Who could be so lucky?

“Who could be so lucky? Who comes to a lake for water 

and sees the reflection of moon.” 

― Rumi

Tall trees line the lake  |  beautiful mountain ridge  |  afternoon boat rides  |  a sleepy bird on a boat  |  the most delicious ice cream  |  the view from our bedroom  |  sleeping in with my favorite two people  |  rope swing below

We spent the weekend among friends on Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire. 

I am so thankful for sweet friends who opened up their beautiful home to all of us. 

I would not have changed a thing about the weekend...

even the promised thunder clouds loomed far away during the day.

It was hard to leave that beautiful lake 

and those trees lining the water tall - swaying gently in the breeze.

And as November nears, 

it is even harder to imagine leaving these friends we hold dear.

This time in our lives has been so full of the most unexpected, 

and so sweet in its many blessings. 

Who could be so lucky?

the best 5 days

“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” 

― Rumi

This little girl has been in our lives for only five sweet days, but I feel like she has always been here. 

Every look she gives - every whimper and sigh - seem as though I've seen and heard them my whole life. 

The days are full and the nights are at times quite long, but I've never been happier 

or felt my heart more full. And oh my goodness I love watching Mr. D with her. 

It feels so good to be Mr. D's wife and Lyla Bird's mama. I am so in love with them both. 

a tea!

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” 

― C.S. Lewis

On Saturday, baby girl's sweet "aunties" through me a baby shower tea. 

Everything looked so beautiful and the food was delicious - little tea sandwiches, scones and sweets.

They all worked so hard and I am so thankful for each and every person who came to celebrate.

Its crazy to think that the next time I see these ladies, I will be introducing them to baby girl. 

Mr. D left for Boston on Saturday and I am headed that way as I type this.
One step closer to meeting baby girl and several hundred miles closer to our new city...

as we are.

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are."
— Anaïs Nin

Amber just posted the photographs from our shoot onto Live It Out Photography.

I am so in love with them.

Thank you, Amber! 

my best.

"True friends are always together in spirit."
— L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

 

This past year has been so full in so many ways

but one of the greatest gifts has been this girl who is

much more like a sister than just a friend to my blood sister-less self.

She is one of the strongest most resilient women I know 

and too dear a friend for mere words to recount.

I'm hoping to see her soon - its been months too long. 

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Irene came and went taking quite a few trees from our neighborhood along with her

but she left the most beautiful weather in her wake.

The air is crisp and the sky so blue.

"A Walk in the Woods"... or our small version of it...

"The sweetest thing in all my life has been the longing — 

to reach the Mountain, to find the place where all the beauty came from — 

my country, the place where I ought to have been born. 

Do you think it all meant nothing, all the longing? The longing for home? 

For indeed it now feels not like going, but like going back."
— C.S. Lewis

 Husband is from out west. So, he always laughs when I refer to the mountain behind my parents house, 

as well, a 'mountain' [and I guess technically Wildcat Mountain really is just a foothill of the Blue Ridge]

So on Saturday, we decided to drive 40 minutes toward the actual Blue Ridge Mountains. 

And they did not disappoint. 

The temperature up there dropped to the high 60's low 70's and it could not have been more beautiful.

We even stumbled upon a festival right in the middle of the Appalachian Trail!

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Did you know that the Appalachian Trail spans 14 states 

and that it takes approximately  5 -  7 months to hike the entire 2, 165 miles?

About 1,500 - 2,000 hikers attempt to hike it each year and only 12% succeed. 

It really made me want to go camping and hiking with Mr. D and Lucy girl...

you know, like a three - five day thing...not the whole trail! 

 Saturday was a pretty perfect day spent with some of my very favorite people...
and as we made our way back down the ridge,
I realized that my whole body felt more relaxed
than it had been in a long time.

here's to the work week's timely end

"The need for change bulldozed a road down the center of my mind. "
— Maya Angelou

 This week has been especially tough in the world of editing and office walls.

My red pen seems to have leaked all over my hands and 

thick stacks of paper have made for impassable halls.

