It's all in the details

Isn't it always the little things that matter most? Routine and unplanned, you gotta take pleasure in the details. I decided last weekend when Henry got to take his first swimming trip of the year (see picture to the side) having a dog really increases your daily dose of laughter.

But there are so many other small things that make a mundane more fun. For me, a great movie, time to read my book, French press coffee and new running shoes have added serious enjoyment to my last few days. Plus, the weather is getting warmer, the weekly farmer's market is open and I got a grill! So much to enjoy this summer.

Next weekend I am jetting out to St. Louis to visit Paige! We are in for SO. MUCH. FUN. I have been incredibly lucky this Spring to visit a lot of friends! :-) Unfortunately, I'll be missing two weddings of good friends next weekend. Kelsey (former Pi Phi president, for those of you in the K-State crowd) and my friend Crystelle (a long time friend who lives in Utah) are both tying the knot on May Day. Two great couples who will be enjoying BIG events in less than a week! Congratulations to Crystelle and Jeff and Kelsey and Jeremy.

So while I was sitting thinking about my wine recommendation of the week, I had to poke a little fun at Bryce. A newly minted wine connoisseur, he is discovering the wonderful world of wine. But...he is obsessed with one small vineyard in California and I'm getting a little worried that if it isn't a 2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir (particularly from the wine maker Bogle), he isn't going to like it! My new mission: get him obsessively hooked on another variety. Next up: Syrah/Shiraz. So one final Pinot Noir recommendation: Rodney Strong 2007 Russian River. Yeah, that's right, it's pretty good stuff.

A wonderful week to you all!

Snowboarding and Slot Machines

Hey all!

I hope April is showering you with fun and happy times! It seems April is the month of birthdays. Bryce turned old, Henry turned 1 and a few other friends celebrated various ages in between.

For Henry's b-day he got a trip to the groomers where he came out looking like a lion as opposed to his normal punk rocker look. Henry+blow dryer= poof.

For Bryce's b-day we had a wonderful Italian dinner with his family followed by a fun weekend. Saturday started with a trip to Breckenridge for snowboarding and then the fun continued at one of the Blackhawk casinos! Somehow we managed to gamble for over four hours without losing money despite neither of us being experienced blackjack players. I think my friend Ally had it right when she said, "Don't put anything on the table you aren't willing to lose and stay away from those bloody slot machines!" Wise words.

Another exciting piece of April news is my long-awaited furniture delivery! At the beginning of March I bought a new bed and switched my queen bed to the guest room. To make a very long and aggravating story short, I just was able to get it delivered last week. Luckily, it was worth the wait! It's a big, wooden Pottery Barn bed and I promise to have some pictures up soon.

Wine recommendation of the week: At Bryce's birthday we had a great bottle of red and a wonderful white. In the spirit of summer drinking, I'd recommend the apple-y and sweet white! It was a 2007 Orvieto Classico from Orvieto, Italy. Fruity and delicious Orvietos are easy to find for under $20. If you aren't a white drinker, the 2006 Chianti Classico goes great with rich Italian food, red sauces and chocolate desserts!

To end this update, I'd like to recommend some food for thought. We watched the Michael Moore documentary called Capitalism, A Love Story over the weekend and it is a must-watch for any informed American. Whether you agree with Moore or not (past works include Sicko and Fahrenheit 9/11) it is an eye-opener to an imperfect system where the imbalances in wealth and ownership grow ever-wider. I'd love to hear what you all think of it so feel free to post comments here!

Thinking of you all,

Em