The One with My Bday Day

My birthday was just want I needed. Perfect. 

Friday night, I had a living room overflowing with high school girls--giggling, sharing, blushing, nail painting, eating, relaxing. It was wonderful. And to top it all off, right as I brought out the ice cream for our sundae bar, the whole room exploded with the happy birthday song just for me! They had made a cake--complete with my name in the frosting and 26 candles. They had all signed a card--right under my nose, without me noticing. They had bought me 3 beautiful pairs of earrings from a local boutique--and I loved every pair. I couldn't have wiped the smile off of my face if I'd tried. 

It was 10 minutes before midnight when Kevin and I finally climbed in bed on the eve of my birthday. He decided we must wait up those 10 minutes so he could wish me happy birthday and give me my birthday present--a pair of Yaktrax (for winter running) that I've had on my wishlist for more than year. We slept in late the next morning. He gave time to do an hour of yoga (knowing that would make me happy), then we headed out for a leisurely walk through the most beautiful cemetery ever. (Sounds creepy, but it's totally awesome.) Kevin knows how much I love taking walks together and we spent at least an hour walking around (and still didn't cover all the grounds.) We even climbed to the top of the "watch tower." Amazing view! We could see all the way to Lake Ontario! 

By this time, it was lunch and we headed to Subway for a little date. We came back home, made ourselves awesome ice cream sundaes, and watching Gnomeo and Juliet together--all snuggled up on the couch. I, of course, fell asleep during this 83 minute movie. Go figure. But it was a perfect afternoon.

When I finally peeled my eyelids open from my nap, it was time for my date with Sheryl. Kevin was generously giving me up for the evening so we could have a girls night out. It was a fantastic night! We hit up Goodwill, had a few good laughs, and headed to a phenomenal Italian restaurant in the city. Our conversation was so sweet; we never seem to run out of things to talk about. After our meal, we took time to browse all the aisles of Bed, Bath and Beyond with hopes of finding something to spend both of our gift cards on. We didn't decide on anything, but we had a blast looking. With barely any time left, we made a quick run through Kohl's--Sheryl's first time!--and boy, oh boy! did we fill that store with laughter! So great! 

At bedtime, Kevin and I crawled under the covers and I opened up the gigantic package from the MFM teens. They had filled an extra large envelope with confetti, cards, letters, and pictures. It was a wonderful surprise, and the perfect way to end my special day. 

Thanks EVERYONE for your sweet birthday wishes! Love you all!

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The One with His Birthday Day(s)

Kevin's birthday celebration went off just as I planned. I had a few surprises up my sleeve, and I was all but bursting at the seems with excitement in the days leading up to his birthday. For the first time ever, I actually managed to keep him totally unaware of my plans and beyond that he wasn't able to predict what I might be working on (which he is so good at doing.) 

On Tuesday we decided to head to Ruby Tuesdays to cash in on his FREE birthday burger. Our check was just $9.00. Not too shabby. And totally delicious. (You should definitely join the birthday club. Plus you get monthly coupons for BOGO entrees and such. Great deals.)

All morning Wednesday I was a busy bee preparing for my grandiose plans. There is a beautiful Erie Canal Schoolhouse Bed & Breakfast in our town and the owners attend our church. Pastor Randy & Kevin often have Monday meetings at the B&B just for a change in scenery. I decided to email Jeri at the last minute to see if they might have availability on Wednesday evening. PR had told Kevin to take the day off for his birthday so I knew Wednesday was the best opportunity. I baked a rhubarb pie (one of Kevin's favorites) and even cut out an adorable design in the top crust-- 

K M

I packed a suitcase for the two of us full of his favorite clothes--comfy pants, slippers, sweatshirt--and a toothbrush for good measure. :) I even remembered his iPad charger! I cooked a batch of popcorn--our favorite evening snack--and headed over to the inn with the luggage in tow. Jeri & Lou were so welcoming and generous, not to mention excited about my little surprise. I moved our stuff into the room and made it home before Kevin. 

Wednesday afternoon when he came home from work, I asked if we could go out for dinner since we wouldn't get a chance on the day of his birthday (seminary class all evening.) He was up for that--even though it meant putting off writing a paper for another day. I went about teaching my piano lessons until 6pm, grabbed my bag of crochet stuff and sneaked his most recent book into my bag, and we headed out to the local family restaurant. We had a really great time together. Conversation was sweet. Fried Halibut was delicious. Prices were good. 

When we got to the car I said, "I'm driving to our next destination." At this point he was quite confused but certainly running through every possible outcome in his mind. By the time we arrived at the B&B he was pretty certain of my plans. I was thrilled to see he was excited about our secret "getaway" and impressed with my preparation. 

