Tag Archives: thoughts

Quick Update

July 21, 2009

I’m finding that I am not a very consistent blogger. Oh well. This is just for fun anyway!

Z and I have spent the month of July so far by moving, traveling, attending showers, weddings, camping, and undergoing surgery. (Z had his wisdom teeth pulled out a little over a week ago and thankfully is almost back to 100%!) Our move into Z’s grandparents’ house went smoothly, and we are thoroughly enjoying being here. At first, I was a little apprehensive that we would feel like we were either intruding on their time or neglecting them if we didn’t “hang out” with them all the time. But it couldn’t be more comfortable! They are a couple of very involved, very busy people and while it is obvious that they like having us around, they don’t go out of their way to include us (aka- they let us do our own thing!) and they are extremely respectful of “our” space. (Not that I thought they wouldn’t be, it’s just that they have gone above and beyond what I would expect to make us feel like we have our own space and privacy.) Plus, having a comfortable, beautiful home, yard, basketball court, and delicious home cooked meals doesn’t hurt either! I think we could get used to this…

We’ve also been really busy every weekend. For the 4th, we traveled to be with my parents, see fireworks, and go to the Taste of Chicago. The following weekend, I had a bridal shower to attend for the bride who is getting married at the end of this week and we ended up skipping yet ANOTHER wedding due to Z’s painful, puffy mouth and slow surgical recovery.

And last weekend, we went camping. My dad grew up along the southern shore of Lake Michigan and less than a mile from his boyhood home is the campground that I first remember camping at. And we’ve been back many many times since then. This most recent time was with our newly married friends, Dan and Rachel, seen here singing while fixing us some lunch.

Making Grilled Cheese- The Musical

We played board games, made s’mores, roasted hot dogs, rode our bikes, visited the nearby outlet mall, and went to the beach.

Skipping Rocks

Where we skipped rocks…

Catch

Played catch…

Big WavesTaking the plunge!

And SOME of us, even got wet! (Even though the temperature was in the low seventies and the water was COLD)

Polar Bears

Not to be outdone, Dan joined in. Afterall, he has done a “Polar Bear Swim,” in the lake, in the middle of December. The middle of July? No problem.

Laughing

See? He’s laughing at how easy it was… or was that an exclamation over how cold it was?… I can’t remember now. :)

It was a great weekend and it was wonderful to be able to spend some quality time with my best friend- and her new husband. Since moving away from our college town, Z and I have felt a little isolated and friendless. We know that this will change once we’ve had a chance to make friends at church, work, our new apartment (whenever we find one that is!), but it was nice to see some old friends to tide us over.

Speaking of work, Z has been working very hard on preparing for his first year of teaching and is growing more and more excited as the date comes nearer. And me? I’m still looking for a job. I’ve applied to a couple places and am looking for more and have my fingers crossed that I can find something by the time he starts teaching- even if it’s only part time for now.

That’s pretty much what’s up with us right now. I’ve been thinking a lot about a “story” that I want to start recording here and I think I’m about ready to start on that. Plus, I’ll have more wedding pictures to share after my stint as a bridesmaid this weekend!

For now, I’m off to help Grandma finish getting dinner ready. Z’s sisters are joining us tonight which should be a lot of fun.

Have a wonderful evening and Choose Joy!

E

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LAST DAY!

June 30, 2009

Well, today is my LAST day of my first “real” job! And yes, I’ll admit, I’m pretty excited about it. Not that this job has been awful (though it has had its days!), but I AM super excited to be entering July… a whole month of time off! I won’t have to sit in this un-airconditioned, hot and humid office being bored or stressed (it’s pretty much always one or the other) and will have all kinds of time to scrapbook, bike, hang out with Z, and yes, blog more! We have plans for every weekend this month- including a weekend with my parents for the 4th, two weddings, and a camping weekend with Rachel and Dan who got married almost a month ago. (Wow, that went by fast!) And we’re moving tomorrow- into air conditioning and a lovely house with a yard and garage (it all belongs to Z’s grandparents). And as exciting as all that is, I think the thing I’m looking forward to the most is our mattress. I can’t wait to go to bed tomorrow night.

See you from the “new” E-town!

E

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One Week Left

June 24, 2009

Well, we’re down to our final week in our “together hometown.” In one short week, we will be moving away from the place where we met, became best friends, fell in love, shared our first kiss (and many more after that!), got engaged, spent our first year of marriage, and oh yeah- went to college. This town is really full of memories for both of us.

