2008 Recap Survey

Stolen from a myspace post, I thought I'd recap 2008 for the Meadows using this probably non-relevant format.

** 2008 is almost over; what have you done?**

Lost a friend?
Lost a grandfather, whose gentle spirit was always friendly... he never met a stranger!


Kissed someone new?
Better not!! Okay, maybe a new kitten.


Had a stalker?
Not that I'm aware of, but stalkers are sly, right? So who knows?


Cut class?
I'll answer for Duncan: YES. But I'm sure he had legit reasons.


Were involved in something you'll never forget?
How about the most beautiful wedding and amazing honeymoon ever? Yes, 2008 may be the most unforgettable year for us ever.


Visited a different country?
Jamaica. And we at least constantly think of Ireland.

Lost something important to you?
We lost Rudy the Ford Focus this year, but he was replaced with the lovely Humphrey PT Cruiser, so all is well.


Got a gift you adore?
Many, I'm sure. Can't even count all of the awesome wedding gifts, or the wedding or honeymoon...

Tripped over a coffee table?
I don't know, but Duncan does hit his head on the oven hood fairly often.


Dyed your hair?
Yes, I have. Duncan, not so much. His hair is still recovering from my "first haircut."


Came close to losing your life?
Not that I'm aware of...

Read a great book?
Maybe Duncan has? I've been not reading books in entirety as of late. Lame? Yes.


Saw one of your favorite bands/artists live?
We saw Jakob Dylan, and it was awesomely good, including the crazy woman sitting behind us that literally screamed, "Jakob, can we ask you a question?!?", a question which he promptly ignored.

Did you break up with anyone?
We broke up with cable. Cold turkey. Except for the occasional indulgence when visiting elsewhere...

Were you broken up with?
Duncan, has anyone broken up with us? I don't think so. I think we're still in good standing with most.

Did you get anything for Valentine's day?
A visit to the Fox to see the ballet (sigh... to be read romantically) and a trip to the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Very nice. I think I got Duncan something, but I can't remember, so it must not have been that great... sorry :) WAIT-- that's when we got the scooter, so um, Duncan got the most awesome Valentine's Day present.


Did you meet anyone special?
I've made AMAZING friends at work. Duncan is meeting fabulous people at school and work as well.


Did you fall in love?
We've been in love, duh. But don't we fall more in love every day?


Do you like someone right now?
I like a lot of people. Oh, survey, did you mean like-like? Because I definitely like-like my husband.


**2008: Friends and Enemies**

Did you meet any new friends this year?
Didn't I already answer this question? Oh well. Let the record show "YES."

Did you dislike anyone?
Yes. However, I'm working on recognizing them as a loved child of God. It's harder than it seems. Duncan, anyone you dislike? Probably not, you gentle soul.


Did you make any new enemies?
Gluten. Gluten is my enemy.


Did you resolve any fights?
I don't think so? I don't think I had any to resolve. Duncan, probably in the same boat.

Who are your closest friends?
Duncan and Moki. Is that sad? But I think Duncan would say the same. I have been pretty bad about keeping up with all of my loves as of late, but they know I'm sorry (I hope). I'm going to venture I guess that Duncan is the same as if he is doing better at keeping up, he does it while I'm away.

Do you have any regrets when it comes to your friendships?
Yes. I just plain suck at keeping in touch. But to all of you who feel jipped, please know I facebook stalk you all the time and do try to keep up with what is in your life. My phone doesn't work in Decatur except on a rare occasion, so please e-mail me. Seriously, I respond asap. Duncan, you should comment or edit these, because I just can't answer this one for you.


**2008: Your BIRTHDAY!**

Did you have a cake?
I don't think we had cakes for either of our birthdays. It's a little harder with the gluten-free diet, though not impossible

Did you have a party?
Not for either one of us. Wow, we're fuddy-duddies.


Did you get any presents?
Duncan got a meal at Taco Mac, a Thrashers Game, and some little other odds and ends. I was taken to a little "Irish Christmas" concert at Eddie's attic, plus the most awesome and wonderful necklace ever. The end.

