How do I love s’mores? Let me count the ways.

Posted on June 28, 2013 by Hannah

s'morescookies_7Is there any combination of food more perfect than this?s'morescookies_1

The answer is no.

Don’t even bother arguing with me on this one. You can keep your fine wine and cheese, your bagel with smear and lox, your perfect steak and potatoes. I will take my s’more, gooey and sticking to my fingers, tasting faintly of smoky summer evenings and crisp fall nights. You can have your delicate pastry and espresso, your fish and chips, your spinach and artichokes. I will take my s’more, composed of the most generic grocery store brand ingredients, transformed into the trinity of outdoor cuisine by the miracle of a fire and a un-bent coat hanger.

I will take a s’more over just about anything . When we went camping last year, only to have our beach camping overshadowed by horrible weather and cold, I ate s’mores about every hour and still felt like I had done all I intended to do in camping. When we returned there were still extra materials so I took to making s’mores over the gas burners. I threatened to do this again on our Colorado trip, much to the dismay of everyone else in the cabin. They threw out warnings like”They will taste like gas!!” and I was all like “Um, so what? I WILL DO IT IF I HAVE TO,” until James and my brothers saved me from myself and built a fire.

On a regular basis I contemplate Big Problems of Life. Things like why is the DC metro so inefficient, why can’t my neighbors master parallel parking (Dear Residents of our street: If you leave four feet of space in front of AND behind your car, you effectively cut in half the number of parking spaces on our street.), why do people think their turn signals are decorative, how come Starbucks discontinues the salted caramel beverages when there are still three months of winter left, and how can I convince everyone to eat s’mores in the absence of a campfire. In regards to the last one, I have spent quite some time on ye old Internet gathering s’mores in alternative forms. I’m sure you have passed many a sleepless night wondering how you could revision the s’more to make it more convenient for your next covered dinner (if you aren’t from the Bible Belt, that’s an awesome dinner party where everyone brings a different sort of casserole, most of your meal is held together by cheese, and deviled eggs always make an appearance), and I’m glad that I can share this list with you and return your repose to its otherwise untroubled state.

Here are some of the best I’ve seen, though I should give the disclaimer that I haven’t actually made all of these yet:

  • S’mores ice cream: I am planning on busting out my ice cream maker this week and trying this because recipes from this website have never let me down and I watched the writer working on this recipe via instagram posts for several weeks. I might have licked the phone at least once. (Shameless plug: this is my favorite food blog ever because of the writing, which usually has me laughing and crying by the end of almost every post. She’s the only blogger that I have ever written an email to, begging them to write a book and she just announced that she has started writing one and I am PUMPED.)
  • S’mores bars: These are probably the most simple recreation of the original, and there is something to be said for simplicity. The recipe was also recommended by my friend Rachel and she understands how I feel about s’mores enough not to trifle with me.
  • S’mores NUTELLA bars: It’s a s’more. Plus Nutella. ‘Nuff said. After my freshman year of college, one of the professors had us over to his house to burn all our notes/paper drafts and make s’mores over the ashes. Somehow a jar of Nutella materialized and I was able to try this combo. It was delicious, but really messy, so I feel that the bar form is probably an improvement.
  • Gooey Red-velvet s’mores bars: Now, I am generally unimpressed with red-velevet things. I feel that red-velvet is like the hot girl on the dessert shelf and everyone thinks she’s so great but she is really just kind of average with some fancy lipstick. But, this recipe included “gooey” in the title, which intrigues me, as gooeyness is already implied in the s’mores itself. I am hoping it is like that pumpkin gooey cake that I devoured all winter.
  • S’mores fudge: If there is a fudge form of anything, you have an almost moral obligation to find it and try it.
  • S’mores cake: I love cake. You know those people at weddings who say things like “I just don’t like cake”? I always secretly think they are lying/ just haven’t had a good one yet. This is akin to the response I get when I say that I hate beer, ultimate frisbee, and horror movies. “You just haven’t tried a  good one, ” they say as I gag; or “You would love it if someone taught you,” they insist, as I get hit in the face repeatedly; or “This one is actually artistic and worth it,” they promise, and then I spend months having nightmares.  But I am pretty sure that s’mores + cake would convince anyone. There is also a Smitten Kitchen recipe for s’mores cake, but it is in the cookbook rather than on the website. It will most likely be as delicious as all of her other recipes and you should all buy her book, because it is like a gorgeous glossy coffee table book and a cookbook had a perfectly adorable love child that I can’t put down.
  • S’mores macarons: I am actually kind of opposed to the theory of this, just like the thought of a bacon maple macaron makes me want to barf  (expect a post on the integrity of macarons and the downside of globalization soon), but my “Any s’more is a good s’more” philosophy wins out over my disgust and I have to include it.

