spring has sprung.

now that spring is officially here, we decided to celebrate its potential this weekend...through earth and sky.

yesterday was all drizzly with rain which made for an opportune time to run errands. after a trip to the tailor, dry cleaner, target and loehmanns (makes the grayest day brighter :)), i finally stopped by the home depot to pick up a few spring essentials - a flower box, organic potting soil and various herb seed packets on sale. i had been wanting an herb garden for forever now so i went for it...despite my black thumb. a shallow 20 buck investment seemed worth the fun of at least trying.

after returning home with my goodies and sowing my seeds with love, i decided the rest of my not-so-fabulous balcony needed a little TLC. with stephen now by my side, we made our way to lowes to pick out a hardy outdoor rug and a ceiling hook to *finally* hang that bird feeder we received from elaine 2 years ago! and ta da - within an hour's time, it was transformed. let me tell you, waking up to a beautiful sunny-sky morning and taking my coffee and bible to our picturesque patio just made my day today. now that the weather's warm, this newfound space will surely be getting some good use.

but really this whole weekend sprung into spring on friday, when stephen picked me up from work with a "surprise" in tow. after spending a part of the day at costco to pick up some office supplies, he found this beautiful 53" butterfly kite for only $9! a few weeks prior we were nostalgically talking about the whirlwind fun of kite flying, bringing back the memories of mary poppins sing-along "let's go fly a kite!" and childhood days gone by - especially those summers spent at the shore of ocean grove. anyway, you can imagine my excitement that afternoon - what a perfect pick-me-up after a long week! i heart my hubby.

fortune had it that today was the perfect day to fly - breezy winds with the bluest of skies. so we made our way out to national mall to help my magnificent mariposa stretch her wings. she was temperamental at first but soon began to show her true colors as she soared through the air. she also made fast friends with an adorable little girl named lily who was fascinated with her span of bright colors. her lime green streamers glittered in the sun and her fluttering wings flittered higher and higher..."up to the highest heights." stephen and i took turns with the reins as the other chased around her shadow. it was so fun! however my favorite moment was watching her glide high among the monuments while we relaxed on our neat sheet, cuddled up in each others arms.

it truly was the perfect way to spring into spring.

true roots.

the madness has only just begun. march madness that is. before this year i would have to say i wasn't much of a basketball fan. my only fond (ok, only) memory of the final four was when the blue devils clinched the ncaa championship in the spring 2001; the same day i received my first college acceptance letter...from duke, of course. how appropriate.

now, i'm no dukie, but i definitely sported some school pride as my fighting quakers (yes, it's called an oxymoron) battled in the 1st round against my hubby's fighting texas aggies. although the outcome obvious, i will puff my chest at the fact that we did take the lead by a gaping 2 points. hurrah, hurrah, penn-syl-van-i-a! however palestra post steve danley said it best - "welcome to the ivy league, where everything is a reflection of division 1 basketball. it’s all strangely familiar, but somehow reversed" now if only that could apply to my bracket ranking :P

for now, my loyalties lie with where my money is going...georgetown hoyas. a local favorite and an all-star team (& coach - JTIII!) with quite the legacy, you can't help but root for these bulldogs. i will still whoop for the aggies, but i try not pin my hopes on their glory - the way tradition stands, it's bound to be disappointing.

speaking of texas a&m, the bush school got quite the spotlight in today's wall street journal with the piece, "foreign-policy realists find base in texas". highlighting the school's recent climb to prominence through the hiring of several top-notch realist theory brains, including stephen's fave gtown prof - jasen castillo, this was definitely a good read. of course, some expectation had preceeded its release, as stephen helped contribute to this article. :) author john mccary, with his wsj debuting feature, is a good friend of ours and a sfs classmate of stephen's, with quite an interesting story of his own.

on a side note, while thumbing through the remainder of our complimentary copy of the journal this evening, i happened across another fascinating article regarding economists in the court room, particularly pioneer dr. david teece who received his econ phd at penn. as a future profession in consideration, i gobble up everything i can on the subject. i'm always amazed at the possibilities...if not discouraged by the preparatory path. aristotle certainly said it right - "the roots of education are bitter but the fruit is sweet" sigh.

surprise!

i'm horrible with secrets, and my husband makes two. so the fact that we were able to pull off this weekend was a surprise in and of its self. late last week we decided to make a trip down to the peninsula and visit the in-laws...without them knowing. of course we had our reasons: grandmuzzie's homecoming from greenwich, sarah's 23rd birthday and joe's recent job acceptance to be campus crusade military ministry's chief of staff (aka COO). much to celebrate!

so early saturday morning, we packed our bags and hit I-95. we arrived there in record time, just at 2.5 hrs. sarah and joe were out running errands, but we gave elaine quite a fright of delight :) within 15 minutes, the house was full once again and sarah was so thrilled she started crying! i love having that effect on people. *wink* we spent the morning catching up - hearing all about sarah's new job and joe's soon-to-be new job. sarah then opened up some of her presents, but not all had been bought so us girls made our way to patrick henry mall.