If so what was the best thing you got?
Um, I so already answered this. Duncan, what was the best thing you got? The t-shirt you earned at Taco Mac?

**2008: All about YOU**

Did you change at all this year?
Duncan and I both grew up a bit this year. Being thrust into adult life both by supporting ourselves and, well, marriage can really change you. But I think we've responded in positive ways :)


Did you get your hair cut?
Who doesn't cut their hair for an entire year? Of course we had haircuts! I even had $60 haircuts... and Duncan even had FREE haircuts.


Did you change your style?
Duncan secretly wants to dress vintage. I know it. He hasn't made the switch yet, but we'll see.


Were you in school?
Duncan was, and I, thankfully, was not.


Did you get good grades?
Those are still coming in. But at least a 3.0?


Did you have a job?
Yes... a career even. Duncan has had two food-related jobs and yet maintained his weight. Isn't that something to be proud of?


Did you drive?
Yes. Cars and a scooter.


Did anyone close to you give birth?
I don't think so? I'll feel bad if someone has now, but I haven't held any babies this year.

Did you move at all?
Yes, twice! Once to Midtown, and once to Decatur, both grand experiences.


Did you go on any vacations?
Honeymoon, we tried to go camping, and a sweet little trip to Florida just a few weeks ago.



**2008: 2009**

Was 2008 a good year?
2008 was the most amazing year I've ever had (Duncan, too, I'm sure).


Do you think 2009 will top 2008?
I don't know how it can! But I'll have high hopes.

How is Christmas over already?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Well, the Meadows had a fabulous Christmas. We had both sets of parents plus our sister Nicole over for Christmas Eve. We actually broke out the fine china and cooked everything from scratch. It was very exciting. Plus, it was just good quality time with the whole family. After dinner, present opening (though both sets of parents held our presents hostage so we would come home the next day to open them), and some Kathleen Madigan for good cheer, we headed to North Avenue for the Christmas Eve candlelight communion service. Duncan even read the Christmas story and he and I were designated candle-lighters. It was a beautiful service and sweet way to welcome in Christmas.



As this was our first married Christmas, we were very excited Thursday morning to open our presents together. Granted, we woke up at 6:30 so we could have our Christmas together and still make it to breakfast at the Meadows', but we still had a special morning together with Moki Cat (who now has more toys than any cat could ever possibly play with). Christmas presents included new digital cameras for the both of us (though we both opened those early as we thought it necessary to document the vacation in last entry and our Christmas Eve gathering), camera cases, perfume and robe for me, plus a gift certificate to a spa! Duncan got new slippers, the first two seasons of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, new clothes, a new coat, and his most favorite-- new socks! My stocking was also filled with fabulous goodies like a glow stick wand. Yep, it's as awesome as it sounds! We also got our final place setting of china, which was much needed. Seven was just a strange number.


After all of the fun and trashing of the living room, we headed up north to Cumming where we had a fabulous gluten-free breakfast. (I feel very loved by my in-laws as they go out of their way to cater to my strange dietary restrictions). Let it suffice to say that present opening lasted two hours, and everyone was so generous, we can't even list everything we received. Though, I will report that Duncan opened not one, but THREE lego sets. Not to my dismay as he likes to make it out to be, but I told him he has to let me play too. I also got this amazing book that I am already digging into about the gluten-free life, and it has been so informative that it is one of my favorite Christmas presents (which is kind of sad as all of the other stuff I got was so awesome, one would think that a gluten-free book would be low on the list).

Then we went for round three at the Williams' household with my parents and grandparents. Despite the tempting turducken, we ate very well sticking to vegetarianism. We spent the rest of the evening playing with our new toys and watching Tropic Thunder with the parents. We blew up the air-mattress and slept next to the fire for a lovely ending to a fabulous Christmas.

This morning we went to Kaufman Tire and cashed in Mom and Dad's present for two new tires (the final replacements needed for Humphrey); this was a very much needed and wonderful present! Humphrey drives much better now! We also stopped by Target to pick up our stationery for next year's Christmas newsletter and wrapping paper, all half off. Then we swang by Ulta where I used my gift-card from the Meadows to stock up on makeup and irritate Duncan by wasting time trying to find moisturizer for my dried out face. I was insistent that I must find lotion for the face, not something that said it could be used on heels and elbows. That sounded gross, though his argument that lotion is lotion was probably true.