And of course, s’mores cookies.s'mores

When we were in Banff for our honeymoon last year I found a recipe for s’mores cookies in a newspaper that I ripped out to try eventually. I finally got around to making it a couple weeks ago. I’ll be honest, it wasn’t as good as an actual s’more, but I’m not sure if you can improve on the original. (One exception: wouldn’t it be awesome to make s’mores with Petit Écolier cookies? This stroke of pure genius came to me when I was trying to make s’mores in a poorly lit area and kept dropping the chocolate off the graham. It’s a pretty great idea, I know. Let the record show that I thought of it first when it eventually goes viral and starts showing up on Pinboards everywhere.) But if you aren’t a huge fan of s’mores, then you might find these cookies an improvement. At least, that is how James felt.  In any case, I will say that it is absolutely imperative that you eat these cookies warm or the mallow gets really tough. However, they do reheat pretty well.s'mores2

S’mores cookies, from an article in some Canadian paper. (I am pretty sure that the person who wrote the article is the food blogger from here.)

  • 2.5 cups flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 100g + dark chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 100g+ milk chocolate, broken into pieces
  • 13 graham crackers, broken into small pieces
  • Bag large or small marshmallows
  1. Preheat oven to 375 and grease cookie sheets.
  2. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. Et aside.
  3. Cream butter and sugars until pale and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix until combined. Add vanilla and incorporate.
  4. Slowly add flour mixture to butter mixture. Fold in chocolate and graham cracker chunks.
  5. Place dough by heaping tablespoons on cookie sheets. Gently flatten cookies with your fingers and press three small mallows, or one large mallow cut in half, into cookies.
  6. Bake the cookies for 8-10 minutes, or until mallow is melted and slightly golden.

s'morescookies_9Are you all s’mores fans? Know of any other good s’mores desserts?

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Of beaches and besties.

Posted on June 27, 2013 by Hannah

I still count my three high school besties among my closest friends. That first picture was taken at a trip before our freshman year of high school and the second at my wedding.besties

A lot has changed over the past couple years and there was a lot to celebrate this summer. Rachel had a new job, I finished my masters, Megan was taking medical boards (and just got engaged!), and Susannah is expecting her first child. We had always talked on going on another trip together and it seemed like this was our shot.  What started as a little bit of a crazy idea back in March became reality in a span of about 12 hours.  At the last minute  Megan had to move her exams and miss our trip (insert weeping and gnashing of teeth), but Suze, Rachel, and I met up on Sunday for a wild week in Fort Lauderdale.beachbesties1Don’t get any crazy ideas about this wild week. Our version of yolo is more like this than the traditional understanding. The great thing about people that you have been besties with forever is that you have nothing left to prove. Our week included such pursuits as cheering our way through Pitch Perfect (ok, and watching every single special feature and re-watching multiple scenes), attending a timeshare talk for some free brunch and a gift card (where we were held hostage for over three hours by a crazy Russian salesman named Boris despite our pleas that we weren’t interested in buying), driving extra loops around the parking lot just so we could finish singing along to that super catchy One Direction song (yep, just admitted that on the internet), and staying in most nights to eat sandwiches and watermelon because we like being in our jammies. This club be bouncin’, and by club I mean a non-profit worker, a grad student, and a pregnant women, and by bouncin’, I mean hanging out and avoiding dangerous activities.  There might have even been a moment when Suze and I sang a rousing, full-length rendition of “Part of your world,” that culminated in me being knocked over by a wave on the last note and another moment where we heated up three-day-old pizza in our room, cut it in tiny chunks, and called it an appetizer.  Yep, we are pretty wild.