Just tonight, we rode our bikes over to our favorite local custard place, past the run down building where I took my freshman and sophomore year architecture studio classes. And I can still vividly remember the graffiti walls, late nights, line dancing to “Footloose,” and even the smell of the building.

We know where we’re going for the coming year. Sort of. And after that, we have no idea where life might take us. We talk about the possibility of coming back here but there is no way to know if that will ever happen. Sure, we’ll be back to visit some friends and my sister who are still in classes but that’s not the same as living here. Part of me thinks that if we had moved right after I graduated, it would have been easier. But now, we know a little what it’s like to live in TOWN, not just on campus. And we like it. A lot. And now, we have one week left and last five seem to have disappeared all too quickly.

The coming year promises to hold many adventures… a new apartment (which we have yet to find), Z’s first year of teaching, and hopefully a new job for me! We’ll find a new church and hopefully some new friends. But we’ll also be far away from our “old” friends and I’m anticipating needing to get mapquest directions in order to find the grocery stores in our new, significantly larger, town (Actually, it’s a small city) as I am completely unfamiliar with the area.

We’ll also be much closer to Z’s family. Which will be a blessing in many ways but also a challenge for me as I learn how be a part of their family on a more regular basis. (Not that I’m not ALWAYS a part of their family but we’re going to be seeing a LOT more of them and that’ll be a new experience for me!)

But, we’ll be together and going through a bigger move like this will be another first for our marriage. And all of our other “firsts” turned out really well so far! :)

So, anyway… one week left and then we’re off!

In the meantime, I’ll work on filling you in on Z’s graduation celebration and his upcoming concert this weekend. (Did I mentioned that we’ve filled every spare moment between now and moving day? Or that we’ve also filled every weekend between now and the end of July with plans? No boring summer for us!)

Off to bed… only 4 more days of work!

E

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Anniversary of Spring

May 14, 2009

I’ve been doing a lot of adoption related reading lately. And one thing I read just last night was about the “anniversary feeling.” That phenomenon where we experience feelings, sensations, and memories around the anniversary of a significant event that are not all directly related to the calendar dated anniversary of said event. For an adopted child who was placed with their family during winter, the onset of the following winter- the cold, snow, etc, may trigger the feelings of confusion and fear that accompanied placement. Even if the child has adjusted well to the family. I was thinking about this and realized that it happens for me all the time.

I love autumn. The colors, the cool, crisp air, the smells. But it’s more than that. The feeling of fall prompts me to feel the excitement of new beginnings (living on a school calendar for about 20 years will do that to you!), the joy of celebration of mine and my sisters’ birthdays, the anticipation for the coming holidays, and brings back the memories of apple picking, the last campfires of the season, and attending the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon. (google it- it’s awesome!)

And the warm, humid air, greening leaves and grass, and budding flowers of spring have always brought celebratory feelings of nearing an “end.” Summer vacation, a new softball season, family vacations, and in short, freedom, awaited at the end of spring- the end of the school year. And the months preceding the end of school were always soooo long.

Last spring, I was nearing the end of my college career, the end of my life as a student (at least for the time being!), the end of four years of way too little sleep, often too much stress, and the convenience of living with some of my best friends. I was nearing the end of my wedding planning, my engagement, my life as a single woman. And I was nearing the end of my time of living with my parents. As independent and grown-up as they treated me already, every school break and holiday was spent at home with them and I knew that things would change once I moved out for good.

However, last spring, I was also quickly approaching a time of new beginnings. Of drastic life changes that would affect my life forever. More so than any softball team or summer vacation ever had. I was approaching life as a college graduate. Life as a full-time employee of a company. And most importantly, life as Z’s wife.  And that was exciting enough to make me all but forget the “endings” of last spring.

Now, this spring, as we are enjoying more numerous warm, sunny days with blooming lilacs and breezy green trees, I am again experiencing much of the anxiety and excitement, the nostalgia and anticipation of last year. And I know that much of it is linked to my memories of Spring 2008. It is the anniversary of my college graduation, of saying goodbye to so many friends and to a way of life, of saying goodbye to my old bedroom and my parents’ house. And we are 16 days away from my first wedding anniversary. A year ago, we were putting the finishing touches on our wedding and honeymoon plans and preparing to move into our first apartment.

And yet, not all of my feelings are triggered solely by the memories of last year. Z has just received a job offer for a teaching position out of town that we have decided to accept. While we are thrilled that God has provided him with employment for next year, I am feeling a little nostaligic. This job will mean moving… out of our very first apartment, our first home together- out of the town where we met and fell in love and dated and kissed for the first time and got engaged. Moving will mean the end of my first “real job.” And while it hasn’t been wonderful every day, it’s been a blessing to have an income and I’ve a learned a ton. Moving will mean being further away from many of our friends. And our first anniversary will mean the end of our first year of marriage. A year full of learning how much fun we have living together, of much we love being married.

