my second brother's birthday.

Happy Birthday Matthew.

Today is Matthew's birthday. He is my sister's husband and was the first spouse / extra sibling to be added to our family when they were married 3 years ago. He has become such a part of our family that now when I envision holidays in my head, he is always in the room. He's the type of impressive individual who knows something about everything but can also listen as well as he can teach. He can build just about anything, knows how to make bullets, is kind to children, gentle with animals, and loves my sister very well. He's a man of his word and a gentleman through and through. I wish I lived near him, I know he would take me canoeing or teach me why I don't need to be afraid of snakes. We love you Matthew, Happy Birthday!

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happy anniversary robin & matthew!

Today marks 3 years of marriage for my sister and her husband. And yes, that means I got married on their 1 year anniversary weekend (typical little sister move). Their wedding was incredibly beautiful and took place in a clearing of the woods in the late afternoon. Everyone sat on church pews and hay bales under the giant turning oaks and the sunlight filtered through the leaves perfectly. Since it was tucked away in the woods, the whole ceremony had an exciting feeling, like it was a little secret. It was such a fun day.

I love them for each other. In addition to having the ability to easily propel each other into a hilarious state of silliness, they are each two of the most caring, thoughtful, and serving individuals I know. I look up to them both for their intentionality in life and marriage. They are wise souls and I often fantasize about the day we live within driving distance and can take a walk in the woods or stay up late talking in the kitchen. Those will be rich times. Happy anniversary lovebirds, enjoy your day!

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REALLY exciting news.

YOU GUYS. I am getting a new sister! My brother is engaged!! To be MARRIED. 

On Friday morning, Lee showed up on Hannah's doorstep and stole her away for a surprise trip to the mountains. One particular hike led to a beautiful overlook where Lee got down on one knee and asked her to be his wife. She said yes and we are all very excited about it. The amount of thought and planning Lee put into the proposal and the whole weekend was amazing. He considered Hannah in every detail and had lots of little surprises planned, even after he proposed. It was fun to watch him prepare everything with such care. He's come a long way since pulling the heads off our barbies.

Hannah, who will also be a Physical Therapist come May, first came into Lee's life at an intramural soccer game a few years ago. Hannah is dirty good at soccer and Lee, well, has many other strengths we'll say. One night they had a game and even though they were on the same team, rambunctious Lee knocked Hannah down, hurt her ankle, helped her up, then apologized profusely. Thankfully, she was able to move past a less-than-ideal first impression (love can strike anywhere!) and they started seeing lots of each other. I remember the first time I met and hugged Hannah, I loved her right away. She was so warm and genuine, so easy to be around. And clearly very fond of Lee, which I really liked.

They are great together. Hannah brings out Lee's kindness, playfulness, and she makes him laugh often. They respect each other and are passionate about the same field of work. Their love for each other has been evident for a long time and they're honestly just an awesome match. It fills me with joy to see my brother and sister with partners so well suited for them and I am selfishly very excited that Hannah is the bonus sister I get. She is seriously great. 

Congratulations guys, I love you a whole bunch and I'm totally rickrolling your wedding.

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P.S. The pronunciation of Hannah's name rhymes with "nirvana". I just want everyone to know her name right because a name is important.

shared birthday, not twins.

Happy Birthday Robin, Happy Birthday Lee!

I love my siblings. A lot. They are two of my favorite people on earth. If I had to compile a list of individuals I'd be willing to go on a solo vacation with, they'd both be at the top of my selection. Seriously. 

First, there's Robin. My only sister, the dear heart and caretaker of our family. She's a left-handed, right-brained idealist. A deep thinker and a great beauty. Who I am today has undoubtedly been shaped by her sweet guidance and care. And then there's Lee, the best big brother. He offers good advice, is grounded, wise, and very kind. He's such a hard worker and lives with integrity. Plus he's an excellent athlete and master chef. I really look up to him and find irrational joy in making him laugh. They are the greatest! I love them.

Happy birthday you two! I can't wait to be neighbors and raise dogs and babies together. And have awesome slip-n-slide parties at Lee's house (so we don't have to mess up our own grass). Those will be the glory years.

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(ps - how cute is that top picture of Robin hugging on Lee? It's one of my all time favorites!)

the loggerhead birthday.

A portion of my time in North Carolina was spent at the beach in Oak Island with several of my most favorite family members. Right in front of our little beachfront bungalow happened to be a loggerhead sea turtle nest that, according to the nest volunteers, was due to hatch any day. We were all hopeful and checked on the nest frequently throughout the week trying to will something to happen. My mom was undoubtedly the most fervent in her nest devotion and spent several hours each night in her little beach chair on watch. She befriended the volunteers and even gave them her phone number, insisting that they call her if any signs of hatching showed.

Around 10:30 pm our last night there, her phone buzzed with a text: "we have a depression". We were immediately taken over by excitement, waking the sleeping members of the house and hurrying out into the night. Sure enough, there were two small divots in the sand that were new. The waiting began.