beachbesties2We were also the only people hitting the south Florida beaches in swimsuits that covered most of our torsos, not to mention our backsides.  Have you seen that video that is going around the internet? I am not opposed to a tasteful two-piece, but I totally had a moment where I felt like a mom and wanted to go explain to some young girls in thongs and not much else about things like dignity and self respect, not to mention health and the benefits of sunscreen.  Do these people not realize that skin cancer is not a joke? How embarrassing will it be when they have to have cancerous moles removed from not only their stomachs, but their butts too? Despite my pasty person predisposition to burns, I managed to avoid a sunburn until the last day left me a little rosy, thanks to my sunhat, shades, and vigorous sunscreen regimen. And yes, I do sound like I am 55, but I can’t hide my true self. I should also confess that I lectured a child in the resort pool about appropriate manners. beachbesties3There is just something so special, so unique, so right about vacation with your besties. I’ve been on trips to the beach with these girls since we were awkward 13 year-olds, and the form of these vacations hasn’t changed much. Yes, we can now drive the rental car and order those fancy cocktails with the little umbrellas, but that’s about all. We still stay up talking, eat way too much, laugh loudly, and spend a lot of time marveling at how much we love each other. We still share our fears and dreams for the future and wonder what things will be like when we grow up. We still take this break from everyday life to share what life has been since we were last together, to rejoice in what it is now, and to pray for what it is to become. So thankful that in the fourteen years of being friends and having so much change, so much more hasn’t changed.

vscocam612

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But then summer comes.

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Hannah

My feelings about academia and grad school fluctuate constantly. When I look at our bank account and I think how awesome it would be if I was getting a real working person paycheck, I am less than thrilled with my current position. When a Saturday comes around and everyone is doing fun things and I am at Starbucks reading another depressing book and writing another paper unpacking the negative vestiges of colonialism/ the subjugation of woman/ the meaninglessness of life, I hate my  own life a little. When I grade endless stacks of tests making the exact same mistakes no matter how many times that student has been corrected, I want to stick pencils in my eyes.

But then summer comes.

And I watch James leaved for a sweaty walk to work in his suit.

And I watch everyone I know go off and miss all those beautiful summer days to earn those awesome big paychecks.

And I get all the missed Saturdays of my entire year in one glorious succession.

And I think, you know what, I’m pretty lucky.

This week I feel especially so because I am here with two of my very favorite people. We are eating a lot of delicious food, watching a lot of entertaining television, laughing more than should be possible, and wearing way higher SPF than anyone else on the beach because we are those women, the ones with the sun hats, midriff covering swimsuits, and a vigorous sunscreen reapplication schedule. vscocam577

Lest you think that my summer is all fun and games, I am teaching summer school for July and August. Plus, I have been spending a lot of time editing wedding photos over the past couple weeks and there is no end in sight. As proof, I leave you with two images from this past weekend’s wedding.DSC_3135bwDSC_2990

Now then, I’m off to the pool.

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Whatever.

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Hannah

beachtrip Last weekend we slipped out of the city with some dear friends and headed to the beach. I’ve never lived somewhere before where you can just go to the beach for the afternoon and I love it.
beachtrip2 What is it about the ocean that draws us to it so? What is it about sitting on the beach all afternoon that can leave you simultaneously exhausted, relaxed, and refreshed? What is it about the wind and sun and sand that soothes the soul?
beachtrip3Whatever it is, I’m looking forward to lots more of it this summer. Any beach plans in your summer?

*The quote is from this poem.

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Why I love DC: Union Market

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Hannah

unionmarket_17A decade ago, the eastern half of this city wasn’t exactly tourist friendly. This is reaffirmed every time I tell someone who has lived in the DC metropolitan area for a long time I live in SE and that last year I lived in NE near the New York avenue metro.  When I pronounce those words, their eyes grow wide and their stunned look makes me feel like a) I barely got out alive and b) I am super hardcore because I spent a year walking home from that metro at night and lived to tell the tale.

But the truth is that the eastern half of this city has been pretty gentrified. As the tenant of one apartment complex we looked at said, “Once they put up a bunch of dog parks, we knew that the neighborhood was yuppie for good.”  But hey – yuppie means awesome brunch spots and specialty cupcake shops, to which I am not opposed.

