Five on Friday

I'm linking up again with 5 on Friday.  Check out others here.

O  N  E

Look what came in the mail today?

I got the Starbucks app last Christmas (when I got a ridiculous amount of Starbucks gift cards from students) and have been steadily working toward the gold level.  

Honestly, it doesn't mean too much...free in store refills on coffee, iced coffee, and tea (but I drink the fancy drinks, so it doesn't help me!), a free drink after 12 drinks, and a birthday drink.  But I get this card.

So basically it's awesome.

T  W  O

It's starting to be fall around here.  We had two days in the 80's earlier this week, but today it's in the 60's!  The leaves are starting to turn and the air is crisp.

I ADORE fall!  I am loving this beautiful weather so much!

T  H  R  E  E

And the weather called for a trip to the park...

In long pants!  

Yup, all of the bubbles and seersucker are packed up :(

(I left a few smocked jon jon's out just in case we have some more warm weather.)

I made these pants this summer and have been DYING for Jack to wear them.  And I absolutely love them.  If you can't tell, they are a Where the Wild Things Are fabric.  Actually, two coordinating fabrics because they are reversible.  (And if you are interested in making some, the fabric is from JoAnn's and I talk about making them here.)

And Jack is wearing his first pair on Converse All Stars.  I found a navy blue velcro pair on ebay for a steal and just had to get them for fall and winter!

F  O  U  R

Tomorrow we are headed to Lancaster to meet up with my sister and brother-in-law.  I can't wait.  

On the agenda:

Apple Picking

An Amish lunch

A brewery tour

I'm sure I will have lots of fun pictures to share next week!

F  I  V  E

Thanks so much to everyone who read my post (and some who commented yesterday).  Y'all are sweet!  

But, I realized that I had the date wrong.  Today is actually our 9 year anniversary.  Oops.  I thought yesterday was the 13th, but that's today!

So as of today, Bech and I started dating 9 years ago!

And as of this Sunday, we will have been married 6 years...that's crazy!!!

Check out the blog link above and read more 5 on Friday posts!  Or write your own and link up!

9 years...!

9 years ago today, Bech and I went on our first date!

I had actually met him almost two weeks before.  He came to Millsaps Christian Fellowship (basically RUF, but Millsaps doesn't allow RUF).  He had dropped out of Ole Miss and was back home for a year.  He had worked at Timberlake, a summer camp, with two of my MCF friends and they invited him to come.  I was the greeter.  I thought he was cute, with his v neck white shirt, chacos, and beard.  

We saw each other two more times at MCF events.  In fact, at one, we got in a friend argument about gender roles in dating (I was such a know it all).  And then on a Sunday afternoon, he called and asked me out to lunch the next day.

One of our first pictures.  I know I look like a hot mess, but I've always loved this pictures of us.  Bech came down to help with the annual Braden family tree decorating night. Christmas 2004

We went to Kiefer's downtown, and he barely touched his food because of nerves.  

It took a while until we were official (maybe two months), but he was pretty crazy about me from the beginning (he would agree).  I wasn't so sure, which was weird for me.  I dated a lot in high school and in my freshman year, and I usually was pretty crazy about my current boyfriends from the get go.  But Bech was an enigma to me.  He wasn't the type of guy I always planned on falling for, but I liked him a lot.

Spring break 2005.  We had been dating for 6 months and we took Ansley down to Florida to see my grandparents.  

AKA the birth of TEAM CIVIC

Actually when he asked me to be his girlfriend on a Thursday night, I was prepared to tell him no, that I needed more time.  But if you have ever met my husband, you know that he is super wordy.  So he never stopped talking long enough for me to tell him this.  When he finally was quiet, after seriously 3 hours, all I could say was yes!

That weekend we went up to Ole Miss with some people.  I was spending the night with a friend, and ended up wanting to spend that Saturday with Bech instead.  That's when I realized I was crazy about him too (and glad I had kind of said yes on Thursday night)!

