Engagement!

Caleb told us last summer that he was sure he wanted to marry Meredith Hudson (at the time, they'd been dating about two months, and we weren't quite sure if we should take him seriously).  But he never wavered from that decision and started getting his finances in order and saving for a ring!

We helped him plan a "surprise" engagement party at our house (surprise is in quotes as it was really NOT a big surprise to anybody - even Meredith).  He had told me that he planned to pop the question on our front porch where they first met.  He asked if I could step up my decor a little to make for better photos, which I did.  I was so happy to find a vintage sled as I loaned mine out years ago and never got it back.  :(

Then he informed me that they wanted to make it private, so no photos of the actual moment!

Immediate family (ours and Meredith's) and a few of Meredith's close friends were waiting inside to greet them.

a staged photo under the mistletoe

The date is set for July 18th at the Standard in Knoxville.  Much excitement around here!

Visits to Richmond

 

Rebecca and Joseph bought a new home in April, and we went to visit them in early June to help them work on the kitchen cabinets.  Actually, Terry and Joseph did most of the work, while Rebecca provided some assistance and I took photos! 

Right now the main updating going on is in the kitchen.  This is what the rest of the house looks like.

upstairs living area - now open to the kitchen

Art room - future baby room

a home for my parent's roll-top desk

Master bedroom

I got to take another visit to Richmond during the fall to just hang out with Rebecca.  We sat by the fire, visited Joseph at work, did some thrift store shopping, and took walks at the park and at the Hollywood Cemetery, where many famous people are buried.

the baby bump!

Hollywood Cemetery

Clinton Library

We are three sisters that did NOT vote for Bill Clinton.  But we had a great time at the Clinton Museum when Carol went down there for a meeting with her fellow GT teachers.

I'm someone who hates to admit that I often finds museums boring, but I found this museum fascinating as a review of the history, and now I aspire to visit all the presidential libraries.

They had a special exhibit called "Washed Ashore" with art created from plastic collected from the seashore in the Pacific Northwest.  I cannot imagine the diligence, talent and skill required to collect the pieces, organize them and then envision these wonderful creations.  

We ate lunch at "42" with a high school friend of one of Carol's colleagues who was actually the scheduler for Bill Clinton when he was in the White House.  I really enjoyed hearing her stories.  And the food was fantastic!

At first we didn't want to pay to have our photo taken in the Oval Office Replica, but then we decided we couldn't pass up the opportunity to use it for future memes!  The whole day made a great memory!

And yes, I sat in the middle in the "president" spot.  This is just the way we normally arrange ourselves for photos (though we messed up when climbing into the shark).  It may have also been a slight "power move" on my part.  The world will never know!

I'm Gonna Be a Grandma!

The following poem is one that Rebecca and I memorized when she was in kindergarten.  This was also the year that I found out that Noah was on the way.  It's a sweet little poem and one that I remember my mother quoting when I was a little girl.  

The Secret
by Anonymous

We have a secret, just we three, 
The robin, and I, and the sweet cherry-tree;
The bird told the tree, and the tree told me,
And nobody knows it but just us three

But of course the robin knows it best
Because she built the - I shan't tell the rest;
And laid the four little - something in it --
I'm afraid I'll tell it every minute.

But if the tree and the robin don't peep,
I'll try my best the secret to keep;
Though I know when the little birds fly about
Then the whole secret will be out.

So I thought it was so sweet and creative that Rebecca gave me the knews of her pregnancy by showing me some poems she had re-written in the style of her favorites (including some decoy poems to throw me off), and then including this as her last re-write.

The only problem was that if she was expecting a loud reaction, she didn't get it.  Her poem said it was a secret, so I just kept my excitement to a stage whisper!  I'm glad she told the rest of the family within minutes, because just like the little kid in the poem, I'm not so good at keeping exciting secrets! 

Capri

We only had a few days to spend in Italy, so besides Rome, I could choose just one other place - and it couldn’t be too far away from Rome.  I chose Capri.  Believe it or not, my inspiration was two children’s books - one I read very long ago -  the Happy Hollister’s title “The Punch and Judy Mystery,”, and one that I read to the children when we homeschooled using Sonlight entitled “Red Sails to Capri.”  Those books may have been my starting point, but the photos on Google sold me.  I had two things that I hoped to check off my bucket list while in Capri - swimming in the Blue Grotto and riding on a scooter on windy Italian roads (that second one was totally inspired by Roman Holiday).

We took a train from Rome to Naples and then were supposed to catch a ferry to the island of Capri.  Well, we managed to get lost on the way to the ferry port and spent a very hot hour wandering around hauling our luggage through a fish market and arguing.  I had imagined some wonderful pizza for lunch from the birthplace of pizza, but instead we arrived at the port hungry and cross.  And there was not going to be another ferry for four hours.  I was beginning to second-guess our destination choice, but once we arrived on Capri the magic began.

We stayed in Anacapri and explored the island for two days by motor scooter and by boat.  Swimming in the Blue Grotto (illegal but worth it) was unforgettable.  Our photos don’t do it justice! We also swam in other grottos when we boated around the island.  So fun!

We loved strolling and eating out in the little town of Anacapri and finally had some real Italian pizza.  We were not huge fans.  Also tried the local drink, Limoncello.  Terry loved it!  Our favorite food on Capri was homemade waffles with a variety of fillings, but our favorite spot was A Curtiglia.  We had a fantastic view of sunset there.

Honestly, I don’t ever think we’ve had a two day trip that was more fun.  What with breaking the law to swim in the grotto and hanging on for dear life on the back of a scooter, it was quite an adventure!