backpacking

I don't think we could have had a better Memorial weekend this year! Jonathan and I went on a 3-day backpacking trip in the Olympic National Park. The weather was absolutely gorgeous and the park was pretty spectaular. To me, it had more or a rain forest type wood with Alaskan mountain and lake views. I felt right at home.

We hiked in about 4 miles the first day, and then 4 more the second. So- when it was time to come home, we had a nice 8 mile trek back to the car on Monday morning. The middle of the park was my favorite part- filled with lots of fun obstacles to conquer like rope climbing up steep slopes, and wading through streams with a heavy pack on. We also saw quite a few creatures along the way like an elk, frogs, tons of banana slugs, and interesting insects I'd never seen before. Really, a great science lesson! I did get about half of my New Moon book read (Starr- you'll be proud), a great tan, a couple of river baths, and a lot of smokey clothes.

We are both incrediably sore and tired from it all. It's been difficult getting around today...so strange what different muscles you use for different workouts. My favorite part about getting home was ordering pizza, taking a long hot bath, and watching a Harry Potter movie. How refreshing it is to spend some quality time in the great outdoors. But, if you didn't already appreciate it, I'm here to tell you- civilization is really quite wonderful too! Here are the pics.

colorbutton abc's

I've been having great fun designing this ABC 8x10 print for colorbutton! I was asked by a customer if I had anything with all of my icons included...which got me thinking. And, when you actually think of it- it's pretty tough trying to come up with images for every letter in the alphabet. At least ones that can easily be depicted, and ones that children would actually learn.

My problem letters were N and Y. I think NEWSPAPER ended up being much more kid-friend than the original NEEDLE, and YAK was my only option. Do let me know if you have any brilliant alternatives!

@ the ballpark

Jonathan and I went to the Mariners vs. Angels baseball game last night at Safeco. What a fun time! I always forget how much fun it is to attend a major sporting event on a weekday night. It was a great distraction from the usual stay-at-home-and-watch-a-movie routine we've become so accustomed to.

The sun was shining, the crowd was lively, and the Mariners pulled out a W. I'm sure we'll be back soon!

the facebook list

A while back, I caved in and filled out the silly list "about me" on facebook. And since I actually took the time to fill it out- I wanted to make sure I saved it somewhere. Here. On the blog. The official keeper of all things written. Well, by me that is. (Take one of Hannah and her weirdness. And, Action!)

1. I can’t stand white walls. I absolutely love color!

2. I miss my family in Alaska so much.

3. I hate the process of putting on make-up. I secretly wish women had a cabinet filled with faces. The going out face. The everyday default face. The going to work face. We could just pick one out, put it on, and be done with it.

4. I didn’t grow up with animals and never ever ever thought I’d be so attached to one. I love our cat Charlie so much. He brings such character to our home.

5. As I get older, I cry so much easier. I hate it.

6. I have always been so glad to have a fairly unique name. And, it kinda bothers me when I hear someone else being called Hannah.

7. I am most happy when I’m creating something. Paint. Clay. Paper. Markers. Fabric. Glitter. Glue. Graphic design. You name it. My home is my canvas and my gallery.

8. Every time I get into my car, I touch my Catholic scapulars (felt squares on a string) hung around my rear view mirror and say, “Blessed Mother, ride with us and keep us safe.” My grandma taught me that when I was seven.

9. My biggest dream has always been to be a country music singer.

10. I have absolutely no idea how I met and fell in love with my husband Jonathan. Seriously- no idea. He is the best part of my life. And, I feel like the luckiest girl alive to wake up every morning and still get to keep him.

11. Towels are folded in a certain way in my house. If you’re not going to fold em right, don’t even bother.

12. I consciously pick out cute outfits for my unborn children.

13. I’m weird about not wanting anyone to know the names I’d like for our kids someday. Jonathan is sworn to secrecy. Seriously. I also won’t find out if we’re having girls or boys. I think there are so few true surprises in life.

14. I think that my husband is the smartest person I know. He’s pretty scary smart about most anything. It does me well to be around him. I’m always so proud to have a local resource (in my home, local) to bounce ideas off of. He’s the CEO of our home and I’m the Creative Director. I think we’re a great team.

15. Coming from a family of nine sisters is one of the biggest blessings in my life. (if not THE biggest.) It is ridiculously wonderful.

16. I have the weirdest, most memorable dreams almost every single night. Jonathan is forced to listen to them in the mornings. If I don’t tell someone else about them- they stick with me all day long.

17. I’ve always thought I had a big forehead. That’s why I had bangs all throughout school. Now, of course, I’m too lazy to keep bangs. If you didn’t know- they require quite a bit of maintenance.

18. My master plan is to get my whole family to move to the Seattle area. Eventually, that is. I’m constantly plotting and scheming their way here.

19. I pride myself on never ever, not even once, having a cavity.

20. My “what if” man is Patrick Dempsey. It’s ok- you can have him too.

21. I really don’t want to become a housewife. But- I want to stay at home when my kids are little. Tricky, tricky.

22. I’m a little addicted to Sprite zero now. And, um, Goldfish crackers.

23. I love to poke, prod, and investigate skin-related issues. Scabs, zits, hair, needles, stitches, burns. I absolutely loved dissecting things in anatomy and physiology including pigs, cats, and even real human cadavers. Love it! Makes me excited just thinking about it! I think I should have been a surgeon.

24. I’m back up to running 3 miles a day. We’ll see how long that lasts. I felt in such great shape when I ran a half marathon last year. Hey- it’s always an uphill climb.