Then we headed back to the Williams' where we went through my old room and claimed anything we wanted. Mom and Dad are beginning to get ready to put the house on the market in a few months, so we're trying to help when/where we can.

Going through all of those old things brought back strange memories. For the first time EVER, I parted ways with old journals (that I had kept since 6th grade!), threw away old notes that I had once deemed important, and even weeded out the majority of pictures of that had made their way into albums. But as I looked back on those times, I thought about how I'm not really that same girl anymore and can't really think of many reasons to look back with such detail on memories that are probably better left as they are in my mind. There was something sad about letting some of those things go, but in a weird way, it felt like one final leap in the process of growing up (if that process even actually comes to completion).

Needless to say, there were some things worth saving, and they have all made the trek down to Decatur. As I type we have so many books, piles of clothing, and other general Christmas madness strewn about the floor, it's extremely overwhelming. Do we have room for all of this? Certainly not! But to say I condensed all 22 years that I lived with my parents into one carload, I think, is quite an achievement. We'll just hope that Duncan won't have to do the same until we have a little more space!

So now we're finally home. When we opened the door I immediately heard two things: Moki meowing and Duncan's Batman alarm clock ringing. Poor cat, who knows how long she had to sit through the alarm. But as soon as we opened the door, she received us with open paws and motor purring! She has definitely forgiven us for being away so much lately and is now currently enjoying the boxes of mysterious toys (or so she thinks) scattered about the apartment.

To everyone that we couldn't share this Christmas with, we hope yours was as full of happiness and joy as ours was!

Merry Christmas,
Whitney (and Duncan!)

P.S. Phones died about half-way through Christmas celebrations, so sorry for being unreachable!

Christmas Vacation

As a little reward for Duncan finishing his first semester of seminary and to serve as a break for the crazy holiday schedule at work for me, we decided to use up the last of my vacation days on a little get-away to Florida for the weekend. One of my Dad's best friends, Tod, let us come stay at his beach house at Shell Point Beach, in the panhandle.

We were sad to leave Moki... but we left her in good hands. She still climbed onto Duncan's travel bag as a protest.


We started our journey at about 6:30. The six hour trip required a Starbucks stop. It was getting to a point of desperation when we finally found one; it always seems like Starbucks is some sweet miracle during our travels.


The sunrise on the way down (I think we were in Macon) was beautiful! It was actually the best sunrise we saw the whole time!

Once we crossed over the state line, we stopped to meet up with Tod at his residence; the neighborhood had a particularly fabulous name...


We also got to meet Tod's three cats, the oldest of which is Casper, who is 15.

Tod was nice enough to take us out to lunch at a local place that sits on the water and had real seafood and funny birds that wait until you have vacated the table to eat your scraps!

When we got to the beach house, we realized that we were pretty lucky to be staying here. We were literally steps from the water and the beach was practically deserted, even though it was 75 degrees out! Here are a couple of shots of how gorgeous it was:

(we took a nap here)


(the house itself with Humphrey parked underneath!)

Our days and nights were filled with DishTV (we don't have cable, we watched hours of crime shows and MTV cribs), laying around on the beach, going for walks, and scrabble. You can see how good my hand was:

The following photos show exactly what Duncan does on walks on the beach. I'd like to point out that in the second one, that seagull totally knew what Duncan was up to. Every time Duncan took a step closer, the bird took two...

The only reminder that it is Christmastime. Thank you, neighbors!

We decided to go out and find some Mexican food on Saturday for lunch. Crawfordville does not have too much to offer the average tourist, but they do have Mexican... loaded down with guacamole. This could be exciting, but it wasn't. But it was still nice to go out, albeit too much non-homemade guac.

(on the way home we saw this sign... how seasonally appropriate!)