The funny thing about this shifting process is the desire to retain a remnant of the former self, but fancied up and nostalgized (yes, I just made that a word) of course. We want something to look authentic even if it is falsely so. This is similar to how I want my home to look like it is full of quirky and original pieces that have drifted their way into my possession while I’ve been living a wild and mysterious life, but really it is all from Ikea.

All of this rambling brings me to Union Market.unionmarket14

Near Galludet University there are a couple street blocks of markets. Not the pretty Eastern Market type, but actual stalls where restaurants and chefs come to purchase food. This area is gritty, grey, looks like the scary parts of Taken, and defines the flavor and history of this neighborhood.  Yet as this neighborhood is getting nicer and nicer, there is a glaring lack of brunch spots – a true travesty in D.C. existence.

The one day, pressured by the influx of hipsters in maiden braids and Warby Parker glasses (Attention World: it stops being awesome for you to have five pairs to choose from if you carry them around and force everyone to look at five almost identical pairs of oversized Harry Potter glasses so you can decide. They all look the same, and that same is you looking like a librarian, which has suddenly become The Thing To Do.), someone had the great idea to take one big warehouse and turn it into an indoor market of food stalls, flower shops, and a couple other vendors. Outside there are chairs and umbrellas, places to play cornhole, and FREE PARKING. (Yes, you read that right.)unionmarket15

What it is: Indoor market with lots of food counters where you can get everything from bagel sandwiches to fresh oysters to Korean BBQ tacos.

Where it is: 1309 5th St. NE

Why you should be excited: Imagine yourself at Eastern Market. See how much fun you’re having? Now imagine that same scene, but it is summer. See how much fun you wish you were having but you can’t because you are slowly sweating into a puddle on the ground that dogs will lick up because they are dying of thirst. Now imagine how awesome it would be if you could have all the market-y goodness and atmosphere (ok, minus some of the actual market stalls… but plus better food!) in an awesome air-conditioned, repurposed warehouse. And imagine if you could have free parking for said weekend destination without driving around the block nine million times. Sounds great, doesn’t it?  Also, I had a French toast bagel with syrup that was so good that I want to drag each of you personally down there so we can share one. Or two, because I actually want my own.

unionmarket16

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Summer came, and we all drank lemonade.

Posted on June 17, 2013 by Hannah

summerflowers3

Hey y’all, summer’s here.

You might protest that statement if you are a season purist, one who believes that summer starts on the official date of June 21st, but I am someone who knows that summer doesn’t always fit in neat calendar restrictions. Its arrival has less to do with dates and more to do with that indescribable  feeling that sweeps over us.

And this past week, summer came.

I got back to DC and found a city ready to get rolling with summer. The second half of the summer, I am teaching summer school, but this first half is deliciously lazy which lets me revel in summer. This means picking fresh flowers from the front patch of overgrown weeds yard for the table (thank you, Former Tenant), taking walks with James in the evenings, drinking lots of lemonade, and spending lots of time on the back porch. It means only changing into real clothes in time for James to get home and cheering at the Congressional Baseball Game. It means changing my radio dial definitively to the country station (because country is the official anthem of summer), watching shameful television,  and eating a lot of picnics. Summer is here, and it is awesome.

One of the many joys of academia is actually having a summer, and I don’t take it for granted. Go enjoy your big paychecks, Corporate America, I’ll just take my summer. I have a whole list of projects that I want to do this summer, everything from trying my hand at making ice cream to reading lots of books to finally finishing decorating our living room. But the biggest goal that James and I have for this summer is to explore all that summer in this city has to offer. The fall is shaping up to be a busy one and we don’t want to miss out on being carefree in this amazing city. I’ll be sharing lots of fun DC things this summer, so stay tuned for ways to spice up your next patriotic pilgrimage to our nation’s capital. And by that, we know I mean “great places to eat” because I have priorities, even in the summer.

The arrival of summer has also meant breaking out my summer staples. I thought about sharing a list of the things I was wanting for this summer, but I decided instead to share a couple of the ordinary things I already have and actually use during the summer. summernecessitiesNot pictured: The AC units that we have going full speed because DC refuses to admit that they are far enough south that central air should be a given and the hard core deodorant that I have to reapply all day because, you know, the Founding Fathers built our capital in a steamy swamp. 

