Things I like about Fall

I'm much more of a spring/summer person. I love the flowers in the trees, the warmth in the air, the days getting longer and longer...but, I've been reasonably open minded about this fall season, and so far it has not let me down.

So far I'm enjoying:

1. Pumpkin Pie
2. Crispy Crunchy Apples
3. Sweaters
4. Slippers
5. New Episodes of House
6. Going on walks and stepping on leaves
7. A trip to Seattle with my mom
8. Fall Decor (I'd really like to make a fall wreathe for my door...need to figure out how)
9. Planning Halloween Costumes
10. Cats in their Halloween costumes
11. Sugar cookies (it's almost time to break out my Halloween cookie cutters!)
12. Snuggling with blankets
13. Planning for Daniel's upcoming birthday
14. Anticipating the holidays that are just around the corner!

October 1.

Have you ever had a perfect day?

Did it look anything like this?

Wicked was a fabulous way to welcome October. I had a great day in Seattle with my mom, and now I'm ready for bed. I know it's not even 8:00 yet, but I'm beat. I only got a couple hours of sleep last night because of all the anticipation and now even though I'm fighting off a cold, I couldn't have had a better day!

Wicked

It's happening! I got Wicked Tickets. My mom and I are planning a day in Seattle on October 1st. We're going to the matinee which is perfectly priced, and also leaves time during the day for other Seattle activities. I hope to go to Pikes Place Market, and wander through all the little shops and booths. Hopefully there will be some fun fall displays and tasty treats. I can't wait to get away for a day, and enjoy some 'grown up girl bonding time'!

I think I'm going to be enjoying fall this year.

I Am.

I am...

Reading the Poisonwood Bible. I'm loving it. It is the book I have enjoyed the most for the book club that I'm in.

On a bit of a vegetable kick. I can't get enough peas.

Hopeful.

Trying to find things I love about fall.

Ready for 5:20.

Missing the long summer evenings when I could exercise outside.

Glad I spent most of the weekend outdoors.

So grateful for the sunshine.

Working on a couple very easy sewing projects.

Implementing daily scripture study.

Hoping to go see Wicked while it is in Seattle.

Listening to various soundtracks at my desk on my Zune.

Wearing my favorite work pants.

Using my autumn purse that matches my favorite red shoes.

Contemplating dinner...chicken pot pie, perhaps?

A Cozy Saturday Afternoon

A very relaxing, rainy Saturday afternoon was spent with
our newest favorite homemade pizza.

BBQ chicken, olives, pineapple and bacon tid-bits.

Warm and fresh from the oven with a SanPellegrino
Limonata.

and Wesley keeping an eye on me.

Next time you're all welcome to join us!

Mass of the Holy Spirit

Did I mention that I went to Mass today? Remarkably, it was my first Mass, after almost 2 years of employment with Saint Martin's. I enjoyed it from the back row. It was different than my usual Sunday Sacrament Meeting, but I thought it was really neat to see a little more of the religious side of my work environment. I always enjoy seeing the monks around campus during the day, so it was cool to see them more in their element. I love that all over the world there are good people who believe in Jesus Christ, and strive to live more like him. That was my take home lesson for the day.

Triathlon Post coming soon. I promise!

The Triathlon

I don't even really know what to say about it. It was hard. Really hard, and I can't believe I did it. My body amazed me. All summer I had been training for this, and now that I've done it, I don't feel a huge relief, or sense of great accomplishment. I just wish I had been able to do it better, faster, stronger. I guess that's why I'm doing another one. In 12 weeks. I'm sure I'll be wondering what I got myself into as this next one gets closer, but I love the training, (except at 7:30 on Saturday mornings...) and I need fitness goals.

My race started ok. I was really nervous about it, because I wasn't familiar with the course at all, but there was a great sense of anticipation/energy surrounding all the ladies I trained with. We were all in the same wave to start the swim. The water was much colder than the lake we'd been training in, and 'oops', they mapped the swim course wrong, so we ended up going twice as far as we'd been training for. At least now I know I can swim half a mile in a cold lake, and not only live to tell about it, but also follow it up with a 13 mile bike ride and a 5k run. (like I said, my body amazed me).

