It's tradition! Apparently.

Because of Ben's job we tend to move frequently. Case in point: we've been married ten years and have lived in five different cities together. Sometimes this means we choose our next new home under less than ideal conditions. And that means we sometimes have to deal with less than ideal house-related issues.

Our yellow-clad, turquoise-doored, porch-wrapped house is absolutely adorable. And it must be changed in at least 47 different ways. In fact, we started making changes (mentally on Pinterest) before we even saw the house in person. And once we actually closed and "moved" in...

It took us less than three weeks to

1. Confirm that yes, the carpet had to go
2. Decide on the type of replacement flooring(something not carpet)
3. Select said flooring (engineered hardwoods)
4. And start ripping things apart

And then I realized (okay, Ben pointed it out) that this has become a moving tradition for us! Observe:

Not too long after moving into our rental home in Florida we felt the undeniable desire to fix the fireplace in the family room. With the landlords' permission, of course.

Three years and a million offers later we snagged a house in Virginia. And proceeded to demolish the kitchen.

In 2016 we moved to Italy. We lived in hotels for more than two months while we struggled to find a house. Residential construction norms are wildly different overseas so we didn't do much. There was a cabinet mounted directly above the kitchen sink that we absolutely had to get rid of. It literally rested atop the faucet. I am sure I have a photo somewhere...

And now, here we are in Missouri. Ripping and tearing and making a mess.

Because, it is tradition.

New old adorable thing

Hey! How's it going?! It's been a minute since we last caught up, but we're old friends so let's just skip all the "we went to this place and did that thing and grew as people," etc. Instead we'll pick up and move on like no time has passed. Cool?

Good! Because I am dying to show you this adorable thing Ben and I just got!

For the next 18-ish months we'll be referring to a small town just outside Kansas City, MO as "home." And this Victorian-esque gem is where Ben and I will practice putting together our dream house!

Also, we'll sit on our GIANT WRAP-AROUND PORCH and drink wine!

Jane takes a hike

My "Discover Virginia" project got off to a bit of a rocky start.

Immediately after my last post I eagerly scoured the Outdoor School website for classes to help me check off my list. I signed up for an Outdoor Rock Climbing for Beginners course. Then fall happened and my class was cancelled due to rain.

I was sad for like a second. Then, someone said "Billy Goat Trail" and I was all "sign me up!" After all, if you can't rock climb you may as well scramble.

Turns out, I had exactly the right attitude. See, I assumed "rock scramble" translated to "move quickly so as to not fall down an incline covered in scree." I thought I would have to literally scramble up certain parts of the trail. Makes complete sense, right?

Yeah, well, I was wrong. A scramble is sort of like the bunny slope of rock climbing. You have to pick your way up, over, and around some pretty sizable rocks.

Following in the footsteps of Brandon and Zac.

My fellow hikers were super kind about helping me navigate the best path, and they were always quick to offer a steadying hand or a boost. However, like a petulant toddler I insisted I wanted "to do it myself." But, because I can find ways to fall down on perfectly flat ground there was always one experienced hiker in front of me and one behind. Just in case

How could you not trust those faces?

No special climbing shoes or ropes were required, but there was a bit of hand-over-hand hoisting.

See Zac climb

Okay, fine, Some members of our party climbed and hoisted and scrambled. I opted for something resembling more of a crawl.

See Jane crawl

Athena did a little bit of climbing and a little bit of crawling, but I think the crawling was just to keep me from feeling lame.

It's nice knowing your friends have your back

I was absolutely fascinated with what I have dubbed "the Venus rocks."

It looks like two different rocks got smushed together, but I have no idea if that's really what was going on here or if different parts of one rock reacted differently to elements of erosion. Surely somebody reading this can give me an explanation.

The Commodore - oh yes, The Commodore absolutely had to come along - was so over the stupid two-toned rocks. He preferred the scenery from the flat rocks closer to the water.

Actually, internet, there are no bad views at Great Falls*.

*Okay, Athena might have been stuck with a less than stellar view a few times throughout the day.

See Jane's butt

Putting aside Athena's possible trauma, it was an excellent hike with excellent people, and an excellent way to cross off number 2 on my Opt Out list.

Jane Opts Out

Remember when the fam and I relocated from Tampa, Florida to Springfield, Virginia on account of Ben's job and the general awesomeness of the greater DC area? That was almost two-and-a-half years ago! Two. And a half. Years.

And, recent events have led me to believe we have less than a year before we're marveling at the general awesomeness of a completely different region.

