Party Like It's 10/10/10!!

Today is not only my birthday, it's 10/10/10!!! I really have been counting down to this birthday for years. Ask my family, closest friends--for that matter, just ask the stranger on the street--they will ALL tell you how much I have built up this day.

Since I was very young, my parents have instilled a few things in me about birthdays: celebrating is crucial, every year is a big deal-especially considering that it beats the alternative ;), and numbers are especially cool. My parents actually chose mine, my brother, and my sister's birth dates since we were scheduled C-sections. Mine- 10/10, Robert's 4/28, Shirley Ann 7/15. We were all born on a Friday as well. Another random  (non-birthday related) date thing in my fam: Mom and Dad's anniversary is 5/25/85 and ours is 6/26/10, approximately 25 years 1 month and 1 day different. All of that was on purpose too!

Where is this all going?? Well, I have been telling people for years that I was going to have a huge blowout birthday party on 10/10/10 for my 24th birthday. I even invited random people I met on a cruise when I was in high school. Truth be told, if all the people came to this party we would not have enough room in our house to hold them all. It really was more of a joke after a while to tell people about it and invite people. Back when I started inviting people, I had no idea that I would be married and living in our house with two perfect fur children. That whole concept is crazy and still so hard to believe. :)

Last Sunday, Chris and I were having lunch and he said partly in a question and partly in a statement, "So, we are having a party next weekend?. I looked at him unsure of whether he was asking me or if he was telling me. Turns out, he had already invited everyone and planned out a party for me. I was not allowed to know who was coming or what we were having to eat.

So, today I woke up on 10/10/10 to a pancake breakfast in bed complete with fresh flowers. The day progressed all the way to 1:00 pm and people started to show up for the party! It was so exciting to see who was going to show up at the door. We ate BBQ, drank some beer and sweet tea, and ate a carrot cake that would seriously knock anyone's socks right off. When it was time to blow out the candles, I almost panicked trying to figure out what to wish for. This is the most important part of my spiel today. It was the most overwhelming feeling not having even one wish to make. You know you are extremely blessed when that happens. I eventually came up with a last-second wish (but can't tell you what it is because it wont come true).

I absolutely ADORE my family and my friends. You all make me feel like the luckiest girl in the world. I have decided that my life is nothing without you all in it. Time with friends and family is my very favorite thing.

I leave you with this: For those of you that don't celebrate birthdays or holidays, shame on you! Life is way too short not to celebrate it. The birthday card my parents gave me said this, "It's not the years in your life that count, it's the LIFE in your years."-Abraham Lincoln


NO birthday is insignificant. Each one is a gift. Thank you ALL for making this one so unforgettable! Happy 10/10/10!

-L. Winchester

Date Day 8.21.10

I don't want these blogs to come across as journal entries. You know exactly what I am talking about. The "here's what we did today" thing; but today was pretty fabulous and worthy of a play by play.

A little background info--We have a goal: To start living a more active lifestyle. For example, instead of useless tv nights as we waste countless hours, we will read. Instead of sleeping in on Saturdays until 11:30am, we will get up and go--walk, cook, learn something. Instead of crashing after work/dinner, go outside. Run. Hit the gym. Attempt a new sport. Walk the dogs. Go on a hike nearby.

You get the picture.

So today we packed a full day with this renewed active lifestyle!

First stop: Greenville's Saturday Market

As we walked by vendor stands, I couldn't help but notice people saying things like, "This doesn't feel like Greenville." When I lived in Italy, there was a Monday market with similar offerings- fresh flowers, food, clothing. It was like I was back there all over again without a long flight and jet lag.

Fresh pasta.

 Fresh everything. Beautiful food. Friendly people. We got to the seafood stand to buy enough shrimp, scallops, and crabcakes for two. The fishmonger (I feel like it was old-world enough to refer to him as such) said he would knock 5 bucks off our order if one of us stood in the middle of the street and yelled, "Captain Craig's Crabcakes" 10 times fast. (Just try saying that one, folks!) ...So, I did. All those years in the theatre doing tongue twister warm ups really paid off (pun intended).


Then, Greenville Zoo!

Neither of us had been to the zoo since we were little. It made us feel like we were five-years-old and married. The sandbox days. It was hard not to be in awe over the animals. They are so much different to look at than flourescent lights and computer screens. It was such a great switch from the everyday. I found myself thinking-God made all of this. And, yeah, of course He did. But think about it for a little longer and you realize how spectacular life is. All of life. And all of His earth.

Next, Home to drop off our market finds.  

Sourdough bread, Blackberries, flowers, pasta, ravioli, seafood.

The hubs with his PB&J. 

Then our picnic in the park. Homemade sandwiches and a little fresh air. Perfect.





We added a few not-so-fun-but-all-the-more-rewarding things to our day: cleaning and yard work. But it looked/felt so great afterward and in perfect time for our house guest-Maddie! She was staying at our place for the night since she had a wedding to go to in town. It was so great to catch up with her in person.

While she was at the wedding, we made some dinner-market fresh:  
Shrimp and scallops sauteed in olive oil, white wine, minced garlic, pepper, dried oregano, and fresh lemon juice.Then we added the seafood over fresh pasta. (Best part is it only takes pasta 1 min to cook when fresh!) Lastly, we pan fried crab cakes in olive oil.
To satisfy our sweet teeth:
Homemade Blackberry Cobbler a la mode


Then...we crashed.


Today I love to cook. to walk. to eat. to hold hands. to create. to watch. to arrange flowers. to relax. to catch up with a friend. to be with my husband. to discover my hometown again.


 -L. Winchester

Up to Speed. July 18, 2010

 We got engaged. 

Bought a house. 

 Got married.

Honeymoon-ed.

We have a lot of stories to tell. And I know what you are thinking. Most everyone does those things-gets married, finds somewhere to live, blah blah blah... Well, maybe so. The thing is, we love our new life and all the new things we discover together each day. Maybe you will discover something too.