The biking wasn't too bad, and aside from a frightening asthma flare up, I did pretty well. It felt like the last half was continuously up hill. These were mostly gentle rolling hills that just seemed to keep coming and coming. One after another. After each hill, I convinced myself that "surely this is the last hill. This has to be the last one". I obviously survived, but I was very thankful for my inhaler at about mile 12.25.

As for the run, I just wanted to be done. I wanted to give up and get in the car and go home. During my transition from biking to running, I asked Daniel to take me home. I even threw some tears in for good measure. His answer was a resounding 'no'. Despite my protests, he figured I'd regret it if I quit 2/3rds of the way through. So he walked with me, and got me through my traumatic "this was a really embarrassing mistake phase" onto the rest of the race. I was able to run much more of the 5k than I thought I would. At that point, I was running to get done, not for speed. I have an idea that this aspect of the triathlon is much like child birth. The only way out is through it. I got through it, and I'm glad I did it. Someday I'll make a legitimate comparison of the two...

Enjoy some pictures...you know you love a short curvy triathlete in spandex!

The ladies I trained with

I'm the swimmer on the far left.

Yes, I wore a very un-athletic giraffe print tankini...with a sports bra underneath it.

still smiling after the swim

So there it is...the good the bad and the crazy!

“All I need is my one star in the sky, to wish for you everyday.”

My parents are on vacation. Their annual pilgrimage to their 'homeland' if you will. This year it's dropping Nathan and Rachel off at BYU, by way of Driggs, Idaho. I, as the oldest, married daughter, who is lucky enough to work during the summer get to keep an eye on their house and beloved poodle. Tonight, as I was driving home from shutting their house for the night, I opened the sun roof to enjoy some fresh air. Looking up at the dark starry sky overhead reminded me almost instantly, of a time a few years ago when my life was changing in a very real way.

About four years ago to the day, Daniel and I were just getting to know each other. One warm August night, before we were officially dating, we decided to drive out to the Saint Anthony sand dunes. Neither of us had been out there, and didn't quite know what to expect. We got there before it was dark, and there were a lot of people around, mostly with 4-wheelers etc. We decided to climb a dune, and watch for a while. From our vantage point we got a good show of people riding all over the dunes, but also, once the sun went down, we got an amazing starry sky. I remember sitting on the sandy hill, content to watch the stars with this new, fascinating boy. We barely knew each other, but already I knew there was something to him, and I wanted more. That night, we sat together, necks strained from looking up, chatting, laughing, and enjoying the stars. I remember wishing on a shooting star that night, hoping that I could have a chance to get to know him better. Hoping that this sweet, thoughtful, wonderful, funny boy could be mine. I'm happy to report, that I got my wish.

"I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly. "

I'd like to say a few words about my favorite movie. I like a wide variety of movies, and Daniel and I watch a lot of movies, but for over a decade now, it's been the same favorite. That favorite movie is full of wit, charm, humor and irony. Each time I watch it, I catch something new in it, and thank goodness it's one of the movies Daniel and I both enjoy. If any of you out there haven't seen You've Got Mail, do yourself a favor and enjoy it. If you have seen it, but it has been a while, you owe it to yourself to watch it again. It's worth it.

And now to wet your whistle, here are a couple of my favorite quotes from it.

"Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, not small, but valuable. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void."

"What will NY152 say today, I wonder. I turn on my computer. I wait impatiently as it connects. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You've got mail. I hear nothing. Not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beating of my own heart. I have mail. From you."

"When you read a book as a child, it becomes a part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your whole life does."

and last, one of my favorite interchanges from the movie:

Joe Fox: I think you'd discover a lot of things if you really knew me.
Kathleen Kelly: If I really knew you, I know exactly what I'd find: instead of a brain a cash register, instead of a heart a bottom line.
[gasps]
J F: What?
K K: I just had a breakthrough.
J F: What is it?
K K: I have you to thank for it. For the first time in my life, when confronted with a horrible, insensitive person, I knew exactly what I wanted to say and I said it.

J F: I think you have the gift for it. It was a perfect blend of poetry and meanness."

***

In other news, Daniel and I were released from our Primary and cub scouts callings today. I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty relieved about the cub scouts, but I will definitely miss the primary kids we teach. I am however looking forward to going to Relief Society next Sunday.

