Without You

Life has been really crazy lately. Very stressful at home. But family sticks together.
Apology is important. Forgiveness is important. Changing is important.
Showing up and seeing it through is important.
Change is hard. Changing with change is hard too.
But that’s life.

There’s always sun after the storm. And sometimes a rainbow too.
A great reminder of God’s promises.

Last night Mark took me out for a nice dinner and some shopping to relax and just not think about anything. We saw this rainbow on our way to dinner. The weather turned out to be really nice. It had been in the 70s all week, but the rain brought a cold front and I think fall might be here to stay. We had dinner at Duck Sauce in Newtown and then walked to Starbucks and sat in the window watching traffic go by. It was exactly what I needed.
I’m so thankful for him.

When we were driving home this came on the radio and it was the first time Mark had heard the song. I think it might become one of our favorites.

Hope you’re having a great weekend!!

The Saga of the Mean Monks Cafe

Last week Mark said he had a surprise for me and I was scared it was going to involve something requiring special footwear or a shady restaurant. Ironically our day involved both of those things – but they weren’t quite planned.

After church we went downtown to eat that this restuarant Mark found online. We had looked at the menu and thought it seemed like a reputable place. Unfortunately it turned into the saga of the mean Monk’s Cafe. First of all – Mapquest is stupid. I like google maps. I like google maps. I like google maps. After walking about 17-20 city blocks (I regretted my shoe choice and was in so much pain I was almost crying) because parking was crazy since everyone and their grandma was downtown to enjoy the beautiful weather, we got back in the car and finally found it using the gps on my phone. Then we spent ten minutes trying to find a parking space  and Mark parallel parked like a pro. FINALLY. With grumbling stomachs we walked to the restaurant JUST to be asked for ID. We looked at each other totally confused. I asked her, “Oh you have to be 21 to EAT here?!?” and then she nodded yes. So we backed up and we turned around and we walked out. Now our feet hurt, we were starving, and we felt like idiots. I guess if they don’t want to serve 20 years olds lunch and get our money that’s just fine. So we decided to drive home and get Primo Hoagies and call it a day. And the hoagies were DELICIOUS by the way. They hit the spot at 3:30 :) Then Mark brought out the real surprise. A pumpkin. He’s never carved his own so it was a big deal. And it was his idea to carve our initials - I felt like we were in middle school. I carved his and he carved mine- HAHA!  I don’t think his parents believed it was his idea and thought I was super lame. But I’m ok with that. It was sweet.

So the saga of the Mean Monks Cafe ended with a really good hoagie and a cute pumpkin.
Next weekend we’re going up the mountains and then we’ll each have our own.
Mine will be better than his ;)

Sundays are the best…

Wanna know why?

Because it’s the one day out of the week that I get to spend legit time with Mark. It’s the most fun-filled busy day of my week. I always look forward to it. And I always fall asleep with a smile on my face on Sunday nights.

AND ALSO because it was fifty-something degrees outside and it finally felt like fall.
Yes – it was mostly that. I could wear a scarf and not feel like an idiot.

This past week consisted of church, Mark’s brothers soccer game, watching the Eagles dominate despite their lack of urgency, cheese steaks at half time, watching Andy Reid let the Eagles lose, going to the mall and Wal-Mart, realizing my ankle is bleeding from a blister I had no idea existed, watching House Hunters, giving Pugger a bath, eating Carrot Cake, and the driving home in complete silence. Basically – it rocked.

Poor Pug has fleas. Which totally grosses me out and gives me something else to add to my list of reasons why I can never own an animal BUT Mark loves this dog more than anything so I choose to have compassion instead of disgust. The cutie got tired of trying to escape the bath, that he finally just sat himself on down and put up with it. Sadly, he was awake all night scratching. (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

He really was the cutest puppy ever. And when his family comes home he’s the happiest dog in the world. Also that cheese steak was delicious. And I love Mark’s shirt.

13. Double Date

Sushi. 21-Day-Aged Burgers. Crab Dip. Caesar Salad. Chocolate Combustion Cake.

Construction. Cheers. A dog and a snake.

Lot’s of driving around to look for a parking spot. Lot’s of singing along with the radio. Lot’s of time with siblings, which have become best friends :)

Back to the start…

Langhorne Coffee House – the cutest place in all of Langhorne, that is frequented by everyone who goes to PBU. My sister was the first person that ever introduced me to it. It’s adorable. The walls are lined with local artists’ paintings and the seats are filled with business people, college students, the local police officers, and moms with their children. It’s tiny, but so welcoming. I love mom-and-pop places, and this one is probably my favorite. Over the course of my three semesters at school I went with my girlfriends a bunch of times, and it became the place to go. It’s only open until 2pm and they serve breakfast and lunch items. My favorite thing about LCH is that they cut their muffins in half and put them on the grill with butter. They come to you warm and toasted. Delish.

Mark and I decided to go Monday. In honor of meeting two years before, we spent a few hours in the town where we met. So cheesy. But still fun. The weather was SO gorgeous that we got to eat outside. The humidity has finally died down and the air has that cool hint of the coming of fall that I love. We both got Arthur Palmer’s to drink which is iced tea mixed with lemonade – I never knew it had a name!! And I called it a Hey Arnold because I couldn’t remember the real name :) Mark, of course, knew all about it/him…

After brunch, we headed to school and walked around the pond. It was weird to be back on campus, and even weirder that for the first time since I was five I won’t be going back to school. No school supplies, no packing, no anticipation. No school. Very weird. Mark high-fived me for taking the easy way out, joking of course. We both agree that my decision to work until I figure out what I want to do is the right thing, but it’s a little sad that I won’t be with him at school. No more runs to Wawa or Dunkin or LCH for coffee. No more sitting in the library listening to completely different music on our headphones and mouthing the words while writing papers next to each other. No more dates in the Eagles Nest for fried food and cookies. This fall is going to be a lot of change for both of us, so we’re trying to hold on to these last few days of freedom and summer. I feel that way at least. On September 1st I’ll start a full time job and five days later I’ll say goodbye to my teens. Welcome to the real world, right? It’ll be an adjustment, but I’m glad I still have days like Mark and I had to relax with the people I love.

The end of summer is always a little sad, but Autumn truly is my favorite season. And I can’t wait to see what the next few months have in store…

New Hope… is a little spooky

I believe that’s what Mark and I were feeling as we were driving around looking for a place to park. I was really confused when I went into a local Chinese restaurant and asked the woman for 4 quarters change for my dollar so we could park and she shook her head no. And I was even more worried when I got a super nice welcome via an inappropriate gesture from a local through the car windows. But after we parked and actually got to experience Main Street, we found New Hope to be quite delicious and quite darling.

We went to a restaurant called Marsha Browns that Mark found online… it’s actually inside an old church!! The decor is so so neat and the food is Creole style cuisine. I had a burger with onions, mushrooms, cheddar cheese, and their barbeque sauce and Mark had the jambalaya. Mine was delicious. His was atrocious. But he loved it… so more power to him… After we ate we walked down to the Delaware and watched the ducks and the swans for a while. There were three ducklings that were adorable! They always stayed out of the water whenever people threw the ducks food because they older ones got so vicious and crazy over the bread crumbs! Poor ducklings… Anyways if you’re ever in the New Hope area you should definitely try Marsha Browns. The lunch menu isn’t very large but the food is excellent and the prices are much more reasonable. Dinner is a little more pricey.

 

Ps. I love swans. There were swans in the lake at the camp where I was born, so I’ve always loved them. Aren’t they beautiful?? God is such an amazingly creative and beautiful creator.