25. My new favorite meal to cook is meatloaf, mashed potatoes ‘n gravy, and grilled asparagus. Mmmm.

star trek

Jonathan and I watched the new Star Trek movie at a 3D IMAX theatre last night. And, I have to say, it was pretty fabulous!

Even for someone that only watched a little bit of Trek growing up-- it was definitely worth the watch! Unbelievable special effects, great story line, and a fun get-away from reality. If only for a few hours. Watch the official trailer in HD.

chinchilla

I overheard my sister Natalie and her friend Stephanie talking about chinchillas:

Hannah: What is a chinchilla again? Is it a dog or a burrito?
Stephanie: Um, neither. That would be a chihuahua and a chimichanga.

(Followed by uncontrollable laughter)

Note: Chinchillas are crepuscular rodents, slightly larger than ground squirrels, native to the Andes mountains in South America. Along with their relatives, viscachas, they belong to the family Chinchillidae.

the bangs are back

I'm giving them one more try. I thought, ya know- it's been about nine years since the high school bang theory. Maybe I should give em another shot. After all- they DO cover up my big forehead nicely.

It's only been about a day, and they're already driving me crazy... falling in my face, just a wee bit too short to tuck behind my ear, and getting stuck on my eyelash when I blink.

I can only imagine how concerned you all are. But, if I had to guess, it would most likely be you guys (the 4 people that even read my blog) that would understand the most. Happy bang cutting!

you: the coffee cup

Almost every person I know has a Starbucks profile. It’s the description of the type of drink you usually order. And, it’s the list of specific accommodations you would like made to your beloved cup of coffee such as skinny, decaf, tripple-shot, no foam or sugar-free that really put you in a league of your own.

Sugar-free: You’re either watching your weight or you’ve miraculously become accustomed to the “diet” aftertaste of the sugar-free syrup.

No foam: You can’t be bothered to wait until your coffee sip makes its way through the thick foam to your mouth. That, or you don’t want to be cheated out of the full cup of coffee you purchased.

Tripple-shot: You’re going to be a little on edge and/or grumpy until you get your coffee fix…and you know it.

Skinny: You either really can’t stand the extra percentage of milk in your system, or you simply want to cut a few calories because you drink this drink at least twice a day.

Drip or Americano: You’re an older dad and/or you don’t appreciate fruiffy things. That includes fruiffy ingredients in a wholesome cup of freshly brewed black beans. The exceptions to this one are those of you that really need to wake up, or are nursing a hangover.

Chai or Green Tea: You have either never liked the taste of coffee, or rub elbows with the organic people of the world.

Here’s the rundown sportsfans…

Dad: Grande americano with cream + sugar
Tom: Tea
Dana: Venti skinny toffee-nut latte
Jonathan: Grande drip with cream
Hannah: Tall hazelnut latte
Megan: Grande iced americano
Natalie: Grande white mocha
Caitlin: Grande skinny hazelnut latte
Bethany: Grande skinny hazelnut latte

Don’t you just love putting people in their correct boxes? Maybe not. Maybe I’m the only one obsessed with labeling people...figuring out what makes them tick...predicting their behavior. Really, for me, it’s all about analyzing the unusual collection of people belonging to our family. Their likes. Their trends. Their reactions.

We’re a strange animal. But, the same animal. At least when it comes to coffee.

playing the mrs.

I’ve only been married for about 9 months now, and Jonathan has become the best roommate I’ve ever had! It’s actually even a little weird for me to think of how smooth everything usually is. He helps with the dishes and the laundry. He cooks dinner and takes out the trash. He even watched the entire season of the bachelor with me! Yes, I know- that’s saying a lot. And, no- he would never admit to it.

Lately, I’ve started thinking about what it has taken to get to this point. Have I made any real changes in my life to accommodate for “our life”? Are there things that I have given up for the greater good of the family? And the answer is yes. Little things. Litte, bitty things that have somehow seamlessly slithered their way in somehow. Tongue twist that!

Exhibit A:

My blog title is now hannah and jonathan. He doesn’t really ever contribute to the actual posting, but it somehow makes him feel like he’s part of ‘my’ blogging experience when his name is included. Especially when I chat with his side of the family on blogger.

Exhibit B:

We have framed and signed photographs of LaDainian Tomlinson on our kitchen wall. When did football ever belong next to the spatulas you ask? When Hannah and Jonathan got married. That’s when.

Exhibit C:

I finally bought a huge accordion box organizer today to house all of our most important papers…things like birth certificates, tax returns, and car titles. And, only after the 2 hours it took me to organize the whole thing into neat little folders (complete with clear cello-wrapped pockets of papers and sharpie marker labels) did I realize that I had inadvertently taken control of (and responsibility for) BOTH of our lives on paper. Meanwhile, Jonathan was glued to ESPN. I think it’s so interesting to see how responsibilities are divied up during the first year of marriage. Hey- as long as Jonathan does our taxes, I will continue to file them neatly in place. I think we make a good team.

Exhibit D:

Jonathan and I watch a lot of movies. Really. At least 3 or 4 a week. It’s one thing that we both love doing. However, my unlimited power of choosing the movie has been somewhat compromised since the early dating days of “Oh, sweetie- we’ll watch whatever you want to watch.”
No sir E. It’s a battle of wits now. We take so long to agree on a movie to watch that someone inevitably (more tired than the other) says, “Fine- I don’t care. Put that one in.” The only problem is that we are both fierce competitors. Choosing a movie can be quite the daily episode.

All things considered, I think we’ve pretty seamlessly merged our two lives…our friends, our choices, and our decisions. If only we had a man room for the kitchen football photos...