Relationship Experts Agree...

Finding a common interest is sure to keep both the friendship and romance in a marriage growing. While a gym membership is not in Peter's near future and reading about mathematical theory and technical anything doesn't make a blip on my radar, geocaching is where x marks the spot for our seemingly unrelated interests (pun fully intended). For those of you unfamiliar with this modern day treasure-hunt, check out the following website: www.geocaching.com.  Per the website: "Geocaching is a high-tech treasure hunting game played throughout the world by adventure seekers equipped with GPS devices. The basic idea is to locate hidden containers, called geocaches, outdoors and then share your experiences online." In essence all you need is a hand-held GPS, good shoes, and a sense of adventure. Our first geocache find was in Fremont on Dec. 24th and since then we've explored areas of Madrona, Samish Island, and most recently Portland, OR .  I know what you're thinking...way to go out of your zip code!! We're working on it and hope to get to Canada, (Vancouver and Victoria) , California, and Hawaii within the next year and a half and pick up/drop off  'bugs' from all of those ares (trackable devices that are placed in the containers by fellow GCs).  

Below are some pictures from our Madrona adventure with my little brother, Michael. Samish Island pics will be up soon! 

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The 12 Days of a Davis Christmas

My oh my how time flies! Peter and I had a great first Christmas together! Below is a little synopsis in the form of a song.

The 12 Days of a Davis Christmas

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On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me --a little red Volkswagen buggy

That's right! We have a new car! It's a Jetta Sportswagen TDI--in 'salsa red'. It has been such a blessing to be able to get around town and run errands that don't take 1/2 day on the bus. Driving stick shift proved to be quite the challenge and after much talking and prayer we decided that buying a car for long-term use (with room for the future Davis dumplings) would be best. I will be forever grateful to Peter for giving up his little zoomzoom--I know how much he liked that car--thankfully this new toy has lots of buttons for him to play with.

On the 2^nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me--two ugly sweaters

I've always wanted to got to an ugly sweater party and this year was it! Finding such treasures was harder than I imagined-out of hundreds of sweaters at Goodwill, I only found one (but it was a beaut!) and Peter walked away with a Christmas tie. We spent a fun evening with friends from community group which included dinner, ice skating and a late run to Molly Moon's for ice cream!

On the 3^rd  day of Christmas my true love gave to me--three Christmas flicks

 Well, technically two. We watched "A Christmas Story" while decorating our tree (which, by the way, is a really funny movie when watched all the way through in one sitting) and "It's a Wonderful Life". This was Peter's first introduction to George and Mary Bailey and as it turned out, not the last. Later in the month we attended "It's a Wonderful Life" Radio Theater at Taproot and watched the movie come to life.

On the 4^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--four ice skates rented

Nothing says 'winter holiday' like ice skating. In ugly Christmas sweaters. At the Seattle Center Rink. It's  as close to riding in a one-horse open sleigh as it's going to get here in Seattle, and it was a blast. Peter and I sang Christmas carols off key (mostly me) while holding hands and going around in circles. At one point, some guy on the sidelines shouted out "You guys are so cute together". I agree.

On the 5^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--five lbs of chocolate!

Literally. I don't know how it happened, but at the end of several white elephant exchanges we came away with TONS of chocolate. Oh, and I can't forget about the smorgasbord of chocolate that both sets of parents bestowed upon us. Not that I'm complaining--we've made a healthy dent in the Lindt Truffle collection. Mmm..white chocolate creaminess!

 On the 6th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--six fun tree bobbles 

One of the Christmas traditions that Peter and I started was to purchase an ornament for each other each Christmas--one that represents the past year. This being our first year, we purchased several: 1) Jesus in the manger 2) Couples ornament (cheesy yes, adorable, also yes 3) Lighthouse (for our Maine Honeymoon) and 4) Stockings as tree-toppers. I also had the pleasure of being witness to Peter's handyman skills as he sawed off a bit of the bottom of the Christmas tree while still in the stand. This is what happens when one forgets to water a fresh tree... 

 On the 7^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--seven soapy snowflakes

 

Snowflake Lane is an annual tradition in downtown Bellevue where the streets are decorated with giant snowflakes and the holiday tunes and peppermint mochas are never-ending.  Every evening in December high school kids dressed up as toy soldiers participate in a drum line and play all the favorites. The finale is a blizzard of foamy 'snowflakes' blown about to the delight of all the little kids---and some of the older kids too. The best part was the older couple standing next to us. This was clearly not their first attendance, and by the look on the husband's face, unfortunately, not their last. It was a small glimpse  into our future---60 years old and still attending Snowflake Lane just because the wifey likes to do Christmasythings ad nauseam--now THAT'S love!

 On the 8^th day of Christmas my true love gave to me --eight different coordinates

Christmas Eve was my first time geocaching, and ohmygoodness, where has this fun treasure hunt been all my life?! Peter and I were meeting a couple of good friends for dinner that evening in Fremont anddecided to spend the whole day in the city. The first adventure led us to the famous troll under the bridge where we located our first mini-cache. Our second cache was found by collecting several clues in the city that led to the final destination--a tree on the Burke-Gilman trail. More on this in the next post!