While at the B&B we enjoyed fresh rhubarb pie, hot tea, Criminal minds, crocheting/book reading, sleeping in, freshly made breakfast, a tour of the historic schoolhouse, a hymn sing with me at the piano, and his gift exchange. I had arranged for our teens from Monroe to put together a package full of birthday cards for Kevin. He was so appreciative. From me Kevin received 3 more 2 liters of Faygo's Rock N Rye and brand new Union28.net My Wife Rocks and My Husband Rocks tshirts.

So yeah, it was fabulous. I loved surprising my Love!

The One with Family, Apples & Cake

Last weekend our home was full of family, food, and fun. Mom & Dad E, Brian, and Grandma & Grandpa E made the 8ish hour trip to our new home in our new state all the way from the Mitten. We didn't have anything in particular on the agenda, but we quickly managed to fill our time together. 

Friday evening (after a quick home tour of course), it was birthday party time! With Kevin & Brian's at the end of October and mine in November, we can kill 3 birds with one stone cake. I was thrilled with my newest addition to my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer family--a rubber scraper beater blade. Woot! (Seriously, this is me EXCITED.) 

After presents we all jumped in the van and headed to Red Lobster--the birthday restaurant of choice. Kevin had been eagerly anticipating this all week because of the endless shrimp special. And boy did he give that restaurant a run for their money. (I'll just leave it at that.) We had a bit of a wait to get seated and then served (it was 7 o'clock on a Friday night, after all), but this gave us all plenty of time to get caught up on one another's lives. (By the way, thanks, Family, for always listening with eagerness as we tell of the news of our ministry. We appreciate how much you care about our passion and love for teens.) 

Saturday morning dawned windy rainy and downright cold, but we managed to brave the elements multiple times. We visited the Methodist Church Bazaar and came home with some sweets and fresh Butternut squash (thanks, Grandpa!). We went back  to the bazaar to check on an item I had bid on in a silent auction. We ventured out to the apple orchard and had a ball filling our stomachs with tasty samples and freshly cooked apple cider doughnuts (my favorite! YUM!) We filled the trunk with cider and 80 pounds of apples (no joke!) to split between our families. 

That evening I made an enormous bowl of pasta with sausage and peppers--a specialty of mine. It must have been a hit with everyone, because that big beautiful bowl (passed on to me from my Italian grandpa) was empty. We all managed to save room for dessert though--I made Annie's Eats Caramel Peanut-Topped Brownie Cake and homemade vanilla ice cream. Pastor Randy & Sheryl and their 4 kids joined us to help us celebrate all of the birthdays.  It was so much fun having a house full of friends and family, serving my kitchen creations and seeing smiles on everyone's faces. I love me some hospitality. 

Besides watching the Tigers lose tragically to the Texas Rangers in the last game before the World Series, the weekend was a total success. Thanks for visiting, everyone! 

Do you love to host family & friends? Or maybe you enjoy being the guest? (I love both!)

The One with What Makes a Good Weekend

Awesome things about this weekend include...

game night with Randy & Sheryl. We love hanging out with them. All four us spent plenty of time laughing hysterically. I found out Kevin had never actually played Cranium, he just assumed he wouldn't like it. But he totally did. And don't let him tell you otherwise. 

my new purse, designed and sewn by a wonderful 9 year old girl who just so happens to be Randy and Sheryl's oldest. It was incredibly sweet of her. And super impressive. I feel loved.

a walk through the mountainous, scenic cemetery with a good friend, Diane. Sweet conversation and elevated heart rate--one of my favorite combinations. Second only to chocolate and peanut butter. 

sending my husband off to do his first major service, dressed up in his brand-spanking-new suit. Man, oh man, did he look good!

just spending time together, the two of us. We watched Soul Surfer together and started our 7th seasons of 24. We played a computer video game together (and I actually enjoyed myself.) We ate healthy meals and snuggled under the afghan.  We walked to the library and to the bank, enjoying the fall sunshine. 

All in all, a lovely weekend. I am thankful.

Did you enjoy your weekend? Do simple things like laughter and turning leaves make you happy too?

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The One with the Rainy Labor Day

Spending time with my mom and dad Labor Day weekend was lovely. They were able to come with us to our church picnic in which we experienced Chicken Barbecue. This was a local delicacy that we hadn't yet experienced. I said, "I've had barbecue chicken but not 'Chicken Barbecue'." We were in for a treat. The bone-in chicken is covered in the most delicious dry-rub and roasted to fall-off-the-bone-perfection. Yum! And besides that, we have a church full of talented cooks and bakers (and a dairy farmer who generously provided the soft serve ice cream machine!), so our bellies were full! I was happy my parents could meet our new friends and put faces to all of the names we've been throwing at them in our stories. :) 

The weather transformed from a hot and humid weekend to a chilly and rainy Labor Day. (Honestly, I welcomed the cool temperatures with open arms!) Mom and I had a great time meandering around our quaint historic downtown, admiring century old architecture and window shopping. We were especially intrigued by a co-op "browsery" and their great prices, so we went in to visit today since the store was closed on the holiday. We found lots of great items--antique and handmade. I look forward to giving them my business again soon! 

