Merry Christmas 2014

It's been another wonderful year in the Bahrij household.  As we sit on our back porch and enjoy a beer in the sun, we'd like to take a minute to wish each and everyone one of you a very Merry Christmas!

P52 - Dreamy - 25/52

Daydreaming... watching the clouds roll by.

Friends

Sometimes, the starts align, and everything falls into place for a truly unexpected event.  Last weekend, two of my best friends met each other for the first time.  In my head, they have been friends for years.  In reality, they have only heard stories of each other though me.

I met Lauren my first day of college in Lincoln, NE more than ten years ago (wow, we were young!).

And, while we haven't spent much time on the same continent since we graduated, we have remained good friends.  I visited Lauren in Colombia almost two years ago, and she was able to squeeze in a visit to see me while home for the summer.

I met Lindsey at Lajes almost three years ago at the Spouses Club weekly coffee (where we were the only attendees).  We spent the next eight months hosting dinner parties, blogging, leading book club, and generally having a good time on The Rock.

Eventually, she moved to Germany... lucky girl!  She is now in the processing of moving back to California and was nice enough to work a week in San Antonio into her plans!

Lauren flew in on Friday afternoon and we spent the afternoon relaxing at the house before heading out for an evening on the Riverwalk.

Lindsey flew in late on Friday night, so late in fact, that Lauren had already called it a night in preparation for her early wake-up on Saturday morning.  While I was at the airport picking up Lindsey, Chris returned home from two months in Alabama.  So, I went from a completely empty house to a completely full one in under twelve hours!  Also, I have the most wonderful and understanding husband in the whole world.

Lauren spent the weekend at an aerobics instructor certification course, and Lindsey and I visited the farmers market, cooked up a storm, and caught up on each other's lives.  In the evenings we all hung out, watching movies and playing board games.

Bright and early Monday morning, Lauren headed back to Nebraska, and Chris and I headed to work.  Lindsey spent the week at a workshop for elementary school teachers.  It was great having someone to share my commute.  I took the day off on Friday so that Lindsey and I could take a trip to San Antonio Botanical Gardens (more on that here).

Our day out also included a stop at my favorite mission, Mission San Jose.

We wrapped up the week with a fun night out on the town that included dinner at a fantastic restaurant on the River Walk and some late-night fun at Howl at the Moon dueling piano bar.  Lindsey thought it would be fun to write something on the "Phrase of the Night" board.  They almost got the spelling right.

Saturday afternoon, Lindsey headed home too.  It's back to normal around here again.  Thank you ladies for coming to see me.  It was a blast!!

Counting

November 14, 2012 was a big day for us, but it passed by quietly, unnoticed.  Just another Wednesday in a long line of Wednesdays.  Chris went to work and I unpacked boxes and washed clothes.  But, it was day 309;  a big day.  309 days of being together in the same place, in the same state, in the same country.  309 days of no 6-week training courses in Ohio, no weeks spent in a tent in Florida, no deployments to far away places.  309 days together.  The most we had managed to string together in our five and a half year marriage.

March 19th, 2013 was another big day for us, and it too slipped by without notice or fanfare.  But it was day 457; a big day.  457 days since Chris returned to our little island from his deployment to Afghanistan.  457 days of being in the same country, on the same continent.  457 nights of not worrying or wondering about all the what-ifs that creep in while laying in bed alone.  457 days since I started breathing again after seven long months.  457 days together.  The longest we had ever made it between deployments in our nearly six year marriage.  

Today, May 19, 2013, we are celebrating day 518!  We are also celebrating day 2,192.  2,192 days of friends and family, of friends-turned-family.  2,192 days of moves, new houses, and new jobs.  2,192 days of exploring a new cites, new countries together.  2,192 days since we stood in the front of a church and promised to love each other forever.  To stand by each other through everything life was about to throw our way.

"Here's to all the places we went.  And here's to all the places we'll go.  And here's to me, whispering again and again and again and again: I love you." - John Green

It’s Off to Work I Go!

It's official.  I survived, and dare I say even enjoyed, my first day back at work in more than two years today!  My alarm clock went off WAY earlier than it has for a very long time, but the excitement of starting a new job helped push me along until the coffee kicked in.

I was a little nervous due to not knowing how long my drive would take in traffic, but everything went smoothly.  My new co-workers seem like a great bunch of people, and I’m really excited about the projects I’ll be working on.  I didn't even have to sit and read the employee manual all day.  They had real work ready and waiting for me.  My kind of people!

