Posts by Caitlin

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Our Anniversary: The Paper Edition

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So you know we spent our anniversary in Chicago, but that was part vacation, and part anniversary.  What did we do that was anniversary specific?  I'll give you a hint, it involved breaking out our wedding shoes!

We realized that the last few years, we've had some pretty good documentation of our relationship and where we were as a couple.  Two years ago, we were engaged.  And we got some great photos taken in the city where we met and fell in love.  We rode a carousel together and started a tradition that has us riding them in different cities across the country. 

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The Best Door to Ever Door

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From the minute I saw our house, I knew it needed one thing - a painted front door. 

The house is beautiful, but the light color of the siding combined with a stark white door was too washed out.  I'd been watching the trend of brightly painted front doors for a while now, and been waiting until I could follow suit.  I'd had dreams about a bright cherry red door, or maybe a happy turquoise.  Unfortunately neither of those colors would look great with our house.  Instead, another color was screaming out to be chosen. 

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Close Enough

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Flamingo is a sculpture in Chicago, created by Alexander Calder (Calder Red is named from its bright color).  It's an awesome statue, one that I remember from a previous visit to Chicago.  One morning on our recent trip, we were wandering the city when we found ourselves near it.  I steered us over to the area so we could wander around it and see it up close.  

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Lesson Learned

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"Hey, you want to rent one of those quad bikes? It could be fun and romantic!"

I don't remember which of us suggested it, but we got it in our heads that we wanted to rent one of those double bikes that look like carts. I don't think we really had a plan after that though.  So we paid for the bike, the guy pointed us down the street, and we started peddling.  And then -

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An Anniversary Trip

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I have a secret.  

I've been cheating on Boston with another city.  And that city is bigger, cleaner, prettier, and better run than Boston.  The people are nicer too.  I even like their baseball team.  

The only problem is that it's halfway across the country.  In Illinois. Yup, that's right.. we've been in.. 

CHICAGO!

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The Anniversary Post

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A year ago today, we were married!  Surrounded by our friends and family, it was the most perfect day.  However, that's not where my focus is today.  Instead, I want to talk about what the year since that day has been like.  After all that's the point, right? It's not the wedding, but the marriage that's important. 

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Meet My New Friend

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Owning a home means you get excited about really weird stuff.  Like programmable thermostats.  And I'm not talking "Oh that's kind of nice" excited, I'm talking highlight of your week.  

This probably has something to do with the fact that Tom and I are both pretty bad at remembering to turn the thermostat down when we're not home.  Which means we are often mistakenly are heating or cooling our empty house.  There's nothing more annoying (okay maybe I'm exaggerating a bit) than coming home to an excessively hot/cold house, and realizing all the money you've just wasted getting it like that.  

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Yard Work and the Story Behind This Picture...

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Lately the turkeys around here can breathe a little bit easier, because Tom has a new nemesis he's been focused on (and no, it's not me):

PEBBLES!

Yes, that's right... tiny, itty, bitty, rocks.  Our back yard is full of them, and while they may look pretty, they don't play well with our lawn mower.  We've found that over time, especially after it rains, the migrate from where they're supposed to be, to all over our lawn.

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Date Night

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Date nights for us used to look like reservations at a fancy restaurant, meeting up after work, and heading out all dressed up to spend a few hours talking over multiple courses of a meal. Lately, various complications including shifted working hours, longer commutes and busy schedules have meant that it's been a while since we've had a night like that. 

So instead, we've been taking dates nights when and wherever we can find them.  Recently, that meant date night at a local furniture store after shopping for desk chairs.

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Volunteer Day

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There are a lot of things I love about my job.  I love the work that I do, I love the people I work with, and I love the feeling that my company cares about me and my happiness at work.

But one of the things that I love the most, is the commitment to volunteering that my company fosters.  There are opportunities all year long, for both individuals and teams, and most of them build around a bunch of schools we partner with.  Past opportunities I've taken advantage of have included collecting backpacks and school supplies for students, fulfilling Christmas wishes, being a pen pal to a student throughout the year, and working at the annual book fair. 

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Summer Parties

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Recently we were invited to Nicole and Stephen's for a party and celebration.  Both sets of parents were in town as well as a lot of family friends that I've known since I was a little kid.  It was a great opportunity to catch up with everyone and talk weddings, and new houses, and other various life events (like Kelly's new baby who made an appearance at only 2 weeks old!). 

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My First Seven Jobs

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If you've been anywhere on social media recently, you've probably seen the hashtag #FirstSevenJobs floating around.  It's an interesting exercise to look back at where people got their start, and how they've worked their way up in life.  Of course the internet has pretty much agreed that no one can top Buzz Aldrin's list (or have a jump quite as impressive!).