Dad spent some time on the golf course and we all enjoyed a few good episodes of LOST. Yahtzee was played, ice cream was made and enjoyed, sweet corn was devoured--enjoying company as always. 

And on top of all of the fun, mom and dad delivered my sister's modern-style black futon that we're buying from her to give us more usable space in our front bedroom. Kevin is already in the process of making it his music room! Thanks, Ash! And thanks, Mom, for the adorable handmade rug that brings such personality to the space!

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What did you do on your Labor Day weekend?

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The One with our Evening at Lake Ontario

You may remember how we've been little party animals since moving to NY. It's been a great way to get to know the people with whom we'll be living life. Connections--true, deep, meaningful relationships--make life beautiful. 

The second week here, we were invited to join a bunch of other church families out at "Getaway Camp"--a relaxed version of Family Camp, with fewer scheduled camp meetings and more time to just relax with your loved ones. Held at one of the 3 church conference campgrounds, this was not the type of camping experience I'm used to. There were street signs. And "cottages"--the size of modest houses. And the most glorious lakeside views you could imagine. 

Lake Ontario was quite rough and tumble when we arrived. The winds were whipping. White caps were plentiful. Kevin and I had a great time freezing time with photography, all while chatting and munching on pizza and s'mores. 

Pastor Randy and Sheryl are definitely fun people to spend time with--and on this bicycle built for two they show some mad skill. 

I'm sure Megan loves me for snapping this picture. But it was just too perfect to keep keep to myself. ;) She has a good excuse for that response to her s'more--that marshmallow was JUMBO!


Kevin was on a roll with the photographing-Melanie-while-she's eating. And I figured it was only fair to Megan that I post one of myself munching away.

And last but not least, the most picturesque photo of the night (with a teeny-tiny-me in the center)--captured by my husband.


What a joy it is to be living so close to the Great Lakes!


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The One Where We Celebrated Goodbye

Moving to a new place, a new town, a new life comes with its blessings. But it also necessitates goodbyes. I have had to say many goodbyes to dear friends and yes, family, throughout my life. 

Leaving home for the very first time and moving onto the campus of Spring Arbor University was one of the most difficult things I've ever had to do. I cried. A lot. There were many hours on the phone with my mom. Many lonely Tuesday mornings as I was alone in my dorm room room on my later-class-day. I knew things would never be the same. 

And I was right. 

Despite the pain of saying goodbye to my sister, my mom and dad, my grandma, my closest friends, there was beauty that came from that change. New, deep friendships--the kind that can only come from living in community. Dating the guy I am now joyfully married to. Expanding my perspective to include global issues and thought-provoking theological discussions. I loved every minute of those 4 years. 

But even that came to an end. We graduated. We said goodbye to the people who had become our family. We moved on. Because we had to. 

We made our first home together. I decorated and baked and cleaned. And learned what it means to be a wife--that it's so much more than housework and saying, "I love you." We met new people, found our place among them, expanded our family by 30 (teenagers.)

And God called us forward. onward. higher. deeper. He tested our obedience--that He might display His faithfulness. 

Thus, we sad goodbye again. It was a beautiful night--our Going Away Celebration. A dear friend, Brandy, put on a lovely party. All of our "kids" were there, plus some. The church family gathered. Immediate family and my dear friend, Brittney, made the journey. As sure as the the sky is blue, tears fell. But laughter prevailed. Memories were made--sealed away in the deepest corners of our mind, forever cherished.

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The One with Unnecessary Busyness

I'm not so good at slowing down. In fact, I stink at it. Kevin is always trying to convince me to sit down, chill out, and do nothing. But the thought of doing nothing is like torture to me. I don't necessarily think that's a good thing. Sure, it can be. But it also has the potential for leading to exhaustion and overachieving. *sigh* Most evenings, I enjoy sitting down with my favorite television show and a snack to relax. But I typically have my netbook open as I write youth group newsletters, plan events, create headers, blog, edit pictures, send emails, et cetera. OR I'm working on a new necklace creation or reading a magazine or trying to find the best deals for my upcoming grocery shopping trip. 

But doing nothing is just unheard of. 

During those rare times when I resolve to set aside responsibility and experience a real break, it takes me a good hour or two to get everything cleared off and cleaned up. If my counters are full of miscellaneous papers, books, food items, dirty dishes, and crumbs, they need to be taken care of before I feel like I deserve the right to take a load off. 