Over the course of an hour and a half, the two depressions slowly deepened, eventually merging together, and finally expanding into a circular sunken area about 10 inches wide. Our whole viewing experience was at the mercy of a single volunteer who alone held the power of the turtle-approved red flashlight (no other lights were allowed). At one point, distracted by spectator questions, she had the light off for about a minute. The next time she clicked her flashlight on, it was happening. In the cutest frenzy ever, the little turtles were emerging from the sand by the dozens and the lot of us erupted in a chorus of squeals and gasps. 

photo sourced from web. we couldn't take any photos but hopefully this gives you an idea of the cuteness level we were dealing with.

We all watched in wonder as more than 100 teeny turtle babies scooted to the sea. I think the setting of night made it even more mysterious and exciting. It was a unique human experience to quietly wait alongside 50+ strangers in the dark, all sharing a curiosity and care for some teeny marine reptiles. I'm so thankful they made their debut while we were still there. The memory of the first one disappearing into the water and the sight of their little track marks in the sand are things I'll never forget. I wanted to hold one so bad but, alas, "knowing better" is the plight of adulthood responsibility. 

This is the only photo I have from the night & was taken after they were all in the ocean. My expression is a good indication of how I felt internally the entire time - it was amazing. This earth is full of wonders. 

I love nature and I love those little babies.

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home sweet home.

Literally! Look at this cake my sister made for me, just because. I feel so loved.

The days are flying by. It's so wonderful to see family and friends and enjoy the parts of NC I've missed so much. I'd hoped to keep up with posts along the way but I overestimated the amount of down time I'd have. My days have been filled to the brim with people (and dogs) I love with little time left over for internet things, or sleep for that matter. I may be able to stop in a few times over the week, but I'm guessing things will be very quiet here until I return to SF next week. Until then, I'll be soaking up all the fun I can and enjoying my cake!

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the trampoline story.

In December of 2008, Finn and I had just gotten back together after 6 months of being broken up. (His mistake, we like to say). At the time my sister was dating a wonderful man named Matthew, who is now her husband (and who is still wonderful). This Matthew happened to be one of Finn's friends so the four of us got together one Saturday and visited Matthew's family in eastern North Carolina. We eventually made our way outside to the trampoline, for who among us can resist a trampoline? 

Pertinent Background Information: Finn grew up on a trampoline. He was a diver from the age of 5, did gymnastics, and he and all his siblings grew up practicing back doubles on a trampoline in their back yard. To this day, he is one of the flippiest humans I know. He can do all sorts of twists and turns in the air and, as far as I can tell, has no fear of heights. 

Examples of him being generally impressive:

The main point to take away from this (besides the fact he's a total babe) is that he's got excellent balance and, like most people with a background in diving or gymnastics, has great body control even in the air.

Returning to the Story: we head outside to the trampoline and the boys jump by themselves for a bit while Robin and I watched and chatted. After a few minutes, I hopped up to join the fun and shortly thereafter was double-bounced the highest I've ever been launched thanks to the combined efforts of both boys. It was a harmless move and I think Finn generously assumed I could control myself in the air as well as he.

This was not the case and I basically went TOTALLY limp. My trampoline debut was not successful, dear friends. Rather, I demonstrated the amount of acrobatic ability Finn had as a 14 month old. Luckily for you all, Matthew's sister was standing nearby with a camera and captured my egregious lack of airborne athleticism. 

Here is the photo she took just before my unfortunate landing...

As you can surmise from the picture, I landed right on my neck but I think my huge hair and vest must have cushioned the fall. It was painful, but certainly less than it could have been. Let it be known that both boys showed great concern and were very sweet. This snapshot and the incredible disparity between our trampoline skills never fails to make us laugh. I love to joke with Finn that this was "the moment he knew". As he saw me falling like a dead fish, his heart soared and he all at once realized "now that is my wife". 

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a robin fox.

This photo reminds me so much of my sister, who I'm really missing. It's us!

(photo from piccsy)

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my mail week.

In the midst of a few hard days, I got tons of nice mail. These things brightened up my week.

Caitlin (the same Caitlin from this post) sent a package full of fun goodies and a really nice note. I especially love the filling - so colorful! Caitlin is from NC, lives in LA, works for Disney, and shares many of the same loves as me. I wish she would move to San Francisco already (ahem). I shan't reveal all the contents of the package, but check out the awesome stamps she sent. They're from the Paper Source and I really like them...like so much that I won't put them away. They've been out on the kitchen table all week.

I also got a package from my sweetest sister. This picture, which I shakily took on the city bus because I couldn't wait till home to open it, doesn't do the package justice. Everything was wrapped beautifully with little notes. One of my favorite contents was a small box of smooth sea stones my sister collected at the beach. They are beautiful and from one of my favorite places on earth, the Atlantic off North Carolina. Another teeny treasure to add to my collection.

On top of the two packages, I got even more mail...

First, a sweet note from Sarah's sister Stephanie, affectionately known as Stu. She is pregnant (!!!) with baby Anderson who Sarah (and I) will spoil to no end. I like the the card - hoorah for gender neutral baby stuff!

This one is from Caitlin too and technically was inside the package. But I still wanted to share because of the awesome stationery. Sparkles and sea animals? Love it. Caitlin knows what I like.