  1. Mary Kay Translucent Powder: I hate wearing makeup in the summer. I hate how the sweat and the makeup mix into a sort of yucky paste that makes me feel like I am just wiping grease around on my face. But sometimes going out totally barefaced in this city is unacceptable, even in situations that the rest of the country might forgive. This powder is the answer. I got it as a free sample, but I am going to have to actually buy some because I love it. You get that nice smooth makeup finish without actually putting much on your face and it doesn’t get all streaky in the sweaty metro.
  2. J.Crew Factory Ribber Tank: This is my summer uniform. I have at least 5 in all different colors and if you see me this summer, the chances are good that I will be wearing one. Originality is so overrated. They are so long with just the perfect amount of stretch and pretty cheap too.
  3. Insulated Picnic Basket: Someone gave this to us as a non-registry wedding gift and we couldn’t be more thankful. It is the perfect picnic basket, including all the dishes needed and an insulated compartment for food. Plus, it looks adorable, which is pretty important on my list.
  4. Old Navy Everyday Khaki Shorts: I hate shorts. I mean, I love wearing them, but I hate how unflattering they are as a general rule, how they bunch up after you sit down, and how finding the perfect length is just about impossible. And then I found this pair and bought it in several colors.
  5. Really Good Summer Book: Summer books are different than school year books, at least for me. During the year, I read depressing French lit that is thought provoking and challenging. During the summer, I want memoirs of surmounted obstacles, best-sellers, and whatever the latest teen fiction is. I started the summer with The Night Circus  and it was everything I wanted in a summer book. Any other summer book suggestions?
  6. Crystal Light Liquid: My mom always kept Crystal Light pink lemonade on hand and it is one of the tastes I associate with summer. However, I really hate cleaning pitchers. But with this, James and I can just make individual, customized glasses of Crystal Light. Around our home, we aspire to the height of elegance.

What are some of your summer necessities? What are your summer plans? Any projects that you want to get done? Any fun trips? If not, take a mini trip by scrolling through this list of summer pictures from around the world. Share below!

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We have no hobbies.

Posted on June 14, 2013 by Hannah

James and I have no hobbies.

Back when I was teaching high school, one of my students asked me what James and I like to do together, and when I tried telling her that we just kind of like hanging out, she gave me that withering you-are-so-lame stare that high school girls of all cultures and tribes have perfected. Not much has changed since then.

I don’t mean that we don’t do stuff. We love taking walks, we can’t ever get enough time reading, we obviously like to watch some TV, and I’m slowly grooming my Pirates fan self (um, did you see that kid pitch 99 mph this week??? I can’t even think that fast.). We  also like to make up stories about the imaginary redneck community that we have invented, all centering around the adventures and exploits of one Troy Bobine who lives in rural Virginia. I contribute actual Southern redneck knowledge and James contributes snarky satire.

But none of these are hobbies, the type of things that you say when people ask what you all do together. We don’t bike or garden or pay softball or go to cool indie concerts that no one has heard of. We don’t go running together (Tried that. It was a disaster. James just gets really angry the whole time and pressures me to run faster so we can get it over with, which makes me all wheezy and irritated and totally incapable of reaching my running endorphin zen accompanied by my “Run it out Girl” playlist. ) or cook together, though we do very happily eat together, but I can’t count that as a hobby since that is like wearing a sign that says “Hi, we’re the Wegmanns and we plan on succumbing to the obescity that is plaguing America.”

And people, I love hobbies. I grew up doing drama, ballet, cross-country, horseback riding, youth group, speed shooting, academic team (yeah, I was cool), and art lessons, as well as my own games of Hannah the Budding Capitalist, which involved either trying to swindle my little brother out of his money, or devising all sorts of schemes to make money from unsuspecting neighbors and passersby.  When it came time to fill out those college applications where you brag about all the things you were involved in, I was ready.

James did his share of hobbies too. In fact, all of the Wegmann children did a frightening number of bizarre activities, the depths of which I am only slowly discovering. They made pottery, gardened, played every sport, volunteered to teach children to read, did speed skating, competed in the annual gingerbread house building competition, were involved in Boy Scouts, played instruments, and James worked the snow machine in the production of The Nutcracker.