At my friend and roommates debutante ball on the coast, Christmas 2004

From then on, we were pretty inseparable.  When Bech decided to go back to Ole Miss the next fall, I transferred there.  I definitely missed Millsaps and often I wish that I could have graduated from there.  But at the end of the day, I didn't (and still don't!) want to risk our relationship.

On our two year anniversary (so 7 years ago), Bech proposed to me, and we were married a year and 2 days later.

Since then we've lived in Oxford, Malawi, Jackson, Vermont, Baton Rouge, and now Pennsylvania.  We have laughed and cried and fought and made up.  We have had so many adventures together, and I love having him as my partner in life and my co parent.  He's pretty incredible.

That same spring break trip, at Disney World.

Happy Anniversary, Bech.  I wouldn't want to dance in the minefields with anyone else!

"So when I lose my way, find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there's nothing left to fear
So I'll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear

'Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos, baby,
I can dance with you."

5th Anniversary

Yesterday, Bech and I celebrated our 5th wedding anniversary (and Thursday was 8 years since our first date!).  Bech's parents came down to Baton Rouge and babysat Jack and let us use their New Orleans apartment for the weekend!

We had a great time, but I missed Baby Jack.  Before this, I had only been away from him one night--and it was while we were moving, so I was too exhausted to miss him!  But I have now successfully spent two nights away from him.  I don't want to do it often (I missed him too much!), but I was proud of myself.

In typical Marley fashion, I took no pictures of Bech and me this weekend.  I did, however, take pictures of all of the yummy food we ate!

We got to New Orleans about 7:30 Friday night.  We walked down to Magazine Street (only a few blocks from Bech's parent's place) for dinner.  We ended up eating at The Rum House, a Caribbean taqueria.  SO good!  We were exhausted, though, and had to wait for about 45 minutes, so it ended up being the fastest meal we had eaten in a while.

Saturday morning, we attempted to sleep in.  Which, of course, means that we didn't.  Why is that always the case? 

We headed to the French Quarter in the morning.  The St. Charles street car from where we were to Canal Street is being worked on, so we took the bus.  It was fine, but I was a little bummed to not ride the street car.  But I know there will be many more opportunities!

No New Orleans weekend is complete without Cafe du Monde...yum!  

After some beignets and coffee, we wandered around, checking out the markets and stores.  I found an Elvis nutcracker in a Christmas shop there...I think my dad needs this!

I fell in love with this amazing shop, The Spice and Tea Exchange.  We didn't buy anything this time, but I definitely want to visit it again.

We headed back to the apartment (and took naps--we are SO wild sans Jack!).  Late afternoon we headed out to Magazine Street and checked out the shops.  We were looking for a happy for Jack, but didn't find anything we loved.

We ate dinner at Joey K's.  Nothing fancy, but sooo good.  I had fried soft shell crab.  It was my first time, and I LOVED it!  I think I have a new favorite dish.

We got dessert at Sucre.  It was the cutest shop and everything looked yummy.  I got a cupcake and Bech tried their chocolate.

We had a great weekend, but I was happy to spend time with my little man today.  He got cuter over the weekend...how is that possible?

As we ate our meal last night, I was thinking about some of our favorite David Wilcox lyrics:

"Happy Anniversary, Darling.

We go back a long, long time.

I think about our lives together,

I'm so grateful you are here in mine.

And I know you'll keep on changing,

You're moving in this dance with me.

I love the way we embrace the future

And keep the past a memory."

And, of course, I tell Bech every anniversary what Davy and Sheldon said:

"If it's half as good as the half before, here's Hail to the rest of the road!"

Happy Anniversary, Bech.  Here's to many more years even more wonderful than the first five!

I'm still alive...

I know, I have not blogged in forever.  We have been crazy lately!

