A (Surprise!) Weekend at Home!

Last weekend, for the first time ever, I went home during the fall semester! 

It all started this summer when the conversation began about what we should do to celebrate my mom's 50th birthday. We all knew she wanted a surprise party (who doesn't want one??) but we weren't sure how to pull it off or how I could be there. Looking back now, over a week since both those things happened, I'm not sure any of us could tell you. I'm going to attempt to explain it all now, though, for the sake of documentation for us and also to share with those who couldn't be there. AKA, this is a long post. 

First of all, props to my dad and little sister for being able to keep it a secret while living with her! Rumor has it that sometime before that weekend my mom asked my little sister (Brianna) if we were planning anything. Brianna's response? "I don't know. It's not like they would tell me." Hilarious! She definitely knew, but it was an accurate youngest sibling remark nonetheless. The second big thanks goes to my older sister, Jenna, who did most (basically all?!) of the planning for the party, quite a feat! As for me, I just prayed about how I would be able to get there, which ended up being provided by someone whom I love and loves me. Such a gift, to both my mom and I, that we will never forget! 

We all went back and forth on when this would happen before settling on the actual weekend of my mom's birthday. While it would have been fun to surprise her a month beforehand, it was wonderful to be able to spend time with her on the actual day of! As I headed to the airport that Friday afternoon, just a few blocks over from my safe seat on the train was the celebration parade for the Cubs World Series win! In order to throw my mom off, I had a friend of mine, who was standing along the parade route, send me a few pictures of her view. I then sent those to my whole family telling them that I decided to cut class to attend the parade. I quickly texted everyone but my mom that I was a liar who was on her way to the airport. I won't lie, I thought it was a pretty genius way to throw her off. In addition to that, I had made up an event that I told her was happening the next day and even made tentative plans to call and talk with her at some point on her birthday. I also turned off my location on my phone so that she would not be able to see where I was. We used this trick several times throughout the weekend. 

Upon landing, Jenna picked me up from the airport and we headed to the football game! While we regret not planning it out better to where we could have gotten a video of my mom seeing me walk up the bleachers, I won't ever forget the yelling of our names from her, which was a rare sign of excitement (lack of enthusiasm and expressiveness being a quality I got from her). Y'all, she was so pleased. One can never doubt how much a mother loves to see her children after a long time apart. It was so surreal for me to be back in my old high school stadium. I hadn't attended a game since my senior year! (Fun fact: I lettered in football because I was on the varsity team..as a filmer ;)) I finally got to see Brianna in her band uniform. They didn't actually march their show, but you gotta take what you can get!

The next day, which was my mom's actual birthday, was when the real fun began! Long story short, we had a girl's day! We went to a junk show, had lunch, did a little shopping, and finally wine tasting. The day was so beautiful that I can't help but share pictures I took throughout it!:

All of us after the first and most important stop: Starbucks!

Brianna, the official goof. Scarves at Charming Charlies, because who knew a single image could bring me such peace and give me so much inspiration? And bread, the only thing I consumed at the wine tasting! #Moodyproblems #nodrinkinguntilaftergraduation

A mother and all her daughters! What a valuable picture!

Now is a funny part. While at lunch, my dad called my mom and told her that, while at work that afternoon, he was on the bus and went up behind another coworker and jokingly hit the back of their knee, causing them to fall off the bus and get a concussion. It was so hard not to laugh at this because I knew it was a lie covering up my dad's involvement in opening up Wendy's house for the surprise party. She took it in stride, however, and we continued our day, planning on waiting back at the house once we were done to wait on our dad before going out to dinner at one of her favorite places. Once we left the wine tasting, however, Wendy told my mom that we first needed to stop at her house so that she could get my mom's present. 

How cute was her response to a room full of people from all over her life?? This picture makes me want to cry. I viewed the goal of the weekend as to make my mom feel loved and I think this picture shows that this goal was accomplished! The night contained a photobooth with hilarious results, (too briefly!) catching up with both people we have known for years and for shorter periods of time, and finally with sitting around the patio and just chatting after most everyone had left. The only flaw in the party was that we showed up about half an hour after we had planned for, so thank you to everyone who stuck around during that time!!