Hopefully day two goes just a well as day one, and that getting up early gets a little easier.

The Big 1-0-0-1-1

Forever Home rolled over 10,000 hits this weekend!  *Cheers*

A big thanks to my friend Ashley.  To quote one of her previous posts, "I've known Amanda Ashley for longer than most of my non-family readers..."  As someone who's known me for a very long time and as a fellow engineer, she understands my fascination with numbers.  She was kind enough to let me know she rang in at number 10,011.  She also gave me the date and time, including time zone, of her visit.  Not to be outdone, my cousin Karen, messaged a few hours later to let me know she was number 10,002 but couldn't get the comment box to cooperate (thanks Blogger!).  I many never know who claimed number 10,000, but that's okay with me.  Here's to another 10,000 visits!

UPDATE (11/30/12):  I received an e-mail from my friend Amanda letting me know she was number 10,000, but ran into technical difficulties posing a comment as well!  Boo Blogger!  Yeah for my readers!!!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone!  In celebration of the holiday, and because I was otherwise unoccupied today, I decided to decorate the house a bit.

I also decided it was time to make a proper meal in my newly organized kitchen. 

I decided to make a white bean and sausage stew from Better Homes & Gardens,

and a wonderful new rosemary olive oil bread recipe I found on Pinterest.  We will definitely be making this again.

I don’t have a great place to store the leftovers right now, but we’re working on that part.  Our fridge has to show up eventually!

Sunny Day

Yesterday, after 48 continuous hours of five-gallon-bucket-dumped-on-your-head rain, the sun finally decided to make an appearance.  Chris and I took full advantage of the sunshine and enjoyed some sangria with an ocean view.

Today, we're back to 50+mph winds, clouds, and you guessed it, more rain.  What a difference a day makes.

End of the Rainbow

Today, I learned that the end of the rainbow is a little house on our island.  Who would have thought? 

I wonder if there’s a pot of gold in the living room?

My Sweetheart

Those of you who have known me for any length of time know I’m pretty anti-Valentine’s Day.  It started out as a disgruntled single girl thing in high school.  By the time I had a Valentine of my own, I was totally over all the hoopla.
My husband knows me, and he knows how I feel about Valentine’s Day.  He knows I don’t want overpriced roses or candy (okay, I’ll take candy any day, so that’s not entirely true) or a cheesy Hallmark card.  So, he didn’t get me any of those things yesterday (except the candy, because he knows that chocolate equals brownie points).

I came home from teaching (that’s another post I just haven’t gotten around to lately) to a completely clean house and an adorable homemade card that included a mathematical proof that we belong together.  And chocolate.  He had also sent me an e-mail telling me that he would make dinner for me while I had evening office hours for my class.

When I came home from office hours, the table was set, food was prepared and he was dressed up in a nice shirt and pants.  We enjoyed a wonderful dinner, shared a bottle of wine and watched a movie.

Do I have a great husband or what?  He knew just what would make my day – a clean house, a good meal, and some snuggle time while watching a movie.  And chocolate.

Top it all off… he brought  me lunch after my class today.  He’s going to spoil me :).

Mountains

The mountains are calling and I must go.
   - John Muir

Walk in the Trees

I went for a walk in the trees the other day just as I had planned.  I even took my camera with me.  The trees are one of my favorite places at my parents’ house now that I’m not forced to mow around them all summer long.  I was even lucky enough to catch the last bits of fall color.

 Milo and Molly wanted to come with me, but it’s a long walk for little kitty feet and lazy dog butts.

Dad grows and sells trees – that’s why I have trees in which to walk.  Fall is prime planting season, so there are holes everywhere just waiting for me to fall in.

The oldest rows of trees are where old farm equipment goes to retire.  Those of you who grew up on farms will understand this phenomenon.

I found all sorts of retired treasures.  My favorite was a tree planter with a volunteer tree growing up in the exact spot where hundreds, if not thousands of trees would have been dropped into the ground by the planter.

 

 Eventually, I ended up near the pond (dugout, in farm speak).  Both the dock and the boat have seen better days, but they are still hanging around.

Back up at the house, I came across one of the farm’s many animal inhabitants… a wild turkey.  He scared the daylights out of me, but I still managed to get a picture of him as he ran away.