We are friends for life...

“We are friends for life. When we’re together the years fall away. Isn’t that what matters? To have someone who can remember with you? To have someone who remembers how far you’ve come?” 

                                                                                             ~ Judy Blume

{2003}

 “A friend is one that knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” 

 ~Shakespeare

{2013}

If I were to go back in time and revisit any point in my past, it would be the four years I spent at the Holy Cross. As with most things, I didn't realize how wonderful it was until it was almost over. Now, looking back, I can't believe how good I had it. Aside from an awkward few months of hawking underpants at the Victoria's Secret in the Auburn Mall, learning was my only job. All I had to do was read and write and have interesting conversations with smart people. And between all of the reading, writing, and discussing, there was plenty of time for shenanigans. It was amazing.   

Point is - I loved college for many, many reasons, but more than anything, I loved it because it is when I got to know Brandy Ault, Lauren Bourque, and Kelsey Scott. It has been fourteen (gulp!) years since I first met them; since then, everything has changed and everything is the same. These women  have truly seen me at my best and at my worst. They saw me become who I am. In fact, I'm pretty sure that I wouldn't be who I am if we hadn't spent those four years together, trying to figure ourselves out. I'm so incredibly grateful to have had them in my life then, but I'm even luckier to have them in my life now.

Last month, we got together in Sonoma for a little wine tasting and a lot of chatting and laughing. It was the best. The best.  I only wish that it didn't take months of planning and a bunch of plane rides to make it happen. 
  
We celebrated Kelsey's birthday, albeit much differently than we did back in the day because she's pregnant. Also, we're old.

{In the ten years since college, fancy cakes have replaced 30-packs of Busch Light as birthday party staples. Thank God.}

So, yeah, everything is different.

 

And yet. Everything is the same.

I am the luckiest.

Finally Fall and Thanksgiving

Fall snuck up on my this year, but once I realized that it was here, I dove in. Pumpkin scented candles were purchased, zucchini bread was baked, boots were purchased, and cozy sweaters are in full effect.

Among the palm trees, there is proof of fall to be found.

I got a head start on Thanksgiving and headed to Coronado on Tuesday, just in time to see my dad make his official entrance into the Rotary. Baller.

Thanksgiving itself involved lots of my favorite things: time at the beach, champagne, traditions, Christmas decoration peeping, family dinner, board games and lots of and lots of delicious food.

I'm so thankful for this guy. Seriously, he's the best.

And, man oh man, do I love this dog. She's practically levitating she's so happy.

Back when we first started dating, my parents and sisters were still on the East Coast so Tom and I were on own for Thanksgiving. This lovely self-timer shot captures our first Thanksgiving together:

{Hopefully I paid my roommates that $17 I owed...}

Since it doesn't take too long to cook up a few turkey breast roll-ups, we always had plenty of time to fill on Turkey Day so we started going to the Del in the afternoon to check out the Christmas decorations and sip overpriced holiday-themed cocktails on the beach. Pretty sure this was my idea, but Tom is a good sport and we've done it every Thanksgiving for the past six years. So after we wore Lucy out, we headed to the Del.

{This year's theme - A Time to Celebrate}

After the Del, it was back to my parents' for the main event where Mo and Buckley were keeping it old school with full costumes.

 We also started a new Thanksgiving tradition - pre-dinner beer tasting.

Because my mom is the best and she still keeps all of my holiday crafts despite the fact that I am almost 32, the Thanksgiving garland I made last year was in effect again. 

Happy 4th + Gratitude

I was just working on some social media stuff for Wells Bring Hope, and I had occasion to revisit the comparison of life in the U.S. to life in Niger that I created for our Girls Helping Girls campaign a few months ago... Tomorrow, as we celebrate independence (from the British, yes, but mostly from work), let's also shoot off a few firecrackers in celebration of the many, many other benefits that come with life in America.

{Our maternal death rate is shamefully high, but this is supposed to be a "rah rah America" post, so I'll say no more.}

Lucy

I can't let the month of thanks giving end without giving thanks for the newest addition to the Shackford clan. It's slightly ridiculous how much I love this dog. She really is just perfect, and she has brought a tremendous amount of joy to all of us. Besides family dinner, taking Lucy to Dog Beach is probably my favorite thing to do in Coronado.

These are from my visit to Coronado the week before Thanksgiving. Tom had accidentally taken off for the airport with my camera in his car, so all I had was my phone's camera. 

Lucy's so lovable that my parents can't even bring themselves to kick her off the couch when she forgets that she's not a lapdog. Although...I'm pretty sure they still deny that they let her on the couch. Sorry to blow up your spot, Mom, but Dad totally does it too.

Tradition!

When I read the title of this post, it sounds like Tevye in my head ("Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as... as... as a fiddler on the roof!"). Tra-di-tion! Oh here, see for yourself.

                        
                                                                           {Skip to 5:50 to see Tevye bust a move.}

Ok, before I lost 15 minutes to Fiddler on the Roof clips on YouTube (If I Were a Rich Man and Matchmaker, fyi), I was going to attempt to finish out my half-assed attempt at daily gratitude by saying that I am grateful for, you guessed it, tradition! 

I think that is why this is my favorite time of year. November and December are packed with traditions, and I love them all. Normally I don't like watching movies I've already seen, but every year I will settle in for It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol (George C. Scott version, obviously), The Family Man, and Love Actually. And because getting married means combining your spouse's holiday traditions with your own, I add Christmas Vacation to that list. The more traditions, the merrier. 

 
The day after Thanksgiving marks the beginning of Christmas tradition season, and we kicked it off right. After sleeping off our turkey hangovers, Tom and I made our annual pilgrimage to the Del for lunch and a peek at their Christmas decorations. We've done this every year since we started dating, and it's my favorite way to start getting into the holiday spirit. This year's theme is "Silver Bells."

 

The Dr. Seuss traveling sculpture garden is back as well.

 

 Much more tradition documenting to come. In the meantime...Joy to the World!

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving was lovely, far lovelier than my photos will demonstrate. In fact, I was too busy drinking and chatting and eating to take many pictures at all. And it seems that I was too eager to continue the drinking and chatting and eating to spend much time on the pictures I did take so they are mostly out of focus and over exposed. I am choosing to see this as evidence of the fact that I was enjoying the moment.

{The Give Thanks glitter banner was the result of a lazy crafternoon last week.}

You don't really need pictures to get the idea anyway. We drank, we chatted, we ate...a lot, and we gave thanks. For the third year in a row, everyone wrote down what he or she was thankful for, and we looked back at the things we were grateful for last year and the year before.

This year we were extra fortunate to have some extended family celebrating with us. My dad's aunt and cousins joined as did my mom's brother, my uncle Steve. My dad's cousin Karen is also my godmother, and as a woman of excellent taste, she is a big fan of my blog. [Hi, Karen!]

{Karen and her mother, Caroline}

 I used to think of it as a pit stop on the way to Christmas, but I must say, I have really grown to love Thanksgiving. It's pretty great to have a day dedicated to focusing on all of our blessings, all of the things that make us happy. Plus, it unites us all as Americans. Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists can all get on board with a holiday that calls us to draw our families close and tell them how thankful we are for them.