But, wait! I don't feel as though I've really done Virginia yet. Yeah, I've covered the museums. And I've graced The Kennedy Center with my presence for a few productions. Many clothing stores, several antique shoppes, and a good number of restaurants have endured my patronage. But the actual state of Virginia has all but escaped my attentions.

This is especially sad because I work for REI (yeah, who would've thunk it?).

REI Woodbridge, VA

Also, Virginia is gorgeous.

So it's about time I embrace the culture of REI Woodbridge (and everybody - EVERYBODY - I work with) and adopt the latest trend to Opt Out(side).

I'm making a list, which will probably be revised, of activities I just have to do before I vacate the state. So far, I have 10 activities penciled in:

1. Play disc golf
2. Go on a hike that includes a rock scramble
3. Go camping
4. Participate in a local stewardship project
5. Try Stand Up Paddle-boarding
6. Kayak
7. Rock climb
8. Learn to navigate with a map and compass
9. Repel
10. Plant an edible garden

Obviously, some of these will have to wait for spring. Luckily, our fall has been temperate thus far so I can jump right into the outdoors. I'm open to any suggestions and recommendations too.

I am also open to you wishing me luck. My biography contains quite the list of injuries I sustained when not being adventurous.

Secrets are no fun

Remember back in January when I alluded to a big change coming in 2014? Well, I suppose it is time to 'fess up.

Emily is moving.

I know I don't owe you all an explanation, but I hope you understand that we feel it is in her best interest for her to live with her father. It was a hard decision, as I'm sure you can imagine, and it has been followed by many difficult steps to prepare us all for this change.

Making the decision to have a child - it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~ Elizabeth Stone

At summer's end Ben and I will have to take on an entirely different parenting role - a long distance one. Luckily, we live in the age of the internet so we'll be able to "see" and talk to each other regularly.  We plan to have some fun finding creative ways to say "we love you" across the miles. Of course, there will also be visits and family vacations. Those are some of the silver linings.

A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path. ~ Agatha Christie

My personal journey will be a search for my new place in the world. Who am I outside of "mommy;" what do I like, how do I act? I suppose some excitement can be found in the prospect of looking for myself...but I'm not there yet. I'm still struggling a bit with accepting this whole scenario. I imagine this is a lot what parents sending their kids off to college, or those in the armed forces preparing for deployment feel like. It is a strong cocktail of grief, apprehension, and anxiety, with a spritz of excitement and a sour lemon twist.

It's not only children who grow. Parents do too. As much as we watch to see what our children do with their lives, they are watching us to see what we do with ours. I can't tell my children to reach for the sun. All I can do is reach for it myself. ~ Joyce Maynard 

As in all things, We can only do our best with the time we have left of Emily living here full time, and with the time that follows. And with whatever time comes after that.

Good as Gold

When it comes to jewelry - either for me or for my house - I've always favored silver tones. My wedding ring is platinum, my belts all have silver buckles, and all my bathroom fixtures are either chrome or brushed nickel.

Over the past few years, however, gold has crept its way onto my radar. Apparently I'm not alone. Thanks to cinematic prowess of The Great Gatsby opulence is in and gold is expected to be a huge trend in weddings this year.

via

I wouldn't say I've become obsessed, but I have amassed quite a collection (pins) of ways I could gild the lily.

On the homefront

Anthropologie

Wit & Delight

Anthropolgie

Nancy Lorenz

ShopBop via COCOCOZY

Golden Girl

ModCloth

Hellelu

Nordstrom

BHDLN

Anthropologie

What do you think? Can you see yourself sporting a little gold leaf this spring?

Baby, it is cold outside

Like really cold. I apparently should have been training for this sort of weather because my body is not conditioned for the cold. Nope.

We got our first snow in December; an early winter in DC terms.

Some of us were more excited about it than others.

By the end of January we'd had more than 7 seven inches of snow and maxed out the allotted number of snow days for our school district. Internet,snow days are only fun one day at a time. Four consecutive days of school closures equals too many hours of a stir crazy child. I hit my limit about three days before she did.

Sure, it looks all beautiful and romantic, but really it is cold and wet. And more cold. With a side of ice. It looks like Narnia up in here!

And now The Washington Post is projecting another 5 to 14 (14!!!!!) inches before the end of this week. Good thing Emily thinks shoveling snow is a type of fun.

Also, she acquired this really awesome hat.

Smiles make everything awesome. Even snow days.