I swear this girl ended up in half the photobooth pictures!! (;

The next day, Sunday, was spent with family and the dogs. One of my aunts and cousin came up for the party so we went out to lunch and showed them around our area and the many things that are being built. After they left we just hung around the house. We played Mexican Train that night, which is just "our thing". Ah, family. 

            

Compiling pictures for this post brought on one of those moments where I thought to myself, "Wow! How did I take so many pictures of these dogs in such a short amount of time?!" My family got these dogs on the day I left to come back to school this semester, before my flight had even landed! This was my first time to meet them and, while they are quite energetic, a contrast to Mr. Bojangles, I loved them!

Then, bright and early (except not bright..because the night before was "fall back"), Monday morning I hoped on a plane back to Chicago! I got to the airport at 5:15, got through the insane security line by 5:45, and was boarded (with my breakfast compilation from Whataburger, Chick-fil-A, and Starbucks!) by 6:15. I got back to campus and immediately showered and unpacked, energetic to tackle my Monday! The fact that all that energy left and I felt physically weak (mainly just hungry!) by my 11am class reminded me that I am human. 

It was an amazing weekend. We could not have asked for a better one. Once again, thank you to everyone who was involved, from the small ones to the big ones! Mom and dad, I will see you again, and for a longer amount of time (!!) in just a few more weeks! 

- rl

My First Dinner Rolls

On Saturday night, I made my first dinner rolls! I thought they would go well with our steak dinner, and they did! Thankfully, we had a few friends over, one of which is a baking master, so he was able to answer a few trivial questions I otherwise would have guessed on.

I used this recipe and loved it. Next time, I think I'll add slightly less flour because it tasted to me like there was a little too much. Also, I would love to find a nice honey butter mix to put on top of the rolls for right as they come out of the oven or something. Overall, the recipe was not too bad and I really look forward to getting to make them again soon!

Before I made these, I also mixed together the steak marinade. I used this recipe, which was a tad complicated, but I think my family liked it. Honestly, I could hardly tell because steak is not necessarily my favorite meat. I can never seem to spend less than a few minutes chewing on one bite. I'm much more of a chicken girl. (:

- rl

The Joy in Fiber

This afternoon I made progress on a box of papers I brought home from my first semester. I was able to dwindle it down to notes and only a few sentimental pieces of paper. During this, I also went through a lot of papers from classes. One of those sets of papers was my portfolio from College Writing that we turned in at the end of class then reviewed with our professor a week later. At my review, our professor, the source of many laughs during the semester, scared me into thinking that my revision of my narrative essay was no good. However, it was the opposite: she loved it so much that she wouldn't let me keep the copy that was printed in the portfolio and I got an A- in the class for the semester! I've been meaning to share this essay for six months now, and now seems as good a time as any.

This is the picture that helped me in writing this essay. It was my ninth self portrait in the challenge of 2014, and you can find the original blog post here.

"Sunday afternoon, dinner is cooking and I’m snuggled up by the fire. It feels too good to be true that I’m able to spend the day knitting and relaxing. Knitting is the one thing that instantly calms me when I pick up the needles and slip the yarn through my fingers. Fiber and family, what more could a girl ask for?

