of my favorite shows which were just starting the spring season of new shows. In fact, in one week's time, I watched about 5 hours of Friends, plus Gray's Anatomy, What About Brian, Grease: the One That I Want, Men in Trees, 24 ... in fact, getting through the list of episodes saved on Tivo had become part of my daily to-do list, like "I can't go upstairs and read articles for school until I watch all these shows!"

I used to watch tv only on Thursday nights. It's almost the end of the week, I've worked hard, the weekend is almost here, I deserve a break ... and I appreciated those Thursday nights more than anything because it was a rarity to relax in front of the tv. So, I'm going to keep those Thursday nights, but the rest I'm giving up cold turkey. Which means I'm also giving up all the fun conversations with friends about last night's episode or about the nuances of Lost.

So why, you may ask, am I so excited about this new awesome tv? I guess it comes down to the fact that whatever we spend our time doing, we want to fully enjoy it. If I only watch the tv on Thursday nights, and Matt and I sit down on the weekend to watch a movie together, it will be like sitting in our own movie theater, and we will love it.

And hopefully, like the last tv, we will own it for many, many years.

Wishing for a Commune

It's a Friday night and I am cozy, in front of a fire, reading grad school articles while Matt is in L.A. I enjoy the peace of the evening ... but I also know that this big house has been quiet for awhile now, and I'm starting to feel like a hermit. The thought crossed my mind, "gee, I wish I still lived in Minneapolis where there was more people around!" But in truth, even if I lived in Minneapolis there would still be a chance that I'd be quiet and lonely at home tonight.

It makes me think back to yesterday, when I went to my cube at the Humphrey Institute to work. I share a cube with 4 other RA's (5 RA's, 3 desks), and when I arrived I saw that all the other desks were taken. I easily could've gone to the student lounge or elsewhere to study, but instead I sat on the floor, pulled out my laptop ... and felt so content and happy to be cozy with my fellow RAs!

I think growing up in a small house with a close family made me only feel comfortable when I have others around. I do like having my own space to retreat to when I need quiet, but on the other hand, I think back to growing up in my family, and how nice it was to have someone to talk to when you got home at night, to be able to watch tv or movies together, eat dinner together, have someone to share the Sunday paper and drink coffee with. There was conversation, and story sharing, and games of cribbage, and lots of laughter and jokes. It was a 900 square foot with 4 people sharing only 1 bathroom, but we always knew we were never alone.

I like having my own room, and like having my own kitchen so it can be just the way I want it - but other than that, why are there not more housing areas where we can be around more people? Tonight, how I would love to go chat with people in between reading articles, or have someone to play scrabble with over a cup of coffee. It would be so fantastic to share chores, have others around to share dog sitting with, and have a sense of communality.

"Single family housing" isn't all it's cracked up to be ;)

The Dress

I know I mentioned the dress shopping in a previous post, but thought I would write a little more about finding the perfect dress.

First, dress shopping was so much fun! It was the perfect dress shopping experience. Of course, every girl wants her mom to be part of the day, and my mom drove down from Cloquet to spend a few days here. She was a huge help with trying everything on, and made just enough comments while still letting me make up my own mind. Matt's sister Karen was awesome, so supportive and cool and fun. Her daughter Madi was in love with all the pretty dresses! It was great—the first place we went to she stood outside the door, looking at the dress in the window, jaw dropped, in awe of the "princess" ... she thought we were being too slow and came back to get us so she could go in and see the pretty dresses.

We went to 3 dress shops on Thursday. I tried on probably 40 dresses and looked at many, many more! It does get to be overwhelming to try to figure out what you like and don't like. I actually found many dresses that I thought looked nice on me ... but finally fell in love with 2 dresses, at different shops.

I didn't want to draw the process out out too long. I knew I wouldn't be able to let it rest if I didn't decide ... so I really wanted to make a decision! So, on Friday my mom and I had thought we might go look at other places. Instead, we drove back first to Crystal and then to Blaine for the 2 dresses I fell in love with. I tried them each on again with veils, jewelry, headpieces, looked at flower girl dresses, bridesmaid dresses, etc.

In the end, fate helped me decide. When we went back to the first place, in Crystal, I still loved that dress, and I found perfect bridesmaid dresses to go with it. Then I went to the second place, in Blaine, and still loved that dress! I couldn't decide. And I didn't want to take off the dress until I knew, because I knew that there was nothing else I could do to help me make my decision. I briefly considered waiting 'til the end of January to bring my maid of honor out to look at them, but that felt so long away!

