the living room

This weekend the living room got a little bit of a face lift. We moved the faithful futon into the den and couches into the living room. We drove to Shreveport with a trailer to pick them up and got the couches in typical Weiss fashion. We faced many obstacles throughout the day but at the end of the day, we watched the Hawkeyes win and the first half of the Coug game...or Jenni slept through the Coug game (I never realized how spoiled I was watching football in the pacific time zone...but that is an entirely different blog).


My favorite part of the new layout is that now the pretty rug is visible...no coffee table on top of it.

There are some pictures of the new couches and our long living room.

everyone collects something

One of the things Leland and I enjoy doing is visiting antique stores. Most of the time we walk around and admire old things. I just appreciate things that have been used and imagining what life they had before. In some antique stores you are just guessing what the thing may have been used for. We both enjoy older things, so this is fun.

Frequently when we walk through the stores I wonder why some things are there. Leland always tells me that there is someone who collects them and everyone collects something. Then he looks at me and says, "but I don't know what you collect." Since I left my parents house I generally moved at least once a year, which taught me to get rid of things you don't use (they are just boxes to carry).

During the last two visits to the stores we have recognized that I am drawn to dishes. I really enjoy them and think they are beautiful. Normally it is easy to resist buying them because so much work is needed to make the collection. Two weeks ago we found a set in a store that was incredibly full, only missing 3 dinner plates and a sugar bowl). We decided against buying it and the next weekend Leland decided we should see if it is still there and make an offer on it.

It was at the store and now it is in our house. I have officially become a collector. I don't mind collecting dishes because amount you can purchase is limited to the space. I think it is a waste to have dishes you can't use but fun to use a wide collection of them.I am still amazed at how much we got. We now have an abundant amount of serving bowls and platters, we are ready for a feast and company. Luckily the new dishes also match our wedding dishes, so things can be used interchangeably.

They are a set from the 50s, so we have gone a little retro.

new horsey

Yesterday we got a new addition to our family. We have been discussing what to do with cars for months now. The Honda's miles were building up quickly and it was becoming a wonderful second car...but we needed it to be the primary vehicle. We drove through Alexandria, LA earlier this week and test drove a Pontiac Vibe.
We decided to put an offer on the Vibe and were surprised when they accepted it, so we started to drive through a thunder storm to pick it up. We are glad to add Poncho to our family but I was sad to see the Honda leave. The Honda and I had many good memories together.

We named the car Poncho, short from Pontiota (Pontiac & Toyota combined, Leland's creation). The Vibe is the exact same car as the Toyata Matrix.

I am happy that the complicated search for a wagon is over, I can wait a long time before looking for another car.

LA to WA highlights

Last week we drove from Louisiana to Washington. It was definitely a long trip and a lot of miles were covered but we had fun. Here are some pictures of the stops we made along the way.

We took a brief break in Chamberlain, SD along the way. It is an old Milwaukee Railroad town. Incase you don't already know, Leland enjoys railroads and the Milwaukee line is his favorite. It was a fun stop and a much needed stretch break.

It was pretty amazing to think about the details and care put into carving Mount Rushmore. It is definitely worth seeing.

Here is a picture of the back side of Mt. Rushmore. I found the overlook of South Dakota just as breath taking as the National Memorial.

We stopped in Deer Lodge, MT to see the newly repainted Little Joe. It was an engine named after Joseph Stalin. They were originally made for Russia and then the Cold War hit and the engine could no longer go to Russia, which is how it got its name Little Joe. The Milwaukee Railroad ran an electric line in the west and this was one of their powerful engines. It is the last one painted in Milwaukee colors.

Outside of Deer Lodge, MT we stopped at a national park which was an old ranch. Previously I had visited it and they had a wonderful chair that turned into a step ladder. We stopped so I could by the blue print of the chair. Not only did we get the blue print we got a special surprise. On the ranch property there was Milwaukee rail. The Milwaukee is an abandoned railroad and there very little track west of Terry, MT. So this was an unexpected surprise.

Sunday morning breakfast

Breakfast every morning must begin with the morning tea. This morning I had a classic black tea purchased in Iowa City...it was a great start to the morning.

I decided it was time to make aebleskivers again. Aebleskivers are a Danish pancake ball. Last year Leland bought be the pan for my birthday, our first attempted was pretty challenging but after we learned the technique it became a staple in our house. It is a fun change to traditional pancake.

Turning the aebleskivers with a shish kabob stick.
Waiting to turn them again. It takes one quarter turn...and then later on another quarter of turn.
Waiting in the pan to be eatten. It was a great breakfast. Aebleskivers with homemade strawberry jam, yummy Sunday morning breakfast.

our first southern wedding

This past weekend we went to our first wedding in the south and we had a good time. It was more like weddings in the north than different. The mission was the same, to have Courtney and Stephen married at the end of it.

They are two students involved in Chi Alpha. This past year I have had the joy of mentoring Courtney, she has a great heart and an amazing capacity to love others. It was great to watch them go through the process and be there as they begin their life married.

Here are some pictures from the event.

the reception site.

pretty flowers

The invitation made me laugh. Neither one of us like to be called by our titles but when I see them together it makes me smile...we are not normal.

us

life around the house

The quarter is over and the pace of life has changed dramatically.  I have slowed down because Chi Alpha wrapped everything up last week.  Unfortunately, Leland's schedule has picked up; he is in the middle proposals and paper deadlines.  We are still working hard at making sure we have time to see each other, the challenges just look different.

Lately I have been spending a lot of time around the house.  The past week I have been recovering from an outpatient surgery/scope.  I am doing pretty good and working through everything (I never knew the gas could be so bad).  Hopefully in the next couple of weeks my pain will be gone and everything will be worth it.   

Another thing the surgery has done is make me fall in love with dresses, they never rub against the surgical wounds.  I have been on a mission to find inexpensive and comfortable dresses.  I also feel like I am connecting to my childhood; I really enjoyed wearing dresses as a little girl.

Here is a couple of pictures taken around the house.

I was trying to take a picture of kitty and me; we were hanging out on the futon watching NCIS.  Unfortunately I did not have much success and only got her leg.

Kitty knows what she likes: army blanket, remote, and not being woken up.