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On the 9^thday of Christmas my true love gave to me--nine Zarembas munching

The holiday swap has started! Since we spent Thanksgiving with Peter's parents, Christmas day was at the Zarembas(followed by the rest of the Christmas weekend with the Davis family). The morning began with a quick run to Safeway to pick up ingredients for the french toast casserole I was supposed to have assembled the night before. (Now I know that things shut down by 6pm on Christmas eve). Upon arriving in Kent, the flurry of last minute prep for the evening's dinner began, and by 11:30 we were ready for presents. The fun lasted till around 1pm at which time cooking ensued...and I do believe nap time occurred sometime between 2 and 4pm (for me). Dinner was fantastic, as always, and the evening concluded with a family picture in the living room and hugs and kisses all around.

On the 10^th day of Christmas my true  love gave to me--ten friends from youth group

Since I cannot recall when, my old group leaders from junior high school have graciously hosted a YAC Reunion party (Youth at Church) at their home on the 23rd of December. This is the first year that I've gone in the last 4 or 5, and it was really nice to see everyone and catch up. Most people are married and with little children of their own. The board games with small pieces have been replaced by giant plastic toys (this year,it was Mr.and Mrs. Potato Head with dozens of accessories) and conversations revolve around home remodeling, kids and all their little antics, and reflections on the past year. Several of us ended the evening with a 10pm viewing of Avatar in 3D with promises to see one another next year.

On the 11th day of Christmas my true love gave to me--eleven desserts for sampling

 December started with the Expeditor's Christmas soiree at the Sheraton in Downtown Seattle. We mingled, enjoyed fancy little hour d oeuvres, and a bit of bubbly. After cocktail hour we were treated to a delicious holiday spread followed by  an unbelievable selection of desserts. It was so hard to choose just one or two or three...so we divided and conquered and took bites of each other's picks. Yum!

On the 12^th  day of Christmas my true love gave to me--twelve crazy chickens

Thanks to my sister Diana, our new year calendar is entitled "Extraordinary Chickens". Each month we have the pleasure of staring at a new chicken---fluffy, colorful, crazy-eyed--the fun just doesn't end. January's poultry sensation is a Silkie Bearded Buff Pullet which resembles a very puffy ball with little chicken legs.

Below are a few more pictures. Click on the thumbnail to see the full-sized image.

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Crying over Quiche

The recipe was clear: "cook bacon until nice and crisp". After thoroughly burning the first four pieces, I proceeded to under-cook the next eight because I'd simply run out of patience. (Retrospective thought: never let a 5 minute delay ruin a process that requires a 90 minute investment). Peter came home in the middle of this bacon debaucle  and helped me consume the burnt remains while assembling the rest of the meal. Forty-five minutes later our quiche was smelling and looking delish. Attempting to cut the thing was another story--as soon as I tried to slice out the first piece I realized why "nice and crisp" would have been worth the wait.

Before I get to the crying part, I should mention that this was not the first thing that had gone wrong with my most perfect plan for the day. I had my heart set on picking up theater tickets for a steal at the Seattle Rep only to find out upon arrival that they had just sold out. I was bummed. Bummed bummed bummed.  However, the thought of a warm quiche made me feel better and I headed home determined to redeem the evening.  Let's pick up the story where I left off...

And then I started to cry. Not so much bawling-can't-catch-my-breath-crying but more frustrated-with-self-for-bad-timing-all-day crying. If only I'd left an hour earlier for the tickets. If only I'd taken an extra 5 minutes with the wretched bacon. I just wanted everything to be perfect for Peter. Had I made the dish for myself, I couldn't have cared less. I'm not a fan of bacon anyway and would have removed it all. But I know he likes it (evidenced by the Costco 4-pack in the freezer) and I couldn't help but feel like I'd failed him in some way. Peter was a complete sweetheart about it,  all the while reassuring me that he appreciated my efforts regardless of the outcome. After much dabbing away of tears and lots of hugs we were ready to eat.

To my suprise, the quiche wasn't all that bad. In fact, it was perfect--because this night I was shown once again what a wonderful man I have been given. I feel like the luckiest woman in the world, soggy bacon and all.

My husband feels amorous towards this soup.

Green Lentil & Corriander Soup ala Pasta & Co. Cookbook. Destined to become a Davis family staple.

First Week of Married Life

The wedding was wonderful. Everything I'd ever dreamed.

Honeymoon was perfect, too. More to come—took home plenty of pics and memories.

Now, one week home…home…Well, many times friends used to ask if I thought things would feel different after marriage. As recently as 18 months ago, I'd have said no. Two people love each other, but what's the difference between yesterday and tomorrow? But Christianna has incited many changes in my worldview, not least of which is to say decidedly that marriage is indeed different. One day and every touch feels new and exciting—yet secure and loving in a way I've never felt before. There's a feeling of responsibility. Dating is over, yet it has just begun again; no reason to impress than she deserves the best I can give. We're a team. My money is hers. So much to learn and experience.

As I write this, the clock has past midnight on two weeks since the wedding. Two weeks ago at this hour I was struggling to fall asleep, anxiously awaiting one of the most important and exciting days of my life. Tonight, Christianna lies next to me asleep in cute pajamas. She's dreaming something, feet twitching. A minute ago she scootched over and ensnared my toes between hers. Now as she twitches, it's like playing footsie. I don't think she's even aware.