This is the story

Of a small shiny object that got hopelessly lost (and the adventure of finding it)

It begins during the day o'fun. Declared so as a way to embrace the amazingly warm January day. Ignoring the upcoming disappearance of one Jesse Stout.

Brunch and downtown strolling followed by yard work and planting of the Christmas tree.

We have this idea to plant all of our Christmas Trees- I know that they'll lose their glittery coating, but I'm so excited to remember- oh that was the first tree in our house- awww

Someone may not be as excited as I

The afternoon was filled with cleaning gutters and last minute target runs.  It was then that someone noticed.  Crap, I don't have my ring.  (spoiler: not me)

You see, when we first moved into the house, we created a ring cup.  

A shot glass on the microwave for holding our shiny bands while we engage in the grimy tasks of home ownership.  

Occasionally rings have been misplaced for a moment.  

This time, it was more than just a moment.

The search commences.

Armed with flashlights and rainboots

     cause now its dark and muddy

We scour the flowerbeds, the roof and the yard.

Convinced its buried along with our tree, poor little tree is yanked from the ground.

After an hour I call off the search.  

We'll check again when its daylight.

Someone has to be at the airport at 8:00

Sunrise is at 7:52

In the first beginnings of dawn we trudge through the mud

One last hopeful search 

Putting on a brave face as we discard our muddy gear for more appropriate airport clothes

     yep, mine were jammies

I have a secret plan: continuing the search.

First time climbing on a roof- this was my fake brave face before I climbed the ladder

Didn't realize how much I don't like heights

     including the height of a one story roof

I may or may not have crab crawled around that roof

After making it back down

Digging through the mud

Inch by inch searching the path we trudged post tree burying/unburying

Giving up and trying to decide if I should just order him a new one, 

Knowing it might get back here before he does

Getting on with my day and declaring, we'll just have to go back to Hawaii

Turning out the light to climb into bed,

Wait?  What's that shiny round thing on the floor?!?!

The working theory?  It fell out of someone's pants pocket when they're pants where haphazardly thrown on the floor

Thanks to the postal system (even if they did lose it for a day)
The ring is back just where it belongs

A beginning

So excited for what is coming next

Upcoming

This next year I want to...

Create more:
The sewing shop down my street and I have a love/hate relationship. I love love love that shop. My budget, not so much.
They host workshops. Excited to learn new tricks, excited to figure out my machine.

     Sewing list:
     Baby gifts (cause friends keep making em!)
     Pouches to replace ziplocs, cause someone has a nasty habit of using like 3 a day
     Getting through my mending stash, I miss my favorites!

I've fallen into a cooking rut. The plan? Starting with 31 days of veggies. Making a concentrated effort to try new recipes. Hoping by the end of winter to feel refreshed and inspired in my kitchen.

Speaking of refreshed in the kitchen! Our thinking? Spend 500 and give the kitchen a whole new feel to tide us over until we do our big dramatic (tearing walls down) makeover. Newly painted walls, cabinets and countertops will go a long way to making the space feel new.

Do something after dinner. Too many nights I get pulled in by the food coma and TV. Instead I want to accomplish something after dinner. Starting small with some laundry or a project. Perhaps adding in some yoga or (heaven help me) cardio.

Keep an open book on my nightstand.  During the move we got into the habit of watching TV in bed.  Now that we are settled I want to get back into the habit of reading before I fall asleep.

First week

And someone (coughjessecough) has already cheated. Not to worry I told him, we'll just add some more days at the end bwah ha ha!

Favorite recipe this week?
Kale pesto pasta minus the shrimp and loaded with lots of fresh veggies...yum yum

A close second?

Vegetarian Jambalaya

Although Jesse called it right, this is yummy but not really jambalaya.  Probably due to the lack of 3 different kinds of meat

Some filler recipes
ie: recipes we've made a million times, easy meals we can pull off after a long day of work
Breakfast burritos...I do love me some Mexican mmmm mmmm

Beans & Rice and Quesadillas

Cause did I mention, I love Mexican?

Most disappointing recipe this week?
The meatless hopping John: annoyed because I followed the recipe and it just didn't have much flavor. Usually I go rouge and throw in a bit of this and that. Lesson learned. Trust my cooking instincts.

Excited to see what next week will bring!
Including the challenge of cooking for my Father in Law who declared
No meat?  I'll bring my own!

there were times of no dryer

no dishwasher

no power

there were picnics and festivals

and spontaneous roadtrips

and stopping for tacos at 4am

there was dressing up and cheering

     glad for access to bells and whistles and paint and glitter

the year was full of ordinary moments
and then there were some pretty big moments too

an incredible vacation that we had dreamed about for years
the sun, the sand, the adventure!
I still think about this every day

the phone call that began with, so I may have hurt my knee
followed by yep, torn ACL
surgery, trying to keep down pain meds, a long (bumpy) car ride home
and finally pulling out the last stitch 6 months later (must have gotten lost in there somewhere)

looking, looking, looking for a house
getting excited, then disappointed
then walking into our house and pulling the trigger

fixing up and filling up the house

     yay for family expertise

     yay for flat packed furniture

It has been an incredible year

I can't wait to see what 2013 brings!