Back at it!

I can't believe that I haven't written anything on this blog for a year and a half! I really miss writing, so I'm bringing it back. So many things have happened:

* Chris got a new job at WARM Training Center as the Training Programs Manager
* I got a new job working at Southwest Solutions as a Workforce Coach (which I love)
* Chris and I visited our dear friends Chris, Anna-Lena, Jeff, Shannon and Zac (almost one at the time)
* We spent a week in New Orleans where we are a lot of beignets and found the armoire I've been dreaming of since I was a little girl
* Elvis turned 9
* And...our daughter Reagan was born on January 31, 2011 weighing in at 5 lbs. 6 oz. with an incredible length of 17 in!
* 16 days later she got a new cousin, William :)

More to come about Reagan's trail orations, a bear siting and her firt road trip!

The Best Birthday Week EVER!

I am officially having the best birthday week ever. Chris and I do this "birthday week" charade where the birthday boy or girl is surprised with a small gift each day leading up to the big day beginning one week out. It's so much fun to feel like a kid again and to anticipate all of those small surprises and tokens of kindness. Today, I scored some hot cocoa lip balm and matching shower gel. Ah, a shower never smelled so sweet! Chris has done such a fantastic job of making my birthday special. It can be hard having a birthday two weeks after Christmas!

2010, Here we Come!

I'm back to the daily grind today! What better a time to post my first message for 2010? :) Chris and I spent a wonderful New Year's in Chicago with my best cousin Holly, her husband Danny, and their dear friends, Jackie and Mike. We rang in the new year with a magnum of champage, crap cakes, shrimp scampi, roasted veggies and chocolate mousse. I don't think I could ever get tired of Chris' crabcakes! They are amazing! Fresh, crispy, tender, and flavorful, just the opposite of many freezer burnt restaurant varieties. We follow the recipe from Fine Cooking. Here's the recipe.

The rest of the weekend was spent visiting our wonderful extended family in the Chicagoland area, where Chris met me after spending a week in St. Louis with his family. It's always so great to see everyone!

Today, it's back to work, and actually, I'm looking forward to it. I have the best job in the world!

Visited States, Part 2

visited 19 states (38%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

So far, we are having a ridiculously good time in Virgina. We were lucky enough to have our dear friends, Chris and Anna-Lena, with us for the first weekend of our travels. Together we drank our way through five wineries and collected a case of wine. It's amazing how quickly that can happen. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that Viognier and Cabernet Franc flourish here, two of our favorite varieties. The quality of the wine is surprisingly good. We're skeptics at heart and we have been overwhelmed by the art of Virginia wine making. We're headed out to the Shenandoah Valley for some hiking today as it has stopped raining, but something tells me we'll be back on the wine trails this week as well!

Chris & Libbie's Visited States, Part 1

visited 15 states (30%)
Create your own visited map of The United States

One of Chris' and my favorite things to do is to travel! This map represents states we have been to together. We've been making our way through the state and national parks over the past five years we've been married. We have a ways to go, but we've come so far! We're planning to knock off three more states on our next trip: Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Virginia!

I love Ferndale!

It's no secret, but I love, love, LOVE Ferndale! Chris and I feel so lucky to live in such a progressive, truly cool city. Last night we went to the Magic Bag for Brew 'n View. Where else can you walk to the end of your street, pay $2, grab a table with friends, order up some of your favorite brews and watch a hilarious movie in a now smoke free environment? Last night was the Hangover, which I totally recommend if you're looking for a shockingly funny comedy that doesn't require too much thinking. Go see if before it comes out on DVD!

Happy Birthday Elvis!

Happy Eighth Birthday Elvis, to my favorite dog in the whole wide world! You bring me so much joy every day, making me laugh over your silly antics. I love observing how you see fun in everything around you, from our daily walks (choose your own route, anyone?) to the things around the yard that you turn into toys (I think I'll try this stick over here). You play hide and seek, run crazy laps around the yard and are so slippery we could never catch you (unless you decided you were in desperate need of a belly rub, which is much of the time). You excel at snuggling in bed, especially when it's cold, though I know you well enough not to bump you with my feet as to not disturb your rest. You are a big boy who needs his beauty sleep! You're also an excellent su chef, swiftly removing scraps off the floor and assisting in a quick clean up when needed. I'm so proud of how kind you are to all of our friends who drop by. You are polite and greet everyone at the door and also share your toys with them. You are kind, sweet, lovable and I'm so thankful that you picked me! You have made my life infinitely better by being in it. You're my very best fur buddy and I love hanging out with you all the time! Thanks for being such an amazing dog!