And our first anniversary will also mark the beginning of our second year of marriage. Which will probably be even more wonderful than the first! This new job will mean the opportunity to go on an adventure together, to learn more about each other, to set up a new home, to make new friends, for me to find a new job. And I can’t help but be excited about all of those things. After all, we’ll be doing them together. And that’s what I signed up for when I made my vows last May!

Choosing Joy,

E

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25 things about me

February 1, 2009

There is a chain letter of sorts going around Facebook recently where you list 25 random things about yourself and “send” it to 25 people. I thought the idea was kind of fun but I try to stay off Facebook as much as possible and I needed to do another post for here so… here’s my random list.

Fall

1. Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year. I spent a whole post on this topic once so I’ll just stop there.

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2. I hate washing dishes. I guess I did when I was 1 too! (I don’t mind drying, putting them away, doing laundry… just washing dishes… bleh)

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3. I love flowers. All kinds. I have never nor will never be that girl who says “don’t waste money on buying me flowers because they will just die anyway.” Flowers are one of God’s most brilliant creations and they will always make me smile.

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4. My husband is very talented musician (which I love!). In all honesty, and with as little bias as I can have, he is one of the most naturally talented musicians I know. (his sisters and my uncle are up there too)

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5. Contrary to what you may think by seeing this picture, I am not a musical prodigy. I can carry a tune and I played the flute for a few years in school and took guitar lessons for a while. I want to pick up the flute again and I wish I could play the piano too.

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6. I love swing dancing.

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7. I like going to the mall with my girlfriends during prom season and trying on dresses… even though I never bought a prom dress.

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8. I may have never bought a prom dress but that is because my mom is an amazing seamstress and made it! She’s made every significant dress in my life- baptism, Christmas dresses, Easter and birthday dresses, my WEDDING dress… except for one.

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9. My mom didn’t make this dress. It’s the one I was wearing the evening that Z proposed. I bought it for $7 off the clearance rack.

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10. I’ve had the same best friend since first grade. I can tell her anything and she can consistently make me laugh until I cry. We’ve been through a lot together and she’s the kind of friend that will be around for the rest of my life.

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11. Studying abroad and living with Esther in Bilbao, Spain was the most adventurous thing I’ve ever done. And also the best thing that I have ever done for myself.

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12. Softball is my favorite sport to play. I started when I was in first grade and played in my town’s summer league until I started college. I was a pitcher for a long time while my younger sister was one of the best outfielders in the league.

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13. My sister and I spent a summer coaching girls softball in my hometown- and in one of our first games, the opposing team made a TRIPLE play because our players didn’t know what “tagging up” meant. I learned a LOT that summer.

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14. I love hiking and being outdoors. I grew up camping and was thrilled that Z was willing to do it on our honeymoon.

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15. I loved American girl dolls when I was younger and wanted to live in Kirsten’s era. (Or be Laura Ingalls Wilder or Anne Shirley… whichever.)

16. I love to read. When I was younger I would actually get in trouble for reading too much and I’d have to go play outside. Usually, I just took my book with me and read on the swings in our back yard.

17. I like baking. Cooking is ok but I really enjoy baking things.

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18. Snow White is my favorite Disney princess- she’s even smocked onto my dress here. When I was 2, I fooled my babysitter into thinking that I could read when I recited my Snow White book word for word- including turning the pages at the appropriate time.

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19. The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore is one of my favorite places on earth. Also, I am not very good at skipping rocks but Z is.

20. I can’t whistle. (But I can curl my tongue)

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21. I’m really proud of my little brother. (He’s dressed up as Rooster from the musical “Annie” here.)

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22. I think my sister is one of the most beautiful girls I’ve ever seen…

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23. my sisters-in-law are the others.

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24. I still have this baby doll. She’s so well loved that she’s a little green…

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25. I can’t wait to have kids. If I could get one tomorrow, I’d be thrilled. And I hope at least one of them looks like this… :)

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When I Grow Up

October 30, 2008

Gone are my childhood days when I and my friends knew with certainty what we wanted to “be” when we grew up. Dancers, firefighters, teachers (my personal choice ), astronauts, even the president of the United States (I’m not sure if any of them would really want that job NOW!), we were all pretty sure what we wanted to be. In our kindergarten world view, your profession defined you.