It’s early March, still just cold enough for to wear a sweater here in north Texas. My fingers, familiar with the throwing and pulling through of the yarn, are chilly despite the fire beside me and the handmade quilt I’ve enveloped myself up in. This quilt, made of prints with desserts and food and quilted with little ants, has been my companion for the last six months. It was a gift from a woman who is a grandmother to my sisters and I, who are without a biological grandmother. I’ve learned the trick of becoming a burrito with it: standing on top of the chair I’m in and then wrapping it around me, sitting on top of most of it. The heat from the fire doesn’t quite heat my toes, so this blanket is just the right thing. The fire my father started when we got back from church is still going strong, the flames steadily licking the insides of the fireplace. I glance over at the burnt brick which surrounds the fire. All that now-black brick is significant of the 14 years my father has burned fires in there to keep us warm. He can’t see it from his seat on the couch a few feet from me, so he asks me for updates on how it’s doing, and whether or not he needs to come over to stoke it, bringing it back to life. I tell him that it’s doing just fine, especially in keeping me warm. The warmth radiating from the fire continues to warm my arms which aren’t able to stay inside my little cocoon, because my navy blue sweater doesn’t seem to be doing its job of keeping my arms warm. Mom is walking back into the living room from the kitchen, joining us all in watching TV. I can smell the dough from tonight’s bread all the way from the other side of the living room. My mouth waters just thinking about the warm bread lathered in butter which we’ll be eating soon.

I’m working on a hat for my little sister’s best friend, Emily, who is a young teenager that has more wisdom than most adults. I had agreed to make this for her a month ago, and bought the yarn soon after that. Other projects had occupied my time, but now it was her turn. This pattern has been on my needles a couple times previously, so this time I feel confident enough, with my previous experience, to make a few changes. Earlier in the day I had taken out all the work I had done - only an inch, thankfully - and tried again with a smaller needle so the fabric would be a little thicker, and therefore a lot warmer for her. Emily is definitely one who deserves a nice, handknit hat. In the five years my sister and her have been friends, Emily has been a great encouragement to both my sister and I. Even when she has a sleepover with my sister, her and I end up talking for at least half an hour. She’s an old soul who will appreciate the amount of time being spent to make this hat. As the oldest of five, I have plenty of faith she is more than responsible enough to keep track of the hat. When I knit something, I find it important to know the recipient will value the time and money put into it. I look around at my family members, and think of what I can possibly knit them for Christmas. It may be nine months away, but these things take time. I cringe at the thought of knitting something for my loved ones that won’t be a practical item in their everyday lives. I try not to worry about it now, however, because this moment, when we’re all just relaxing together, is an invaluable gift. I’ve been by this fire all day, entertained with House Hunters, a NASCAR race, and a few (knitting) podcasts, so the progress on the hat is stunning. Maybe I can finish it by the time I go to work tomorrow?

I complete another knit stitch, then move the stitches further back on the needle to prevent them from falling off. I feel the half-completed hat fall gently on my blanket-covered lap as I reach down to the ground, into my knitting bag at my side, and pull out the measuring tape again. Four inches is a lot to have completed in a matter of hours. I toss the pink measuring tape back into the bag, then admire the fabric that has come into being in a matter of hours. This pattern was the first I made two short months ago after I first got my knitting needles on Christmas day. In that short amount of time, I have made several items, my pride inflating a little more each time I bind off, marking the completion of another knit project. I take a deep breath, inhaling the familiar smell of burning wood. I didn’t enjoy math while in high school, but now I can appreciate the mechanics of it in this hobby of mine. It requires a lot more math than I first thought it would, yet that fuzzy feeling in my heart gets stronger with each passing moment. It turns out that calculating the number of stitches I need to start with is a kind of math that doesn’t bother me; not when it has such a great reward, anyway. Maybe I’m more of a numbers person than I ever thought before.

Every time I find even a few moments to knit a few stitches, I can physically feel myself relax. The simple, yet repetitive action is just the right thing to work on while watching my favorite show, waiting to clock on at work, or while enjoying some family time. I feel as though my heart will burst from the simple joy of just being with my family while also making good progress on this hat. My heart relaxes as I pick up my project again, continuing on according to the pattern."

- rl

Library Trip #1

This is the result of little sister and I's first trip to the library this summer! Technically she's not on her summer vacation yet, but I had to go soon after arriving back home last Saturday. After picking her up from school the other day, we went straight to the library. Initially I didn't plan on getting any books, but I somehow ended up with the top four in this pile. Looking at all the YA books that lined the shelves made me decide to grab a random book from an author whose last name starts with A. The series I picked up were written by someone with a B last name, and it is a series that I heard about a lot last summer, so I'm pretty excited to read those.