while elaine sneaked off to buy sarah's gifts, we nested in the dillard's shoe department...as usual. this may sound lame, but i'm in love with dillard's designer - gianni bini. they have the most fabulous styles which are not only comfy on the feet but the wallet as well. unfortunately the dillard's franchise only goes as north as richmond, so everytime we're in town we make sure to swing on by. suffice it to say, stephen is not too fond of this "tradition". anyway i scored the jackpot on saturday. with a mega 75% off sale, tons of cute shoes in my size and elaine's generosity, i walked out of there with 4 pairs for $65! i was in heaven.

after a successful shopping adventure, we hurried home to pick up the guys and get gussied up for a celebratory dinner at the melting pot. we all hopped into stephen's car and utilized his sirius to the utmost...and now joe's hooked. heading up I-64 we rocked out to some golden oldies, including my all-time fave, "rockin' robin" (twiddley dee, twiddley diddley dee)! ah, the music of my childhood - thanks dad ;) these tunes put us in the best of moods to enjoy our upcoming fondue feast. and that is was, including my choicest courses - the traditional swiss appetizer, surf & turf entree and flaming turtle dessert. mmm, mmm, good.

then we rode on home, fat and happy, spirits high, trolling along to manfred mann's "do-wah-diddy-diddy" (dum-diddy-do). and in that moment, it became clear, some of the best moments in life are those that come by surprise.

women of wisdom.

for all those that don't know, today was international women's day. for the 3rd year in a row accenture has recognized march 8th through a global webcast, spotlighting executives within the firm and bringing in prominent key note speakers to share their insights and experiences as successful women in society. this year it was gail evans; former CNN executive vp and author of bestseller play like a man, win like a woman. last year it was dr. mae jemison, the first african-american woman astronaut to travel into space. anyway, always an impressive and inspiring line-up.

i think what i enjoy so much about this day is that you see real women with real lives trying to achieve their real potential in this world. but that of course does not ignore that such great successes don't come without equally great sacrifices. i have seen through my own life the pros and cons of having a do-it-all career woman mother - there was always something that had to give. but as i have gotten older, i have come to realize what i used to resent in my mom, i now admire. maybe it's just a shift in perspective or an increased understanding of her own personal sacrifices freely given in efforts to reach that abstract work-life balance and "wonder woman" status. but like with every generation, we learn from our parents' mistakes as well as their accomplishments....

on tuesday, i got into a great conversation with a girl from my community group, d'ann, who is recently engaged and whose life's direction is in flux. we began discussing the intersection of family plans and career plans and the often paradoxical conclusions that result. can two seemingly conflicting goals come together in harmony? is it really possible to have it all? as a christian woman with ambitions both inside and outside of the home, the internal struggle is all consuming. does the ever-debatable question really boil down to a matter of personal ideals?

one thing i have come to realize is that we all, although particularly women, have a choice in what will take priority in our daily lives. as much as you try to balance work versus family, one will eventually preside over the other. years ago, my husband used an excellent "stone and sand" analogy to explain this truth to me - when placed within a jar, the sand will always conform to fit around the stones. so the question is, which one is the foundation and which the filler in your life? work or family? it might be an easy call to make, but a difficult one to live out.

as of recent, the lord has been teaching me much on the value of wisdom - not of this world of but of him, "for the foolishness of god is wiser than men" (1corinthians 1:25). unattainable through any degree or experience but given as a gift, i am learning to seek my daily dose. i know it is only through him that i will ever able to discern the right steps (and mindset) in attaining these desires of my heart - achieving personal success in both family and career - but it at least gives me hope.

oh to give me eyes to see and ears to hear, that is my prayer. the quest for wisdom as a woman in this world.

all worth it.

it's inevitable. every time seasons transition, i get sick. thankfully it was no norovirus, and since i couldn't blame the tell-tale gritty throat on spending too much time in the noxious basement of TRB, it could only be the weather...

this past weekend was beautiful. the sun was out, birds were chirping and the aroma of spring filled the air. everyone was enjoying the gorgeous, albeit windy, 60 degree weather. it was too good to pass up. so i called some of my girlfriends over, kim & anna, to make a day out of it.

after a blustery walk over the key bridge, we made our way to a local cafe recommended by kim's aunt for their one-of-a-kind nicoise salad (apparently she is a connoisseur of such?) omg, i'm in love with leopold's! super chic yet comfortably cool, this place was the place for all the euro-wannabe yuppies in town...and i'll shamelessly be back brunchin', next time with hubby in hand :) afterwards we strolled along m street, checking out neiman's new shop, cusp, picking up a cute bday gift from urban, locating the perfect journals at b&n and then capping off the afternoon with some yummy chai at d&d. ah, bliss.

unfortunately by monday, the weather dropped 50 degrees with highs in the teens. brrrrr. i stayed home sick, spending much of the time cuddled on the couch, space heater blowing strong, with a tissue box in one hand and a glass of airborne in the other (that stuff seriously works). the good news is that by today, i was back to my normal self.