So ... I'm standing there with the second dress on, and I'm trying to explain to my mom how I felt about the 2 dresses. "The first dress is so beautiful, and when I put it on I feel like it's totally me, it matches my personality. This dress, ... well it's just so PRETTY! I look in the mirror and I see a bride. It makes me feel special."

My Mom said, "that's hard to choose between ... something that matches you or something that makes you feel like a bride."

A few minutes later this woman comes around the corner and says, "I hear you know the Jutilas!" So I figure that she is the shop owner, who is a friend of my friend Steph's mom. (Steph told me of the shop since her mom's friend owned it and that is where Steph bought her dress). This woman introduces herself as Jackie and we chat for a little bit about how we know the Jutilas, etc. Turns out this woman is from Cloquet. I start to wonder if it's a sign that Jackie walked around the corner at that moment. Jackie then asked me about the other dress and I described it, just the details of the dress itself but not how I felt about it

She listens and then says, "Yes, I know it's really hard to find that dress that makes you feel really special." ... and I thought - wow! I was just using those same words to describe this dress and now Jackie is repeating them. So then I knew it was a sign and that that was the dress. My mom said later that she thought the dress I had on was "the one" when I wouldn't take it off and kept saying "oh it's so pretty!"

I can't put pictures up because of course my groom can't see the dress before the wedding day. It's off-white, champagne/taupe embroidery, a-line, with a long train. My favorite part of the dress is that the train is split and there is an insert of organza in it. So the dress switches from being satin to organza. I like the difference in fabric textures.

I can't wait to wear it again and can't believe it's still 8 months until the wedding day!

I already have pictures of my dress shopping companions in my previous post, so now I'll include a picture of me with Jackie, the shop owner at Angelique's. And I'm adding one of Madi and I trying on dresses - this is NOT my dress but it's a cute one of Madi and I.

The Best Christmas Break Ever

I'm not quite sure how you judge the best Christmas ever, but I certainly feel this was it. I didn't think it would go so well, given a huge project that was due and a final just a few days before Christmas ... I thought I'd show up at my parents' and sleep non-stop. Instead, I found myself continually having one wonderful moment after another. So it wasn't that Christmas brought me any one "fabulous" thing, but rather a string of events, each full of meaning, love, relaxation, peace, laughter. There was the laughter our niece, Madi, brought us, thankfulness that my family was all together for Christmas eve and Christmas day, a church service so full of beautiful music that it brought me out of the routine of year after year of the same candlelight service to a new appreciation of the beauty of the night. My parents, Matt, and I enjoyed a pre-church game of Settlers, and the time together in a relaxing game was just what I needed. Adam's dog Molly was once again adorable, and was more interested in opening her presents this year - what fun! Christmas morning, my mom presented Adam, Matt, and I with fleece garments, all wonderfully hand sewn! Mine was a fleece jacket, warm and cozy with a silky fleece lining. I keep thinking about the hours she spent sewing in the basement to make them. By the time Matt and I drove back to the Cities on Christmas night, I felt like everything this year had clicked into place to make the best Christmas.

The holiday has only continued for me, which is unfortunate probably for my schoolwork, tasks, and assistantship! Instead, Matt and I had our friends Kirsten and Mike visit from Kentucky, we've seen friends Tom and Steph from D.C., taken part in a New Year's Day Settlers tournament, and took part in our caterer tasting for the wedding.

I went North again for a baby shower and to spend a day with my cousins. Here is a picture of my cousins Brooke and Sarah making cheesecakes for the baby shower. Goofy girls! And then I returned to the Cities and went with Matt's sister Karen and niece Madi to see Charlotte's web - I should go to the movies with 2-year-olds more often!



Speaking of the wedding, I know some people are interested in wedding plans, and they are coming along quite nicely! The highlight this week was my Mom coming into town to help with some of the planning. She and I, along with Karen and Madi, spent all day yesterday wedding dress shopping - it was exactly what I would have hoped for! I have some pictures of the four of us at lunch yesterday. So, I now have a wedding dress! My mom and I have also visited our cake vendor and looked at table linens and decorations.


Oh, and happy 2007! It looks to be a very full year for me: graduation from my master's program, my 30th (yikes!) birthday, and a wedding, all in the same year!