So when Kevin announced we were going to be taking these couple days off to really do nothing I kind of freaked. I did manage to sleep in until 8am this morning--glory!--but then I worked until 1pm cleaning and organizing our Christmas loot, doing laundry, balancing finances, and cleaning thousands of plastic containers that once held 20 dozen cookies. I am now sitting on the couch, typing away on my netbook that is balancing on my sleeping Butter ball* enjoying the scent of the burning Cinnamon Pecan Swirl candle from my parents, while eating Christmas candy, watching Seinfeld and enjoying the company of my husband (who has moved his desk into the living so we can veg together for these days.) 

*the cat, for those of you who would like to think I'm implying my husband is a butterball. He's not thankyouverymuch. 

I know I'm insane. I know it's not all that healthy. I know when our family expands, it won't work this way. But for now, I'm going to keep things clean and enjoy my neurotic lifestyle. I'm sure I'll reference this post at some point in the future. 

But you needn't worry. Jesus is working on me. See here? 

The One with our Quick Christmas Eve

[remember to start using the new blog url: kevinandmel.com]

Our Christmas is a little different this year. Yes, there was still the insta-tree (when Kevin pulled our decorated tree out of a huge spare bedroom closet), the endless baking, the icy cold morning runs, and the same ol' Christmas tunes ringing through our home. But this year, we went low-key with our personal Christmas celebration. Normally, I'm a stickler for opening stocking stuffers Christmas evening and presents Christmas morning. Kevin tries to change my mind every year, and sometimes succeeds. But this year, we're leaving for my parents' house right after the Christmas Eve Service--meaning no time for gifts. That was fine--especially since we decided not to do gifts. But I couldn't resist wrapping up a little something for him. 

So I stopped by the Dollar Tree and raided the food aisles with one goal in mind--find all of my husband's personal favorite treats as a way of showing him how well I know him and how much I love him. The plan worked marvelously. He loved his Dots, Mary Janes, Bit 'O Honey, Lemon Heads, Cashews, Jerky, Special Dark Hershey Kisses, Bridge Mix, Banana Chips, and Whale Crackers (better than Golfish!) (And yes, he is totally old fashioned in his tastes for candy.) This afternoon, after a lunch of leftover Christmas turkey and sweet potato casserole, he opened his gifts. He's quite the experienced guesser too. We had a great time--laughing and enjoying the items I picked out. In fact, I'm eating some Sour Dots right now. 

Now it's time to turn the oven on once again for our Christmas Eve pizza. "Why, pizza?" you ask. Well, because Kevin requests pizza every single day. And because we had pizza last night and I forgot to put the dough in the freezer--which left me with a very obvious (repeat) plan for tonight's meal. After dinner, we shall venture over to the church for the teen skit and song rehearsal, then we're off on a three hour trip. 

We wish you all a Merry Christmas! 

May you see Jesus in the celebration and give praise to the Father for the Ultimate Gift. 

The One with the Christmas Shindig

This year we decided to host a huge Christmas party for our teens and invite all of their parents to attend. We were hoping to have a nice turnout, enjoy lots of food, and spend plenty of time getting to know everyone a bit better. So right after Kevin's family waved goodbye on Sunday afternoon, we began set up preparations for this party. I pulled 12 dozen cookies from the freezer (Spicy Molasses, Snickerdoodles, and Peanut Butter Pretzel Chocolate Chip), and gathered the Buckeyes, Peanut Brittle, Puppy Chow, Chocolate dipped pretzel rods, a summer sausage and cheeseball and cracker tray, Velveeta Salsa and tortilla chips, Roasted Red Pepper White Bean Dip, barbeque mini weinies, punch, coffee, hot tea, and water, along with a Buffalo Chicken dip and BBQ meatballs brought by some friends. (Yes, I was a busy bee.)

Guests started arriving at 5:15pm--just after I discovered that the frozen juice ring I had made had exploded red juice all over the freezer. Awesome. But the show must go on! We laughed as our teens arrived in awesomely ugly Christmas sweaters.* Within minutes the house was PACKED with happy teenagers, interested parents, and a few leery siblings. :) There were Christmas tunes ringing out, games being played, conversations happening around every corner, and every morsel of food thoroughly enjoyed. 

After an hour of hanging out and filling our bellies, we gathered 34 (yes THIRTY-FOUR) people in our living room (I had NO idea that was even possible), for a rousing White Elephant gift exchange. It was hysterical--everyone was cracking up for the better part of an hour. We voted on the ugliest Christmas sweater, and then, before we knew it, our home was quiet once again. 

It was an amazing success--we can't wait till next year!  

*In my opinion, even the prettiest Christmas sweater is ugly if it has any specific correlations to Christmas themes. (with young children as an exception.) In. my. opinion.