We had parents who were simply “Moms,” “librarians,” “businessmen,” and “engineers.” I grew up with a “Nurse-mom” and an “Engineer-dad.” (And I never really understood what exactly my dad did everyday… I just knew that he had a lot of fun office supplies to play with when my sister and I would go into the office with him on certain Saturdays. Don’t underestimate the magic in permanent markers, highlighters and a giant pad of paper on an easel… especially to a little girl who wants to be a teacher when she grows up and has a little sister who is relatively willing to sit and be a diligent pupil!)

Then, I started high school. And I didn’t really like a lot of my teachers. Some were great, others, not so much… And I started to question, could I see myself teaching the SAME subject day after day, year after year? Wouldn’t I be bored if I taught younger kids because of the lack of conversations/debates that took place in so many of my secondary education classes? (I’ve come to think- no, probably not. But, that was what I was thinking as a Junior/Senior in high school)

As college application time came around, I decided that it was kinda important that I have some idea of what I wanted to study for four years if for no other reason than it would help me narrow down the choices of colleges. I settled on Architecture. My rationalization was along the lines of, “Well, I like (and am pretty good at) math and science, but I really enjoy being creative… I really like houses, and all of the renovation/redecoration stuff we’ve done at our house since we moved in… and I really believe that there has to be a better way to build houses for the less-fortunate than the way government/low-income housing is done now.” (the last thought was inspired by a summer short-term mission trip to South Dakota, which I’ll have to write about later)

Anyway, I chose a good university that ended up having a very well- respected architecture program (which I didn’t know when I signed up) and I spent the next four years living on very little sleep and late night snacks of crackers, water, and gum (you should’ve seen the stuff my classmates ate!) to churn out drawings, scale models, and “boards.” It was a lot like hard work- with a lot of fun acitivities like throwing ninja stars made out of drafting tape and exacto blades at foam core targets added in. I graduated with a group of life-long  friends- the kinds of which can only be formed during late night line dancing lessons amidst the chaos of cardboard, foam core, basswood, acetate, and LOTS of Tacky Glue (or, alternatively, boxes of uncooked spaghetti noodles and dozens of hot glue guns… I’m going to have to write a “series” on “architecture school”) AND a degree Bachelor’s of Science in Architectural Studies.

Now, I’m working at a non-profit organization that builds super energy efficient houses for low-income families and trying to decide again, what I want to be when I grow up. I could go back to school to get my Master’s of Architecture. I could go back to school to get a Master’s of Education and a teacher’s certificate. I could keep working here. I could join the Teach for America corps. I could do a lot of things… and life isn’t as simple as it was when I was in kindergarten, teaching my little sister what I  had learned that day while we played “school.” There are a lot more factors to consider now. The job market, the economy, our family economy,  my husband’s job/career, our immediate and eventual future plans… Lucky for me, I do know for sure ONE occupation that I want to be “when I grow up.”

A mom. Now there’s just all the other decisions to make, preparations, steps, etc. In the meantime, I’m really enjoying my job as a “wife.” :)
What do you want to be when you grow up?

Choosing joy (and future plans!),

E

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Passive Houses

October 20, 2008
This will probably be the first of several posts to cover this topic. In a country where LEED and Energy Star Ratings have become buzz words (at least in the architecture/building world!), a new standard is finally starting to get some notice. I have had the privilege of working with the founders of the Passive House Institute US (PHIUS) and I certainly feel that they are definitely on to something.

Started in Germany over 10 years ago by Dr. Wolfgang Feist, the Passive House Standard is the highest “building energy standard” in the world. Using careful design and construction methods, the energy usage of the house is reduced by up to 90%! (Imagine your energy bill- for heating, cooking, electricity, hot water, etc- to be about $120 for a 3 bed, 2 bath house, in the middle of winter, in Illinois- COLD, WET winters!) PHIUS founder, Katrin Klingenberg, learned how to design and construct these super-insulated, air- tight, energy efficient homes from Dr. Feist and then brought that knowledge to the US. There are now 10 certified Passive Houses in the US, with more under construction. With the building sector sucking up so much of our valuable resources, Passive Houses offer a compelling alternative way to construct our buildings. If, as a nation, we are able to vastly reduce our consumption of non-renewable energy resources, we will be able to meet our demand with clean, renewable energy much sooner/ more easily and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Germany and Austria are already making great strides in this direction- I hope that the US can get caught up! I’ll explain in more detail what makes this homes so  unique but in the meantime, I encourage you to check out PHIUS and the work that they are doing to help our world use less energy while providing beautiful, comfortable homes for people.

Choose Joy,

E

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