But the fact that its Friday and I get to spend the weekend with Mr. D

has me feeling a little more at ease...

however slightly lost in dreams.

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We are headed West for the weekend...

a small respite - camera in hand -

with my clever and handsome man.

"When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs...." - Ansel Adams

"There we did begin, Cloisterd in the waterfall, 

Our summer discipline."
— Bashō

 

Everything paused for a moment when I first saw this photograph.

As if in answer to what I'd been writing and a summation of my thoughts...

there is so much about it that I love.

 And of the man by whom I am sitting...

an indescribable joy that I am the one who gets to travel all the days alongside him.

And Amber, 

so thankful that we met.

You inspire me and our walls, no matter where we call home, will forever show it.

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Photograph by Amber of Live It Out Photography.

There is a sneak peek from our shoot on her blog! 

photography and food.

"Taking pictures is savoring life intensely, every hundredth of a second."
— Marc Riboud

 Last night, Amber sent me a couple of pictures from a shoot we did in May after our celebration

and I can't stop staring at them.

I have been dying to see these pictures and I cannot tell you how much I love them! 

It was the second time we were lucky enough to work with Amber and Jon

and I can't wait to share the result! 

I want to cover our walls with her work.

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Also last night [in between staring at the pictures on my phone]

I made omelets for dinner with our new omelet pan. 

We are so blessed and thankful for all that we were given as wedding gifts - 

every time I use our set of all-clad pots and pans I can't believe we have them. 

And for dessert I made warm chocolate melting cake 

from a recipe we got on our honeymoon. We had it almost every night

and it is sooo good.

First photograph by the amazing Amber of Live It Out Photography

a box with a view.

"A house without books is like a room without windows."
— Horace Mann

 I find out today if my windowless box will soon become a box with precisely one window.

(one big window)

And the mounting anticipation of such an acquisition is enough to make the piles of edits on my desk

seem almost endless and nearly impossible to get through.

So, as I sit here - red pen in hand - I am made acutely aware 

of all the small things in life worth smiling about...like windows or that first morning breath of fresh air.

I spent this weekend among many unrivaled and wonderful groups of people -

each one beautiful and unique, each gathering a brilliant cause for celebration:

a bridal shower at Barrel Oak Winery
a bittersweet and Texas-sized farewell

a belated independence cook-out in the country

and a dinner party in honor of two birthdays and a college grad

I couldn't help feeling an unparalleled sense of admiration 

for every person I was with this weekend

and an even greater sense of appreciation for Mr. D...

because once all the cake has been eaten and the candles blown out, 

its just the two of us...which feels immensely grand and overwhelmingly good.

Here's hoping this work week flies by...

with maybe a window for a view and a beautiful sky, too?!

photograph taken by Amber

the ground beneath my feet.

"The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page." 
— Augustine of Hippo

Husband's best friend is getting married and so we are heading westbound. 

I've been gliding above ground lately -

acutely  aware of the hard surface beneath my feet. 

But I can't feel it. 

And I feel so blessed to be here, 

 yet I am looking forward to every moment moving forward

and somehow a little lost in beautiful memories of the past. 

And so this weightless timeline

has me longing to travel - to take as much in as I can 

to really feel it in my chest and touch it with my hands.

Because I know the ground is there

somewhere beneath my feet. 

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I am looking forward to going on this trip with Mr. D -

he is my very favorite person to travel with...

and I get to see my best friend on Friday which is simply the most amazing gift. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful rest of the week!

photography by Amber of liveitoutphotography

a house full of reminders

"But I love your feet 
only because they walked 

upon the earth and upon 

the wind and upon the waters, 

until they found me." 

— Pablo Neruda

I love that our house is full of things that remind us of how blessed we are...

a corner hutch built by my grandpa when my parents were first married,

a civil war trunk that I can remember from when I was little, 

oil paintings by an artist I know as my mom, 

a leash hook that looks like Lucy girl from my mother-in-law and sister-in-law,

a reading chair that was in my first bedroom 

among a ton of other hand-me-downs that we truly cherish.