My family just took their annual beach trip and I had to miss out this year. They sent a card written in by everyone there, which I loved. There was even a notecard addition because people ran out of room. So nice!

There was also this gem: a sweetest card from Alison, asking me to be a bridesmaid when she marries her Jacob in January. My answer was an obvious yes, by the way. I'm so happy for those two.

Isn't that a ton of mail for one week? I was so shocked each time there was something else in our mailbox. Long live the US Postal Service! Snail mail is the best.

Lastly, happy Friday! Can you believe it's the end of July? We're hoping to get out on the water tomorrow since the weather should be nice (fingers crossed). I hope everyone enjoys their weekend!

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our apartment: teeny things.

Many things make our apartment a home: each other, photos of people we love, our art, beloved books, cozy blankets, a putt-putt machine, and.....teeny things. I (along with my sister) have always held a tender place in my heart for items unusually small and these little treasures somehow make our space more feel more homey to me. There's nothing esoteric about this appreciation. They are just really cute things & I love them. 

1. Chair: gifted by my sister, this wonderful little seat serves as a bottle opener too. 

2. Whale: discovered and immediately purchased at an NC flea market on a hot summer day. I paid $2. He sits just inside our front door on a shelf, there to welcome all.

3. Buffalo: I honestly have no idea where he came from. He's a staple in this house. I think Finn secretly kind of hates him because I frequently find him knocked over.

4. Clothespin: No special story here. You can buy a bag at Michaels. However, it has inspired me to find a teeny shirt and hang it on a teeny line to dry.

5. Ship: gifted by my mother, this tall ship is one of my favorite possessions. The box it sits upon came totally separate and belonged to my grandfather. Antique mini-liquor bottles are stored inside. 

6. Jar: recently purchased on our trip to London & perfectly sized for one dollop of jam.

I should be friends with a mouse.

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my smartie sister.

For the past 4.5 years, my sister Robin has worked gruelingly hard towards a Marriage & Family Counseling Master's Degree from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary. You cannot imagine the amount of scarily thick books she's read, the number of pages she's written (I'd honestly guess over the 2,000 mark), and the countless number of hours of counseling she's given, all for this degree.

Today, she graduates!

I am proud of my sister and so excited for her to be done with school and to have a "normal person life", as we call it. She really has worked so hard. Robin cares deeply for people and has a natural gift at drawing out the deep. She's compassionate and wise. She will make a great counselor and is already loved by many clients. Congratulations sister, you are free from school. Have a cupcake, go throw a frisbee. You don't have to study and miss fun things or write papers anymore! 

Happy Graduation Robin! 

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a birthday away.

It's my birthday!

Today we:

1)  Explored the British Museum

The long list of wondrous items we saw includes: drawings from the hand of Michelangelo, a brick from King Nebuchadnezzer's Babylonian empire, an elegant marble Venus from 180 AD, giant statues from Easter Island, THE Rosetta Stone, and some of the earliest clocks ever made. 

2) Sighted a Double Rainbow

We couldn't believe it!

3) Ate Wagamama

Wagamama is an insanely delicious/incredibly affordable Japanese restaurant. It's not located near our homes in NC or CA so we're taking advantage of its eleven London locations. We actually ate there last night too (yeh we reeeallly like it). Following dinner & after some strolling around, we popped into a little French-esque restaurant for some dessert and celebratory champagne to top off the evening. Cheers to a London birthday!

the museum building alone is incredible!

what a treat!

this is actually from last night's dinner. tonight we scarfed down
our meals too fast for documentation.

Before we moved to San Francisco, my sister made a beautiful (and equally scrumptious) strawberry birthday cake so we could blow out candles and enjoy cake as a family. I really loved that cake (and the evening as a whole) so I wanted to share that too. It was a part of my birthday celebration after all.

I've had a terrific birthday and was happy to spend it with that fun & thoughtful & charming husband of mine. I am deeply grateful for all the gifts I've been given, seen and unseen, earthly and heavenly.  I've a happy life and so very much to be thankful for.

as my sister sees me: beth the elf.

(( I briefly interrupt the sequence of road trip posts to bring you a few hilarious images that cannot escape my mind ))

A few days ago, my sister Robin admitted that whenever she envisions me at the office with Davy & Finn, her mental image of me is wholly based on the scenes from Elf when Buddy visits his dad at work. As it turns out, she just imagines me sitting quietly on a teeny stool in the corner, waiting patiently for the work day to end, discouraged from making a single peep. 

Her confession made me laugh. A lot. And now I can't stop imagining the other ways in which I could channel Buddy the Elf at the office. The boys are currently using office space on a floor with a fancy accounting firm so the context is spot-on, right? Lots of mature, well-behaved folks carrying on their professional duties and all I can imagine is careening down the hall in a rolly-chair or erasing elaborate business plans on whiteboards to draw some cutie forest animals. This type of hypothetical and situational absurd humor amuses me to no end. 

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thanks robin : )

I realize this may only be funny to those of you who have seen Elf. If you are not in this population, 

I apologize & highly encourage you to watch it sometime. It's brilliant!

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