Now to see how long it takes me to read these...

- rl

Roomie Date in River North

Tonight we had what was probably our best roomie date yet! We went to a place called Blaze Pizza that has decently cheap thin crust pizza. So good! The best part is that we both only ate half of ours so that we could eat the second half for dinner tomorrow night, which is the only time a meal isn't served on campus. This will definitely be a place to bring people when they come to visit! 

After that, we ventured to Eataly, an Italian restaurant and shop that is my go-to for a treat: sorbet! However, when we got there the line was longer than I'd ever seen it, which is really saying something. We opted instead to just walk around the store a little bit and get a little info on the shape of cheese before heading back into the nightlife of River North in Chicago. Ally got frozen yogurt and then we stopped by my Chick-fil-A so I could say hi to coworkers and get a drink. 

After getting back to campus we had to go to the library to get a DVD for children's church in the morning. We ended up spending some time catching up with one of the guys on our brother floor. The three of us eat breakfast together several times a week, but we're not super talkative at 7.30am. 

Overall we had a great night! We did so much in a matter of a few hours, and it felt great to walk around the city being a little dressed up and avoiding spiders in that one window display...ew! It was almost as fun as playing in the park this afternoon with Ally and her little man (the boy she nannies). The little guy thinks the three of us should be best friends because our birthdays are all in successive months, yet he hardly spoke a word to me.

- rl

p.s. two weeks until I go home! I talked with my mom while on my break at work today. Thirty minutes of feeling at home. It was lovely! I miss my mom's voice just discussing the day's events, and I'm excited to hear it for three whole months!! 

To a Most Beloved Sister,

Today is this cutie's birthday! This was her last month, trying to get the hang of crochet. After a craft night with friends we happen to work with, we headed over to one's apartment to watch Austenland. Such a hilarious movie for us Pride & Prejudice fans! My mom had helped Jenna learn to crochet a few days before this, so we had gone over the basics again and she got a lot done! It's so much fun to watch people learn how to knit.

Today, though, Jenna is probably at work. I wish I was with you, Jenna! Our working together last year made us a lot closer, so it's such a treat now when I come back home and we see each other almost daily again. Jenna's the best sister (and manager!) a girl could ask for. J-bird, you inspire me all the time. I miss you daily. I love you dearly. See you in two weeks!

- rl

A New Year's Day

After the shortest work day since I've been back, the family got out and continued our New Year's Day tradition: Babe's Chicken for good food and black eyed peas. Because we were so close in Carrollton, we stopped by Vitruvian Park in Addison to see the lights, and it turned out to be the last night of them! We went nearly two weeks ago now, and I was so happy to have my camera with me this time.

Speaking of the last two weeks, I have not blogged. That will all change tomorrow, though, when I catch up on my day off. I've been working a lot of hours since I've been back, and I'm excited to have some time to get myself organized!! I think I have my goals for this year laid out, but I'm making these with the knowledge that life changes.

1. Read 12 new books, in varying categories.
2. Take a picture every day and upload it to Flickr.
3. Blog as much as possible.
4. Knit/crochet/etc. with a purpose.
5. Apply the things I learn.
6. Take better care of myself.

I'll expand on these at some point, but for now I need to apply #6 and go to bed!

- rl

New Year's Eve + 2014 Goal Wrap-Up

Mom explaining Monopoly Deal to those who had never played.

My first time playing Ticket to Ride! This is the board mainly cleared off, but it was pretty full! (365/365!!!)

Emily being...Emily.

Settlers of Catan. a game I've been wanting to play FOREVER. It did not disappoint.

Overall, New Year's Eve 2014 was a good one! We had a peaceful night with some friend just eating pizza and snacks, then playing the games pictured above. I really enjoyed the two new games I played, and I'll definitely be doing a little more research into the strategy behind Catan before I play again.