Here's what we've been up to:

* I took the first part of my comps for my masters (and the hardest of the three tests!).  This test is a sight translation--two Greek passages (poetry and prose) and two Latin passages (same).  I had to pass this one in its entirety (not like a 70% or anything like that) in order to take the other two.  I passed half--the prose section.  I was not surprised, but still sad.  I completely bombed the Greek poetry section.  Literally, Homer was probably rolling in his grave.  I was bummed, but then I ate the Ben and Jerry's ice cream that I had on hand, and life was good again.  

I can't take the exam again until January, so I am working on my translation in the mean time (and studying for the other two!).

* Jack is currently the daycare biter.  Ugh.  I don't know what to do about it!  He bit three people on Monday and one child today.  He gets mad because he wants a toy they have, and he reaches over and bites.  Total depravity, anyone?

Seriously, though, I have no idea how to deal with this.  They put him in "the thinking chair," but I'm not sure how much he understands.  If he did it at home (which he doesn't do), I would give his hand a pinch.  But they don't do physical punishment there (which I totally understand).  Any tips?  Anyone had the biter before?

* Bech and my 5 year anniversary is this Saturday.  We are going to New Orleans (to stay in Bech's parents condo), and Bech's parents are watching Jack.  I am really sad about leaving Jack.  I have only been away from him one night, and that was while we were moving (so I was too tired to even notice!).  

I am excited, though, about exploring New Orleans with Bech and not having to worry about naptime or enough snacks.  It will be fun to be kid free for a little bit!

*  Teaching is good, still, but hard!  Progress reports were this week, so I've had lots of not so fun emails with parents.  It is hard to tell parents that their child isn't doing so hot in my class.  The parents have, for the most part, been so great in their responses, and I am thankful for that!

I think that's all I have for tonight.  There is a Sophocles chorus that is needing my attention!

Happy Anniversary!

4 years ago today, Bech and I got married!

I loved my wedding (it was perfect--thank you, Mom and Dad!).

But I love my groom even more.  I could not ask for a sweeter husband.  I have loved seeing him be a dad as well!

"Next door there's an old man who lived to his nineties

And one day passed away in his sleep.

And his wife, she stayed for a couple of days,

And passed away.

I'm sorry, I know that's a strange way to tell you 

That I know

That I am the luckiest."

"If it's half as good as the half we've known,

here's Hail! to the rest of the road!"

Random...

Today is the end of a very long and exhausting week.  So here is a list of all of the random things floating around in my head:

1.  It has started to get chilly here.  Which is fun, because it's fall.  Which is not fun, because that means it's almost winter.  And let me just tell y'all, winter is not fun.  It is cold and long.  The snow is fun for like a couple of weeks.  Then, no more fun.

2.  I need to just try to enjoy the fall, though.  Because I LOVE fall.  And New England falls are absolutely gorgeous.

3.  Josh and Mary Elizabeth (Bech's brother and his wife) are coming to spend a long weekend with us at the end of  September.  We will get to do lots of fun fall things then.  I'm thinking dinner on Church Street, apple picking at Shelburne Orchards, maybe a drive down Smugglers Notch to Stowe (and of course, lunch at Frida's!).

4.  Next Thursday is Bech and my 4 year anniversary.  We usually go out to eat to celebrate, but we aren't really sure what we are going to do this year.  We could get a babysitter and go out, but I'm not really too crazy about that idea.  I know I leave Jack at daycare 3 days a week, but I still am not sure about leaving him again.  We could take him out with us, which is totally doable (we've done that a few times), but that will change where we eat (just so it's more baby friendly).  Maybe Tiny Thai?  I always love that.

5.  On the Baby Jack note, we had some rough sleeping days this past week.  Thursday and Friday night he slept from 8 or 8:30 until 7 a.m. (well we gave him the dream feed at 11, but he sleeps through that).  But then he was back to waking up at least once at night (this time it was more like 5:15).  I tried to figure out if I had done anything different, and I realized that I had--caffeine!  Each of those days, I had at least a cup of coffee.  So I am back off of the caffeine (which I don't normally drink, but I have been so tired lately!).  And last night, Jack didn't wake up once.

