nyc with the ladies {6.26-29.09}

Nothing screams a weekend of fun like hanging out with old roomies in the big city. Allison wrote is so much better than I could (see here), but I must give it a whirl for journaling sake, if nothing else.

preface--->
2.5 years ago I was a busy college student buried up to my elbows in schoolwork and taking years off my eyesight daily by spending hours on end in the computer lab. I had a record of taking routine detours away from my schooling to experience this (nannying in NY) and that (mission en la gran Argentina), but at that point I was at long last tired of seeing all my friends move on and graduate while I was barely scraping away an occasional semester. I thus determined that it was my time to bite the bullet, take a seat, and stay put until I too could join alumnus status, with high hopes of leaving starvation and student poverty behind and finally earning a decent income for myself (fingers crossed). Stay-put goals fully in place, I also realized to gain said income, it might be somewhat beneficial to gain experience prior to my grown-up job. Stumbled upon a DC internships sign, saw one last chance for a final excursion, loads of forms and interviews later, and I was flying cross-country to a completely new experience, to live with people I entirely did not know.

And I lucked out.

Four amazing, fun, hilarious, ambitious, let's-all-be-goofy-together, inspiring, beautiful girls. Lucky, lucky me. They were just what I needed that summer, and it was they who screamed the morning after I kissed Jon Smith for the first time on August 8.









Who wouldn't want to keep in touch with people like that? Seriously? And who wouldn't want a weekend get away with some of them?

We were missing Kami & Mindy, but Ash and I made the Chinatown bus trek with Van man from DC to NYC to land ourselves a stay at the lovely Riley home in Harlem. We'd all been to NYC together once before and loved it, while living on a scarier-than-starving-college-student intern budget, and we have the photos to show for it.



This time, however, with baby Van in tow, we opted for a more relaxing NYC weekend (ever heard of that?) and Allison and Noah gave us just that. Low key hanging out, movie watching, ordering out (meaning Noah goes and picks up the food), girl gabbing, and even getting all ambitious and taking a few hours out on the town. We checked out the awesome High Line Park that opened that day (check it out, it's awesome), took our sweet time walking, and later indulged ourselves with a little Times Square cheesecake. Yum. Best hosts ever award goes to the Rileys. Oh how I love your crepes and beautiful array of street-vendor fruits. And oh how I love your stories and down-to-earth-ness. Don't be surprised if I come running back soon!

{note: I took WAY too many photos, and couldn't choose between most, so there are quite a few here. Also...totally behind=totally unedited photos.}

our stunning hosts:


the ladies + van:


high line highlights:













pieces of the big apple:























in the square:




this cracks me up. (Thank you Noah for so kindly doing the baby carrying!)




I'm not posing here, I promise, I'm pulling my hair out of my face. But I had to post this one, because look at Van's face! It's so funny! I think it's safe to say his little baby brain might have been a little overstimulated.


my cute roomies.


photo of the trip:



and @ the pad:

van's hand-fashioned crib (thanks Noah!)


the babe. so THIS is what it's like to have natural light in your home. LOVE IT.








the royal treatment for breakfast.



I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Ladies? Who's in?

berries. yum. {6.13.09}

We went strawberry picking in southern Maryland last year and LOVED it. This year we heard of a different farm to pick strawberries at (there are tons here), just further north in Maryland, so we grabbed our also strawberry-eager friends and drove the 45 mins. to get there on a lovely Saturday afternoon in June. We picked way too many berries, couldn't resist sneaking a few before we made it back to the cashier (I blame Van...he started it), and later that week made our first batches of strawberry freezer jam––SO GOOD.

Thanks Odie & Tracy for sharing in our strawberry picking joy. :) Van sure likes you guys! But how could he not when you hand-feed him berries and let him stain his cute little baby face with strawberry juice? Or when you offer to carry him everywhere for his parents and entertain him nonstop while slinging him on your hips? He's hooked! We can't wait for you 2 to be parents! You'll be the funnest parents ever.

First pick of the day:


Oh how he loves you for this moment alone, Tracy.


In our pickin' zones.


This is how success looks in the strawberry fields.










Riding the tractor back from the fields.


Somebody loves strawberries...


And somebody else loves to let farm animals lick their hands. I'll give you a hint. It's not me. Van's too little. And Odie and Tracy didn't want to. Hmmm...

exotic animals + free = nat'l zoo {6.8.09}

Our fun friends (and Van's favorite babysitters) the Morrises offered to take Van and I on a zoo outing, and I'm never one to turn down the zoo! I'd been with Van on a couple previous zoo trips, once to the National Zoo and once to the zoo in Phoenix, but this was the first time he seemed to notice that there were actually things that were alive and moving on the other side of the fence. So we had a lot of fun watching his little curious mind at work, trying to figure out what the moving furballs were and why he couldn't touch them. He was so great, as always when we head outdoors. He especially liked the misters (mist machines...is that how you spell mist-er? That's not referring to Mr.?) that keep zoo-goers cool in the summer, and I loved the hairdo it gave him.

Thanks Ash & Nate for taking us and spending all day with us! (a lot of these photos were taken by Ashlee since photo taking + baby carrying is a bad combo. Nice work Ash!)



I love how excited he looks here. As a side note...when did my hair get SO dark???






Ashlee & Van checking out the sea lions below


Nate & Van coming through a mister



el elefante


post-mist-machine hair


Van clearly doesn't love to be strapped in. Or use things the way they should be used. He's standing on my legs for a better view, and trying to escape as always.


These turtles remind me of Lincoln in days past, his days of little turtle innocence. Before he was a big mean turtle. I keep joking to Jon that we need to donate him to the zoo to join his friends or throw him in the river, but my ideas aren't flying too well.