Now onto how my goals for the year did!

1: one self portrait (per week)
Success! 

week forty-nine | week fifty | week fifty-one | week fifty-two

2: compose photos (every day)
As far as I know. This is the epitome of this challenge for me: never taking pictures when I should, then not knowing if I really did complete the challenge or not!

338 | 339 | 340 | 342 | 343 | 344 | 345 | 346 | 347 | 349 | 350 | 351 | 352 | 353 | 354 | 356 | 357 | 358 | 359 | 361 | 362 | 363 | 364 | 365 - which is at the top of this post!

3: read the Bible (every day)
Nope. 

4: journal (daily)
Nope.

5: blog (daily)
Nope! This post is being written twenty-four days into January. Crazy, I know. Anyhow...

6: walk
Still no walking specifically for exercise, but that's fine by me.

7: bike
Nope.

8: 52 projects
Nope! I don't know how many projects I actually finished in 2014, but I blogged 26 of them. I know I finished more than that, but that number is pretty perfect to me because that's half of my goal!

9: 52 books
Once again, I forgot to do a wrap-up at the end of the month, but, thanks to goodreads, I know I figured it out and I read AT LEAST 50 books this year. I may have lost a few in there somehow, but it was at least 50!

10: experiment with photography
Nope. I've been too busy this month!

11: make six new meals for the family
Nope! Now that I'm home I want every meal to be made by my mom. I do have one dish I want to make for them before I leave, so hopefully I'll get to that.

12: learn to play the keyboard
Nope.

13: at least one photo book
Nope.

14: travel

FINALLY GOT TO FLY AGAIN. It had been way too long. I absolutely love flying, and love that every time I want to go home I'll just have to fly. (;

Overall, the year wasn't too bad. I definitely won't be setting such specific goals for 2015, however!

- rl

Previous 2014 Goals Posts:
Original List
January Update
February Update
March Update
April Update
May Update
June Update
July Update
August Update
September Update
October Update

November Update

An Evening of...

my baby,

a silly little sister,

& looking at lights in a neighborhood's town square-ish thing we didn't know existed.

364/365

That honey mustard at Texas Roadhouse wasn't too shabby either!

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)

Surprise Renovation

361/365

When I came home last week, my family had a surprise in store across the hall from my room: a bathroom remodel! I won't lie, I was disappointed to not have had a formal goodbye with our old bathroom! Can you tell I'm sentimental? It's been fun, however, to see the progress. They started it sometime around Thanksgiving, and worked hard to finish it before I got home, but it didn't quite pan out how they would have liked, so it is still under construction. It's so great, however, that all my mom's dreams of this bathroom are finally being fulfilled! I know she really appreciates you, daddy. (:

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)

A New Favorite

360/365

Once upon a time, big sister and I got the Winona Ryder Little Women VHS for Christmas. Yes, VHS. We would watch it from our bunk beds in our shared room, and I haven't seen it since our copy disappeared. Enter Amazon Instant Video. We bought the movie through there, so now it's really accessible for all of us. We watched it tonight, and I think it's my new favorite movie. I'm so thankful I can watch it anytime now, because I already want to watch it again!

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)

Christmas Day

359/365

Ah, Christmas Day! Probably my favorite day of the year. This year was especially wonderful because I got a ball winder + scale for yarn, which means things are about to get a whole lot more precise in my world! Jenna put a bow on her head, too, which means Christmas was complete. Also, how cool is our Christmas tree? It switches between white and LED lights, which is a fun twist!

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)

Christmas Eve

358/365

Christmas Eve, after work and the candlelight service, looked a little like this: delicious soup made by mama, catching up on Advent, and snacks while watching our Christmas Eve tradition, It's a Wonderful Life! Also, how cute is my baby boy while peeking over my book, begging for a piece of our snack, Texas Trash.

- rl

(p.s. this is part of my 14 goals for 2014. You can view all my goals here.)