***

The Triathlon is on Saturday. I think I'm as ready as I'm going to be. The last two Saturday Mornings (way too early) I've been up doing practice Tri's. It was rainy yesterday morning, but it worked out pretty well. It isn't as painful to swim a 1/4 mile in a lake at 7:30 am, when the water is warmer than the air. Then, the rain didn't really make much of a difference on the bike, as I was already wet. The last part of the run was kind of uncomfortable since I was still wet, but not bad. I'll just say it was better than the previous week. Will post pictures of the actual event next weekend!

3 Years.

To Daniel:

"dulcissime, totam tibi subdo me"

Thanks for the greatest three years. I look forward to many more filled with "sunbursts of serendipity" and delightful surprises.

a snippet about breakfast on the Balcony

This morning as I was getting ready, the apartment felt hot and stuffy. We only have windows on one side of our place which makes it difficult to get a cross breeze going, so the air has a tendency to get a little stale after a while. I kept the bedroom window open last night, the falling rain serenading my sleep. Come morning however, with the use of a hot blow dryer and flat iron, I was already feeling sticky before leaving the house.

I don't like feeling sticky in the morning, so I decided there was nothing left to do, but breakfast on the balcony. I pulled one of my kitchen chairs out, grabbed my bowl of cereal, invited my two gentlemen felines out with me, and enjoyed the cool, fresh morning air while I munched on my cereal. It wasn't really raining at that point, but it felt great to enjoy the mist, and air myself out before surrendering myself to the office all day.

My breakfast was so nice this morning, that I may make this a regular occurance until the winter weather comes.

a snippet about the pickle bush

Daniel and I went for a walk last night, around dusk. It was a rainy day, so the sky was already most of the way dark with heavy clouds, but we managed to take advantage of a little dry spell. On our walk, I was on the inside of the sidewalk, against some bushes laced with water. One bush in particular was kind of pokey, and I felt the need to comment.

Our conversation went like this:

Alicia: Ooohhh look Daniel, a prickle bush...

Daniel: First off Alicia, they're cucumbers, second they don't grow on bushes.

We both laughed at our miscommunication, and enjoyed the rest of our walk hand in hand.

a couple changes

For the past 21 months, I had been growing my hair out. I loved my curls, how they bounced and scrunched nearly effortlessly, but it was time for a change. Last week, I went and chopped off the lot of it. And I love it. I always love having short hair, especially in the summer. Sometimes I just forget, and end up growing it out for almost two years.

Anyway, last Friday my mom arranged to take family pictures before Nathan and Rachel go down to BYU for the school year. Our last family pictures were 3 years old, from our wedding, so it was time for a change. So without further ado, I give you the latest and greatest Green family pictures. Do take note of the hair.

Very cheesy. But I love it.

We took pictures at the Japanese Gardens in downtown Olympia, which would explain the lovely Buddha and pagoda.

I think there's a lot of sibling resemlence. There didn't used to be, but I can see it now.

What a treat.

Because I work in a very old brick building, and because it has been in the 100's outside all week, and because there is no air conditioning in this very old brick building which means it's in the 95+'s inside all week, I have been getting off early. For the sake of my sanity.

As a result of these aforementioned circumstances, Daniel and I have been spending a lot of time at my parents house...because they have a pool, and because they have a window air conditioner in one room, and also because we love them. This makes these super hot days much more enjoyable.

But even the swimming pool gets hot quickly in this kind of weather, and the window a/c unit can only do so much. So yesterday, we escaped to the cool darkness of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. It was so pleasant sitting inside the theater that when we left to go outside, the hot air felt foreign and wrong. This weather had put my body into a funk of thinking it's on vacation somewhere exotic, and all the hours playing in the pool, and lounging around trying to stay cool have only reinforced this vacation notion. Somehow this relaxed lifestyle doesn't mesh very well with the reality of still having to get to work by 7:30 and sitting at a desk all morning. Waiting for the go ahead to leave because of the temperature.

