Family Visit

(This post is so very belated. Embarrassingly belated.)

My sister Julie's in-laws live in Michigan. She had been planning a trip to visit them for a bit, and, last month, she decided to fly into Chicago before heading to Michigan so that she could visit with some of her old friends and me. I told my other sister, Robin, that she should come that same weekend. Then my mom joined in, and our family friend Diane.

It was so much fun!

We ate our way across River North (Frontera Grill - Piccolo Sogno Due - Siena Tavern). We went to the Shedd Aquarium (accidentally, we went on a day that is free to Illinois residents. Whoops. I think part of my soul is still in that line). I got to meet my niece Josie for the first time and got to spend a lot of time with her big sister Clementine.

Waiting in line at the Shedd. Love these lovelies!

My main man, still handsome off-kilter.

Brett pointing out an eel to Clementine.

I loved entertaining everyone in Chicago, and I hope they come back again when the weather is better and we can really take advantage of all the city has to offer.

2014 in Review

2014 was a great year for Brett and me. Looking back over the highlights of the year made me look forward to 2015!

Highlights
-Starting a new job and moving to Chicago.
-Welcoming a new niece (Josie Louise).

My sister makes some cute babies.

Favorite TV
-Broad City. Can someone literally die laughing? I hope not.
-Jane the Virgin. Very sweet, funny show.

Favorite Movies
-Guardians of the Galaxy. Dad and I saw this movie in a theater with seats that move (is this the future?). Lots of fun.
-Gone Girl. Super creepy and I loved it.
-The Lego Movie. Funny, clever movie.

Favorite New (To Me) Podcasts
-Serial. Fun to be part of a zeitgeist.
-Ask Me Another. NPR quiz show = geek heaven.
-Pop Culture Happy Hour. This podcast is so entertaining, I can listen and enjoy it even when I have not seen/heard/read the pop culture they are discussing.

Favorite Books
-The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt. I read this beast of a novel for a bookclub. I am glad that it was for a bookclub, or else it would have taken me much longer than two weeks to read it.
-Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. Please read it so that we can talk about it.

Favorite Jams
-Sylvan Esso. Super chill.
-Take Me to Church by Hozier. Earworm.
-Riptide by Vance Joy. Monster earworm.
-Girls Chase Boys by Ingrid Michaelson. Oh-oh-oh.

Fun Trips
-Family cruise in January. This is particularly meaningful now because my grandfather passed away in the fall.
-Visiting San Francisco. Brett had an internship and was there for many weeks. I came to visit him for our wedding anniversary.

Standing on a boat on the bay, watching the tide roll away.

-Memphis for the wedding of our good friends Adam and Hillary.

Yum.

-Labor Day in Seattle.
-Ann Arbor for Audrey and Adam's wedding.

Best Eats
-Last meals at Let's Take a Seat (silly name, delicious tofu) and Golden Harbor (better name, equally delicious tofu) in Champaign.
-Chicago Cut with my dad. I wanted to treat, but of course he did not let me.

Overall, in terms of media, this was the Year of the Podcast for me. I am ashamed at how little reading I did. If I can offer any excuse, it is that my job requires a lot of reading, and I often do not feel like reading more when I get home. But, like you, I am unmoved by that excuse, and hopefully in 2015 I can reclaim my status as a reader.

In terms of real life, this was a very real year. I transitioned into a job that I will (hopefully) be in for the foreseeable future. Brett accepted an equally grown up job. Our families and friends experienced many joys and some heartaches. All in all, I am entering 2015 excited for the future, but very pleased with the present.

Scott Christmas

For the first time ever, Brett and I had a solo Christmas. He had just moved up (finally, permanently!) the week before, and we wanted some time for just the two of us. For a few days we relaxed, blazed through True Detective (which I thought was good, although perhaps not as good as it thought it was), and I made Christmas dinner.

In Brett's family, ham gravy is the pillar of all holidays. It is discussed endlessly beforehand, eaten quickly during, and remembered fondly afterward. So, I made a ham with ham gravy.

It was not as good as my mother-in-law's. Oh well--even not-as-good ham gravy is yummy.

Turkey Day Recap

Happy belated Thanksgiving!

We had a great holiday back in WashMo. Highlights include:

-Not one, but two, delicious Thanksgiving dinners. My dad had to work Thursday evening, so we had a wonderful lunch with my parents, then we headed over the Brett's parent's home for Round 2.

Meal #1 at my parents house.