I am so thankful that he is sleeping well, and I don't want to do anything that upsets his stomach or anything like that.  But I really miss caffeine.  Last year, I didn't drink very much while I was pregnant, and now this year I won't be either!

6.  Alright, that's about it.  I better get back to my Greek translation! 

Have a wonderful Friday!

Mid week update...

First of all, I am very happy to report that I have only one week of school left! Yay! We finish classes next Wednesday (which also happens to be the birthday of the cutest almost 18 year old I know). Then exams until the next Friday. And then I do NOT have to carry a backpack again while I am pregnant...whew! I still have a good amount to do, but I have tried to be on top of everything. So I don't think the next 2 1/2 weeks will be too bad.

Plus, I have a shower this Saturday! I am very excited, although nervous. I am not good at opening presents in front of people, with the exception of my family. But since the presents are for Jack, maybe that will make it easier.

It was almost 80 degrees yesterday, and it felt amazing! Bech and I opened the windows in our house, and I could almost imagine I was in the South. Today is going to be warm, but rainy. And from here on out, the temperature isn't supposed to get lower than mid 50's. Thank goodness...I was going stir crazy with all of this cold weather. But I think I can finally say that I have officially survived my first Vermont winter!

And now, a few random pictures:

We had a game night the other night, and a friend brought over this amazing Settlers board. Seriously, is this not ridiculous? At the very bottom, there are slots for all of the resource and development cards. And it holds the expansion game.

Bech's birthday cake: a chocolate coffee cake. I got the recipe off of FoodNetwork.com.

It's massive! Next time, I will make 2/3 of the recipe, so it can just have 2 layers!

The birthday boy! He looks kinda gooby in this picture--not sure why?

Speaking of Bech, he just recently heard about Rebecca Black's "Friday" video. First of all, I don't know how he is just now hearing about it. Second of all, he loves it. He has watched it at least 10 times. I mean, obviously he thinks its a stupid song, but he can't stop watching it. Something needs to be done.

Happy Birthday, Bech!!!

Today is my sweet husband's 27th birthday. I don't talk about Bech a lot on here (other than funny comments he makes)...that's pretty intentional. I mean, no one wants to read about how much I love him. Seriously, that would be boring and more than slightly obnoxious.

But today is his birthday, so I am going to talk about how wonderful he is. It's just for a day, so you can skip this post. Actually you can skip every post of mine...I'll never know. But consider yourself warned for this one!

Bech, Katy, and I at the Copper Pot in Malawi.

Bech, Katy, and I at our "sushi" engagement party.

I don't have a ton of great pictures of Bech and me. This is the first example of why not. Um, thanks, Bech, for ruining a great picture. This is from Malawi.

Bech and his seedsters.

Bech and Blaise on Beale Street, summer 2009.

Yet again, another ruined picture. At the Eagle and Child, summer 2009.

Bech with our friends (Gamma and David) at Foodworths in Malawi.

I love this picture of Bech!

Bech and I in Stellenbosch.

Bech, "a man of his hands," with Maxjoy.

On our wedding day! (duh)

On our honeymoon.

Bech and my mom are food buddies!

One of my all time favorite pictures of us!

The grove, fall 2006. Check out his crazy long hair!

The trip that cemented Ansley and Bech's friendship, Spring 2004.

What is Blaise doing?

Okay, this was a purposely weird picture. So Bech, you're off the hook for ruining this one!