Later that afternoon when we decided to patrol the beach for shells, I noticed something in Duncan's hair. After I laughed for about 10 minutes because I thought it was bird poop, Duncan asked me to try to get it out. I refused to use my hands, so he handed me a stick. Upon further inspection, we concluded it was not bird poop, but instead soap. You'll have to ask him how he got soap so strategically placed on the top of his head...


(Ok, so here is what my wife failed to mention: after laughing for her 10 minutes, she begins to continue our walk, as if my hair had no poop in it. As if it were lint or something, and not feces from a dirty seagull. It's like having a baby poop its pants, laughing at it, and then simply putting it in the stroller for a walk. Yuk. Thanks for the help, Whitney :-)

And as for the soap turd? I had washed my hands with a bar of soap that was rather soft, so some residue remained behind on my hand, on my ring or something, and when I ran my wet hand through my hair to flatten down a mocking cowlick, it deposited itself so appropriately on top of my head.

Seriously... not poop...)

On our walk...

Saturday night, we decided to light up the fire pit. It was very sweet to sit out next to water, beside the fire. We had a special treat as someone just down the beach set off some fireworks. Somehow, Duncan was so wise that he knew to pack sparklers, so we joined in the fun. (By the way, the day had also started with a special treat as we saw a dolphin on our first walk that day!)

(Duncan, being male, thought it was a good idea to put a sparkler in the wine bottle...
you be the judge)

This is the view from the living room/kitchen. It's a little hard to see, but that's all water out there. It was amazing!

One last view:

We decided to go ahead and start the trek back home. We missed Moki and thought we'd miss Monday traffic as well as giving us an extra day at home to prepare for Christmas.

So that was our vacation! It was fabulously relaxing and rejuvenating. We are so very thankful to Tod and Fran for opening up their home to us.

Lastly, Moki definitely missed us while we were gone. She was pretty excited to see us and is still hanging out with us as we type the blog.

So, here is a cute picture of Moki to close:

Moki's Trick

Today I was allowed to open my big Christmas present, a new digital camera. Christmas is not ruined! We are leaving for a small holiday this weekend, and we needed one of our new cameras to document our travels (my memory card had "mysteriously disappeared" and Duncan's lens has been messed up since the honeymoon). Lucky for you, as we tested out the camera, we got a very special video of Moki's trick, keep in mind, this was in one take: (sorry it's sideways)



We also have some great Moki pics to add.

The Moki Toilet series:



The Cute Moki series:


and an on-going series, Moki Helps Duncan Do Homework:



A real update to come soon!

So, it looks like we're really doing this thing...

... as in, the blog. I forgot how much fun (or maybe just therapeutic?) it is to type out what's going on in life.

Today was the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Concert at North Avenue. I was a little nervous about how many people were going to be there. We publicized within the church, and I went to a few local business and handed out flyers... and listed it on some websites, but I didn't feel like it was really all that much. However, I had the ingenious idea to e-mail Kevin and Taylor at the Fish and let them know the ASO was giving a free concert, and they announced it twice on the air today; once it was even the teaser for the news! I was so excited they mentioned it. I don't know if anyone even came due to that, but I was proud! Many thanks to them.

The church was all a-buzz this morning... tons of people floating everywhere! Mom even came down on her lunch break. We ended up having more than 500 people, so it was pretty packed. I can't remember the last time I heard the ASO, definitely more than a decade. And they were oh-so-good. The music was just excellent, and I believe I am now officially in the Christmas spirit!

I even got about five things crossed off my to-do list in an hour this afternoon. That is a real gift from God because I often times have trouble crossing anything off my list! AND I was able to leave only 20 minutes late instead of an hour and half+.

In short, today was a good day.

Now, for perhaps the highlight of the day (as if all these good things were not enough). This Sunday will be Lessons & Carols at NAPC (the story of Christmas as told through scripture and song) and I was asked to find a new piece of artwork to put on the cover of the program. I spent about 20 minutes looking for some nativity or adoration of the magi artwork (old of course to avoid copyright laws). I came upon this gem:




I'm sorry, it's creepy and gross. However, I found it so incredibly hilarious, I just had to share it. Turns out that 100% of the artwork I looked at had some weird element, i.e. show-tune hands, baby is actually a small man, miniature people featured, glowing crucifixes in the background, and other generally creepy things lurking somewhere. So, I have yet to find a piece of artwork that I think will work. Suggestions are welcome. More hilarious art is also welcome, though it won't be on the cover of the program. :)


When asked if he had anything to report, Duncan said no. However, I will report for him. He is his last week of the first semester of seminary. Hurrah! AND he is reading scripture as part of the program on Sunday, putting those skills to use from his scripture reading class.