enough so to enjoy the beautiful dusting of snow that frosted our world white and quieted the hustle and bustle of city living. all you could hear was the crunching of the powder snow beneath your uggs and the whisper of winter as the snowflakes stuck to your lashes. it puts everyone in a good mood... especially when your metrobus driver makes up for the fact he's 10 mins late by genuinely commenting on your angel-like self, patiently waiting on the side of lee highway covered in flurries. ha!

oh somehow moments like these make being sick all worth it.

good charlotte.

so it’s march – wow, how time flies. it’s such a fickle month, but i love the promise of spring in the air, despite the fierce winds. what’s the saying? march roars in like a lion. i quite agree.

anyway, i have been looking forward to this month for another reason….good charlotte’s 4^th album, good morning revival, debuts on the 27^th! i’m so excited – last night i even preordered it on itunes (and guiltily bought JT’s new one – i just couldn’t resist). who knew i could be so obsessed with a pop punk band from waldorf, maryland???

stephen introduced me to them over the summer…by october, i was hooked and surprised him with tix to their last minute stop at the 930 club. it was a BLAST! i can’t remember the last time i have enjoyed a concert so much. plus it was even better with their local roots; i spied joel and benji’s mom rocking out up in the vip balcony. how cute!

anyway, if you haven’t heard of GC, check them out. they rock. now if only keane would take a break from the uk and come to dc... sigh.

family-friendly fun.

as much as i love family coming into town, i am almost just as excited for my life to return to normalcy. this past weekend was crazy busy with way too much crammed into a 48 hour period – oh the drama. although i’m now fully recuperated…last night’s veg session of tivo’d oscars did the trick…i think i’ll stick to sharing just the highlights.

friday 02/23

stephen’s family came in mid-day as sarah had a 2pm interview at inova fairfax hospital. she just recently graduated college is looking to get certified as a child life specialist…who knew it was such a involved process of internships, fellowships and certification exams? anyway the interview went well, and she’s hopeful in her application.

later that evening, stephen, sarah and i all went out with some of my "book club girls" and their husbands to a fabulous restaurant down by mcpherson square - lima. it was absolutely amazing… well surpassing my expectations – food, atmosphere and service were all excellent. i am hardly one to frequent a restaurant twice, but this one is a definite favorite on my list!

afterwards, we scooted off to the opening night of amazing grace. if you haven’t gone and seen this movie, YOU MUST. not only a powerful testimony to the impact one man can make, but it was supremely well done. AND, it stars my crush – ioan gruffudd. let’s just say i’m slightly, ok majorly, obsessed. :)

saturday 02/24

the day started off slow. i got up early to run some errands around pentagon city – i'm still amazed at just how close everything now is since our move. anyway, returned home 90 mins later to find the apt still slowly rising. around 2pm, everyone had dressed and joe and elaine had come over. it was such a beautiful winter day – crisp air and blue skies – that we decided to take a little nature walk to the nearby roosevelt island. only about a mile from our apt, we were there in no time, admiring teddy’s looming statue and reading his stone-chiseled words circling his memorial. apparently he was quite the prolific writer, penning over 150,000 letters in his lifetime.

we returned to rosslyn with growling tummies, but a stop at red, hot and blue stuffed us full. by that time, my mom had landed at dulles, checked in the hotel and stood waiting for us back at the apt…just in time for our 5pm pampering session at newly opened solarus spa! oh how i love being a girl. we spent the next 2+ hours beautifying ourselves through manicures, pedicures and facials. the night ended on a relaxing note, cozied up to the fire, watching my recent chick flick netflix – the break-up.

sunday 02/25

too bad it wasn’t a monday because it would have been a perfect snow day. the snowflakes fell with grace and beauty, covering everything with a pristine white glow. it would have been a great day to build snowmen in the yard, make snowangels on the mall, or go sledding in rock creek park. but no, my mother was determined to shop – at the leesburg outlets nonetheless!

so sarah, elaine and i piled in her rental car while she braved the winter wonderland, traveling 30+ miles due west to the shopping mecca of northern virginia. i was impressed with her driving skills, and the fact that she managed to strategically place our car behind the herd of snowplows barreling down route 7 (no joke, there were 5 of them!). well, after taking us twice as long as usual, we arrived…to an dead-empty mall. fortunately for us all the stores were still open, and we shopped till we dropped. lucky me got a pair of beautiful cole haan heels and a lovely camisole out of the adventure.

we returned home to pick up the boys and head out to dinner, once again. this time at nage restaruant to celebrate family, stephen's birthday and new job. although not as spectacular as lima, this place was still a winner – delicious food and attentive service! we returned home to enjoy a good old-fashion snowball fight, some bday cake and watching stephen open (and model) his gifts. he even enterntained us with some of his infamous dance moves...oh boy.

family-friendly fun, for sure ;)