On our first birthday together, when Bech turned 21, I wrote these lyrics around a picture of us. This song is still one of our favorites:

Soft and sweet, strong and salty
Cool cream and hot coffee
When we come together there's a change
I know you're good for me
You change me like the weather
You change me for the better
We're good together

Drift and dream, drive with direction
Exploration, introspection
No one way to win through this game
I know you're good for me
You spin me off my tether
You change me for the better
We're good together

Would you please explain it one more time
I love the wild surprise of seeing through your eyes

One from Mars, one from Venus
A whole world between us
Sparks that bridge the difference
Feed the flame
I know you're good for me
You spin me off my tether
You change me for the better
We're good together

Happy Birthday, Bech. You change me for the better. I love you!

Whew...thank goodness for the weekend! Things have been crazy lately. I am working 19 hours at the library on top of school. Luckily, I get to do a lot of homework during work. And I definitely need that homework time!

This past week, we went to a young adults Bible study through a local church. I have definitely missed being around Christians our age. I have taken that for granted my whole life. But having Christian community is such a gift!

Then on Wednesday, we celebrated our 3 year anniversary. I can't believe Bech and I got married 3 years ago. It seems like it was just the other day! We went out to eat then picked up Ben & Jerry's for dessert.

This is us before dinner. My allergies were crazy that day, so my eyes look really weird.

Tonight, we went to a cookout for graduate student housing. They had real southern barbecue. The guy who cooked it has gone to tons of southern barbecue places, so he really knew what he was doing. Plus there were "Wickle Pickles." Turns out, there is a place near Burlington that sells them. If you have never had "Wickle Pickles," you are missing out. If you live in the south, just go to Kroger. They are sooo good!

Alright, I wanted to post pictures of my new cabinet, where I am keeping my china and crystal. I know I want to refinish it in some for or fashion, but I'm not sure.

Any thoughts???

Like I said before, I'm going to be looking on design sponge to see if I can find any good ideas. See how the cabinet doors have a rectangular inset? I thought about using a cool paper on those, something very geometrically patterned.

Seriously, though, give me thoughts/suggestions/links to pictures, etc. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!!

tattoos!

I have wanted a tattoo since I was in high school. I always wanted one on my left wrist, where it could be easily seen but also easily covered up. I used to want to get the word "doulas" in greek, which means "bondservant."

When Bech and I were engaged, we started talking again about tattoos. We had picked out Isaiah 62 for our wedding. You can read the whole chapter here. It's a beautiful passage about the redemption of Israel and how she is as a bride.

Here's my favorite part of the passage:

³ You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD's hand,
a royal diadem in the hand of your God.

⁴ No longer will they call you Deserted,
or name your land Desolate.
But you will be called Hephzibah,
and your land Beulah;
for the LORD will take delight in you,
and your land will be married.

⁵ As a young man marries a maiden,
so will your sons marry you;
as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride,
so will your God rejoice over you.

The two words that Israel will now be called are Hephzibah and Beulah. Hepzibah means "my delight is in her," and Beulah means "married" or "bride."

We talked for a while about each of us getting one of those words on our wrists. We were planning on possibly getting the tattoos on our honeymoon. Of course, I chickened out! But we didn't totally forget about getting them...

Double decker weekend, we were with two girl friends of mine. We all started talking about tattoos and how we wanted some, and decided that that night was the night! (I promise...we were sober...I know going to get a tattoo at 11 on a Saturday night makes us sound drunk...but we weren't!) Bech decided to wait a few more days so he could carefully design his, but I knew that it was then or never!

So here they are:

Here is mine, Beulah.

And Bech's, Hephzibah.

And ours both together. Our fonts are different. Also, his is bigger and lower down on his arm.

I really do love having a tattoo. I was worried that I would wake up the next morning, take one look at it, and immediately regret it. But I didn't!

I know I am by no means a tattoo expert, but I do have some advice. You should only get a tattoo if you have thought about it for some time (it doesn't have to be seven years, but at least longer than a week or two) and know exactly what you want. Don't get a tattoo just because you like the idea. Think really carefully about what you are getting and where you are getting it. Think about how you will explain it to people around you. It does change peoples perceptions of you, and that is something you have to deal with!