To end this blog entry, I leave you with a photo of holiday Moki... enjoy :)

December Happenings

Happy December!

This is my (Whitney's) most favorite month. Of course I base that on the fact the my "love language" is gifts and December contains the two biggest gift days of the year for me, birthday and Christmas! But who can't love Christmas time?

Duncan and I put up our Christmas tree a little early. We were trying to wait until the day after Thanksgiving, but we were so excited, we just couldn't wait! Not only is it our first Christmas, it's Moki's first Christmas (who is currently pawing her little claws under the door as I type). We were very excited to see how Moki would react to the Christmas tree. To be honest, not too much interest. She has destroyed one Christmas ornament, but for the most part she is easy to train and has already learned how to stay away from the tree. She got her Christmas present early, a little tag with her name on it (which of course makes me think of Lady and the Tramp). We thought in case she gets out, it is better to go ahead and give her the tag (which also has our phone number on it). She now proudly wears it. But don't worry, she has a stocking and a box of toys to open on Christmas day with the rest of us, though we figure her greatest joy will be the mounds of wrapping paper and tissue, her most favorite destructive past-time.

We spent quite a bit of time preparing Christmas cards last night, including a family portrait in front of our first Christmas tree and a Christmas letter to let everyone know how fabulous married life is! We have 40 to send out, and definitely have more people we need to send them too, but were limited by funds and printing capabilities... so if you don't get one, it doesn't mean we didn't mean to send one to you; we just have more friends than we thought! So, let this suffice: MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR from the Meadows!

I am currently battling something I have affectionately deemed the death cough. I have been hacking for more than a week now, and I'm not sure when this unfortunate illness will meet its demise, but I am hoping it is soon. It only added to the gloriousness of my already out-of-whack day. You know how there is always a ton of extra work to reward you for time off at the office? I was prepared to tackle it all today-- I mean, I walked with a killer to-do list and the will to get everything crossed off before 5 p.m. today. However, due to some unforeseen computer issues at work, when I got settled in my cozy new cubicle for the day, it had suddenly become 11:30 and I had gotten nothing crossed off my list. Yikes! For the rest of the day, I just couldn't catch a break... work, work, work, and the things that were prioritized at the top of my list just didn't even get done (though other important things did). Lucky me, I have a FABULOUS husband who was willing to brave the cold on the scooter and come help me get a very important task done: get promotional materials out to the remaining key players for the ASO concert this Wednesday. I had to get it done before these places closed, and I wanted to leave work before midnight (not to mention stupid death cough makes me want to avoid the cold outdoors like it's the plague!). I actually was able to leave work on time and leave the stress of unresolved printing issues there at the office.

If you called, texted, or communicated with me in any other way over Thanksgiving break, I'm sorry for my lack of response. I'm even yet to get back to my bff, so take this as my public apology and know that I blame death cough.

Thanksgiving was a really great time to see family (30 at the Meadows' household!) shop 'til we dropped, and just spend time together. Hope your Thanksgiving had good reports as well.

Now, I will leave you with some pictures :) (duh, most of them are of the cat, our child!)

A blurry picture of Moki's Christmas gift, but you get the idea

Moki helping me write this blog entry!

Moki posing for the camera (how adorable!)

Moki's favorite toy from Grandma Williams... Leopard Mouse. In fact, Moki loves Leopard Mouse so much that she shares her water with him...

...and her food, just about every day.

Christmas time!!! And our excellent $25 pre-lit tree! Not to mention all Christmas shopping done.

Moki pretending to be in jail on our bed. But let's be honest, she loves being allowed to hang out on the bed on occasion.

Precious little girl playing with tissue paper

Moki discovering her love toilet paper (and all things shreddable)