To prepare for the turkey/ham/mashed potato/pie onslaught, we had our own Turkey Trot in the morning (Brett ran, I walked). Although it was a little cold, I think this is a nice tradition to start.

-Visiting with friends, old and new. We had lunch and watched the Mizzou game with our old friend Nick and his girlfriend. Nick's family has two pugs, so there was only one way I wanted to watch the game--covered in pugs.

#puglife

-Seeing some family. We stopped by my cousin's adorable new home, where I got in some baby cuddles and got to catch up a bit with my extended family.

-Dinner in St. Louis with my parents at a very nice restaurant. Yum.

-Riding around town on my dad's Can-Am Spyder with Brett. We drove on some of the windy, scenic roads in town. We also stopped at the high school parking lot so I could drive around a bit. I learned to drive a car in that parking lot, so it was only appropriate.

My mom's helmet, my dad's bomber jacket, my face, and my husband.
We were parked when we took this picture, don't worry.

-Taking in the Garden Glow. Last night, Brett and I went with my parents to the Garden Glow at the St. Louis Botanical Gardens (the Gardens are covered in Christmas lights and holiday decorations). We had a great time. 

I hope you and yours had an equally wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Black Tie Optional

Brett was in Chicago this weekend, and we had the nicest time.

First of all, I simply enjoyed being in Chicago for a weekend. I have been visiting Brett in Champaign most weekends or have been out of town for one reason or another, and it felt great to wake up in my own bed on Saturday morning. I drank a Chai tea latte, got caught up with Parenthood, and cuddled with the cats.

Brett had an event downtown in the morning for class, and when it finished, I met him and his good friend Bob for lunch at Siena Tavern. The caramelized brussels sprouts pizza was outrageously tasty (on another note, did you know that the vegetable is spelled brussels sprout and not brussel sprout? I just learned, thanks internet!).

Saturday evening, Brett and I attended a black tie benefit because we are ever-so-fancy (actually, my boss is the president of an organization, and she was kind enough to invite us to their annual scholarship ball). It was fun to play dress up for a night and attend an elegant event. Of course, in classic fashion, we did not take any good pictures--you will just have to take my word for it that Brett looked exceptionally dapper.

The apartment seems particularly quiet now that Brett and the cats have gone back to Champaign. This weekend made me look forward--even more so--to the weekend when they move up permanently.

90 Candles

Yesterday, Brett and I went to his Great-Grandma Lorraine's 90th birthday party. She looks great, and I think she had a wonderful time at the party.

Brett and his Great-Grandmother Lorraine. 

I met more of Brett's family members than I ever had before--cousins even flew in from South Carolina for the party.

Family photo, Brett on the far right.

Brett had a class in Champaign Saturday morning, so we did not arrive until the late afternoon, when the party was winding down, but we still had a good time. We particularly enjoyed seeing our nephew, Parker. He is such a sweet, playful boy.

Brett and Parker. 

I love the expressions on their faces here--Parker looks so hopeful!

Endings and Beginnings

My sister Julie has been encouraging me to start a blog for a while. She loves writing her blog, and she finds that her blog documents many memories which she would not have been able to recall otherwise. I had desisted, though, because I consider myself (likely erroneously) a private person.

I changed my mind because my grandfather, Thomas Boyer, passed away a few weeks ago, and I returned home to Washington, Missouri, for his funeral service. Being with my family and sharing stories about my grandfather made me want to create a repository for such stories--not just the big moments that are easily remembered, but the smaller incidents that define relationships and time periods.

The service was really wonderful. I was touched by how many of my grandfather's friends came to see my grandmother and mom. My father gave a beautiful eulogy, where he told the group that Grandpa's last words, spoken to my mom, were, "I love you a bushel and a peck, and a hug around the neck."

The funeral included military honors. Grandpa was a Marine--he served in Korea and was one of the Chosin Few. The service inspired me to learn more about the Korean War, and also to donate money to the Honor Flight Network. Grandpa was able to go on an Honor Flight, and he found the experience incredibly worthwhile and moving.

This spectacular picture--I believe a family friend titled it, "A great American and a great mustache"--was taken August 2013 during a family trip to Yellowstone National Park (the bouncing baby is my niece, Clementine). I am so grateful that we had one last big family trip out West before Grandpa passed.

After the service, the family went to an Italian restaurant for lunch. Julie had toasted ravioli, I had mostaccioli, and provel cheese was had by all--a proper send-off to a lifelong St. Louisan.