So I sit here, nearby fans recirculating stuffy air, with little to do, finished with lunch, waiting to come up with some sort of entertainment to get through the next couple hours. I decided an after lunch piece of gum might do the trick, so I went to my purse, opened it up, and saw our leftover bag of peanut butter m&m's from the movie yesterday. I managed to have some self control, after all, Daniel would miss them if I didn't leave any for him. I must say though, that little interlude in my day, of peanut butter-chocolate goodness definitely hit the spot. It seemed to mend this mental gap between the worlds of vacation and work.

"Celebrate Summer - Sun drenched days and starlit nights..."

As is usually the case during the summer, I had a fabulous weekend with family and friends. On Friday, Daniel and I crashed Mike and Cindy's vacation at my uncle's houses on Mason Lake. It was fun to get outside and enjoy the gorgeous weather. I took Friday afternoon off, and it was the perfect day to not be stuck inside a stuffy, old brick building. Friday night we watched Toy Story 2 under the stars. I loved looking up in the middle of the movie to see a sky full of stars. We were out in the middle of nowhere, so the stars were extra bright. I'm still sore from tubing on Saturday, but it's a fun kind of sore. It just means we played hard. I love summer, and spending time at the lake is one of my favorite activities. Sadly, I didn't pull out my camera once, so hopefully my pictures from Sunday make up for it.

On Sunday we went to Nathan's missionary homecoming talk. My parents ward meets at 9:00, which felt really early, but left us with a wonderfully long afternoon. Instead of going to 6 hours of church, we got a substitute for our primary class, and after morning church, spent the afternoon having lunch with family. That evening I got together with two of my best friends from high school since one was here from Utah. We met up at Priest Point Park, and walked down to the water. It was fun to catch up and enjoy a relaxing evening. Thanks Emily and Liz for an evening remembering why I love you guys!

I love Olympia in the summer. I love life in the summer, it fills me with so much hope and gratitude. Some of my favorite summer things as of late are:

Waking up to daylight, even if it's early
Crisp morning air
The stars at night
Playing in my parents pool
Summer skirts
Summer fruit
Popsicles
Spending time outside
Exercising outdoors
Spending time with family
Sunshine!

More work escapades and random thoughts

I felt pretty fancy last night when I went to the Board of Trustees Dinner for work. I was selected to be on the University Council, and to kick off the retreat we had today, there was a dinner last night. I wasn't sure what to expect, so I was a little nervous at the thought of a dinner with the President, cabinet, and trustees, but it went well. Daniel and I got there a part way through "social hour" to find a bunch of older adults mingling around the open bar. We got ourselves a drink, (Izze sparkling juice. I had blackberry and Daniel had pomegranate,) and tried to meet a few people. Most of the crowd were CEO's of local businesses, and other well known community members so I felt moderately intimidated, but it was kind of exciting at the same time. At 6:30 I was immensely relieved that we got to sit down for dinner. In order to facilitate getting to know each other, they split up couples around the table. I got to sit across from Daniel and smile at him all night. We were assigned to the same table as the President, his wife, a board member and his wife, a student from the council and Bill Tolliver, the keynote speaker at the retreat today. It turned out to be an enjoyable dinner, and it ended up being a lot less nerve wracking than I thought it might be. Today's retreat was also good. We had more food, and worked on strategic planning for the University. I felt involved, and enjoyed a day out of the office.

There's only one picture, because I felt a little awkward taking pictures!

Mike and Cindy came down to my parents on Sunday, and after a wonderful evening with lots of laughs, I was holding Danee when Daniel asked for a turn. For him, this is a monumental. I couldn't help but snap a picture of her sleeping in his arms. Hopefully soon he'll be able to put his own little babe to sleep! (not an announcement)

I think I might enjoy running. But I'm not sure yet. I'm continuing to train for a triathlon, and for the most part my swimming and biking are where they should be. So I decided I need to focus on running. I've never enjoyed running, and I usually end up feeling like I'm about to die, but the last few times, I've been able to go farther and longer. I've enjoyed exploring the streets close to where I live. They are lined with trees and old houses. I even discovered a cute little bed and breakfast just a block and a half away. I've loved getting out and exercising, this triathlon is exactly the motivation I needed.

Dear Abby would take too long.

I don't usually use this blog as an outlet for venting, but there's a first time for everything.

My bosses 50th birthday is coming up, which is great. She's worked at Saint Martin's for her whole life, and I'm happy to celebrate with her. My dilemma is that a co-worker is getting her a gift and asking us to pitch in. I don't mind pitching in, but the gift she selected is a Bracelet from Tiffany's.