And now, 

we are surrounded by wedding gifts - so many I can hardy believe -

and each reminds me of their giver.

Mr.D and I are so thankful for all that we have been afforded and blessed with. 

And while true riches are not gathered in material things, 

the people behind them could never be replaced.

PS  I swear that even water tastes better in our new orange glasses...

Gold Cup

"The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business."
— John Steinbeck

 On Saturday before the reception, 

family and out-of-town guests went to the 86th Virginia Gold Cup Races.

We had a tent that held 100 guests which was filled with delicious food (oh, the brownies)  

and front row seats lining the race course.

However, people watching proved to be even more entertaining than the horses.

So many hats and crazy outfits.

 And Rob was officially inducted into the group of my crazy cousins...

(we missed you Kinsey and Debbie and all of the cute kiddos -

minus sweet Cord who was the lone representative)

(thanks to Blakely for sending me pictures 2 & 4)

a time to celebrate

"We should consider every day lost 

on which we have not danced at least once."
— Friedrich Nietzsche

 A tiny sneak peak from the photo shoot in April with Amber and Jon of Live it Out Photography.

It was really so much fun to work with them - their creative energy is seamless and dreamy.

I can't wait to see/share all the pictures! 

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Today is my last full day at work as we get ready to celebrate this weekend!

I can't believe how blessed Mr. D and I are - so many people are flying in and its been 

better than Christmas at our house with such amazing gifts appearing on our doorstep.

We are seriously so thankful and overwhelmed with all the kindness shown from friends and family.

I really can't wait to be with everyone and dance.  
A lot of dancing.

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Photograph by live it out photography

and speaking of friends...

"...I hadn't realized how much I'd been needing to meet someone

I might be able to say everything to."
— Elizabeth Berg

 I am really missing my New Yorker friend...

dad.

"Apparently Quinn had woken up a short time ago 

and immediately asked for ice cream, 

knowing that kids in hospitals got whatever they wanted."
— Neal Shusterman

 My dad is having surgery today.

We are a lot alike, my dad and I.

We both hate needles and pain. 

We share the same ears and long narrow feet. 

We both sleep when we are stressed and like our ice cream packed, and slightly melting in a glass.

 We both like our hair pulled and watching Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman.

We both like fish to be left in the sea and pads of butter with our tortillas.

We both like biographies and family history 

and patience is admittedly not always our strong suit.

We are both proud lifelong Baylor alums, both born over Texas soil.

My dad is one of the funniest guys I know. 

[and my mom so wonderful for patiently putting up with us both]

I hope he gets whatever he wants in the hospital this week...

(and if not, I will sneak in the ice cream!)

Praying he has a speedy recovery.
I sure do love him.

mountains capped with snow.

"I had rather be shut up in a very modest cottage, 

with my books, my family, and a few old friends, 

dining on simple bacon, 

and letting the world roll on as it liked, 

than to occupy the most splendid post 

which any human power can give."
— Thomas Jefferson

 Spontaneous dance parties - after the reception and early the next morning in Sophie's bedroom -

and a late night conversation with two of my new sisters.

I wouldn't trade any of it for anything.

I am so thankful for every single person we saw this past weekend

and especially for those who are now officially family. 

-----------------------

 

Somehow today I am both grateful and mournful 

for the loss of something I never actually had. 

Its a strange place to be.

So, while I go about my routine day,

my mind is stayed on Mr.D.

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I can't wait to go home and hang out with husband

and daydream names for our new four-legged family member.

wet graffiti

  "It always smelled like it was raining outside,

even if it wasn't,

and you were in the only nice, dry,

cozy place in the world."

- J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye

New York has a distinctive smell to it - even as it rains on heaping piles of snow.
Maybe not a smell so much as it is a feeling.
And so as we walked the streets in the cold rain and sought comfort
in warm store fronts and delicious eateries,
I felt nothing but cozy exploring the city with my husband
and our dear upper-west side friends.

I had a hard time getting up this morning,
but I feel inspired about this week and our weekend trip ahead.