Maybe since I'm fairly new to the working world, and I haven't had a lot of experience with office gifts, I don't know how these things work, but this seems really excessive. I only worked in this office for 9 months, and this really isn't a high paying job. The amount she's asking for is more than Daniel and I spend on date nights/entertainment each month, and about what we'd spend for a few days of groceries. Mind you, we're cheap people, this still seems like a lot. Most of the time I enjoy my job, and don't get me wrong, this is for a boss that I like, but don't really know her that well.

I wouldn't get this gift for my mom, or mother-in-law, and these are two women I do know and love, so why would a Tiffany's Bracelet be the perfect gift for a boss? Is this normal? Those of you out there with more years of work experience than me, tell me please, is this excessive, or am I stingy, miserly, and not used to office gifts. I need advice/answers quick!

A good night

After two years, my brother Nathan returned from his mission in Berlin, Germany. Last night was pretty fun because we all got to go meet him at the airport.

We did a lot of waiting before he came up the escalator.

Some of us were patiently waiting...others were about to call church head quarters and ask where her son might be since he didn't seem to come out with the rest of his flight.

More waiting. Daniel was the photographer.

Rachel was texting.

The whole family. This time it's true, and I'm not forgetting any siblings. Nathan had a really late flight in, so by the time we got home last night, it was past midnight. We all went to bed without really visiting too much, after all it had been a very long day for him. We spent most of today catching up, and so far it has been fun hearing stories and looking at pictures and hearing all about Germany.

Cereal

This morning I had cereal for breakfast. This is a pretty normal thing for me, even though I go through stages where I think I'm lactose intolerant (separate issue). This morning I got out my cereal bowl, and grabbed the corn chex and life, sat down and enjoyed my breakfast.

I have been a cereal mixer for my whole life, and I never thought anything of it until Daniel and I were dating. When he found out I mix cereals, he acted like that was in the top ten of the most bizarre things he'd ever heard. He couldn't imagine mixing two, maybe even three cereals in one bowl, and I haven't been able to convince him to give it a try.

I have my personal favorite combinations, depending on what I have on hand. One of them has grape nuts on the bottom, then a layer of chex (corn or rice), and granola on top. The grape nuts give it a good crunch, the chex are good filler, and the granola (homemade and delicious) has just a light sweetness to make it a perfect topping. Other favorites include corn flakes, honey bunches of oats, and of course, granola. I don't know if this cereal mixing phenomenon came from my moms or dads side of the family, or if it is something unique they created in their own early years of marriage. Either way, I enjoy a good variety of cereals in the morning, and if you're like Daniel, I'd suggest you give it a try.

Is there anybody else out there who mixes it up in the morning, or are you all purists, afraid of a little cereal pizazz?

Today began with a 10 mile bike ride. It was a good way to get up and going, but it felt a lot earlier than 8:00 should feel on a Saturday. I really prefer to be asleep at that time! I went though, and it was good. I like exercising with others, so it was nice to get out with some of the women from my ward. This summer the Olympia Stake is doing a women's only triathlon. So far it has been good at getting me motivated to go to the gym and exercise each day. The first week I did very well with the training schedule until Friday when I rolled my ankle. The second week I kept pace and continued to do well. This last week I slacked. Until this morning. I'm also going to exercise Monday morning before work, so that will at least start me off with a good work out for the week. My problem is that each week the training schedule gets more difficult...as it should...but that doesn't make it any easier. Instead of going for a 15 minute run, I'm now supposed to go for a 40 minute run. I wasn't crazy about running for 15 minutes, and not surprisingly, 40 minutes isn't any more better. I'm hoping that I'll be able to build up some endurance that will make this whole thing a little more realistic.


This afternoon Daniel and I ventured up to downtown Tacoma for our niece Emma's ballet recital. She had the part of a sheep and a bunny. She's also three, energetic, adorable, and quite the little performer.

We all gave Emma some flowers which she adored!

The Pantages Theater in downtown Tacoma

We were lucky enough to get to see 'Peter and the Wolf'. With three year old's dancing around like sheep/bunnies, there's no way it isn't great!