And now? Now we make up tales about imaginary rednecks. Oh how the mighty have fallen.

But this is all about to change. Because in Colorado, we discovered our [highly probable but still potential until we do it more than once] hobby.  Colorado_96

My fascination with touching those squirming fish knows no bounds. You can tell that from my eagerness to give a smile so big that it shows all my teeth and then some. We did catch and release, and when James told me to “throw it back,” I took it very literally, hurling those shiny fishies through they air with such gusto that one might have not survived his catch and release experience.

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Listen up fishing world: The Wegmanns have found our hobby. We’re coming for you. We are prepared with Hannah’s strangely good casting prowess and her love of touching fish and James’ manly ability for everything else involved. We will be bringing snacks. fishing

Do y’all have any hobbies? Have you ever had to find a new one to share with someone in your life? This phenomenon is not of course reserved for spouses. I remember finding one of my closest friends through a Jillian Michaels shred.

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Vacating: This man.

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Hannah

thisman

You knew it was coming, didn’t you, that mushy post where I get all sappy and newlywed. Well, it’s here.

After an eternity apart (ok, 11 days) where James was in DC and I was in KY, being back with James was arguably the best part of this vacation. I want to pause and give some marriage advice (since you know, I’m super qualified): marry someone you like hanging out with. I know that sounds super obvious, but I am constantly surprised by the number of couples I meet who just don’t seem to enjoy hanging out together. Life can’t always be big romantic gestures. Sometimes it is just two friends living normal life well and laughing at things. I believe that marriage is a forever thing, which means that there is a lot more time in there for hanging out than over the top romantic times. And if you are one of the couples who doesn’t actually like to hang out with each other, chances are pretty good that other people aren’t really going to love hanging out with you either.

Our vacation was set up so that we would have a week with my whole family there, and then James and I would have a couple days alone at the cabin before Bethany came to join us. The idea was that we were tacking a little early one-year anniversary trip onto the end of family vacation. These days were to be filled with romantic picnics by alpine lakes, soaking in the hot tub, and candlelight dinners by the fire, obviously.

Colorado_59

Unfortunately our plan didn’t take into account two pasty kids in the mountains who forgot to wear sunscreen.

This meant that when my family left, James and I settled onto the couch to spend two days nursing sunburns. Picnics were replaced with ice cream eaten straight from the container, hot tub soaking exchanged with aloe application, and the fireside cuddling isn’t really sunburn friendly. Instead, we finished up season three of 24, read books, and played pool (James played- I just lost). In the middle of our shamefully long 24 marathon – season 3 by the way, the one where everyone dies of that super weird virus that first takes victims by making their noses bleed uncontrollably – James got a high-altitude nose bleed that refused to stop. For three hours we held tissues and watched people bleed out on TV, punctuated by occasional calls to my mom to make sure James wasn’t dying. Instead of finishing our evening with dancing under the stars, we spent it with stuffed-nose James playing DJ while I did ridiculous interpretive dance around the kitchen.

But those two days together were still perfect because I like just hanging out with him. I like laughing with him, talking about books, getting engrossed in the same tv shows, and singing stupid songs in the car. I liked having him to talk to on our hikes, to carry the pack and share granola bars. I liked hearing him talk with my family and losing to him in most of the games we played (ok, I also liked beating him and gloating a couple times too). I married someone who I don’t just love; I also like him a whole lot.

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So marry someone with whom you like to hang out, because you never know when a romantic weekend will become a sunburn nursing, nose bleeding, ice cream eating, TV watching marathon.

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Vacating: These People.

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Hannah

thesepeopleI’m sure that there are families who go on vacation together and everything is perfect. I imagine these families going to the beach, and flying there of course.  I imagine that they calmly and politely eat breakfast together, laze about reading glossy magazines, and then stroll along the beach before playing perky games of volleyball where the strong members help the weak and everyone high fives at the end regardless of the score. I imagine that these families go out to eat at swanky seafood restaurants before returning to their beach house to watch movies where no one interrupts the film with snarky comments or annoying questions and then they go to bed with a ritual that rivals the sweetness of that of John Boy on The Waltons.

These families are not like my family.

For starters, we never go to the beach. One time we did and everyone got burned and hated it and we swore that we would never again be seduced by clear waters and pristine sands. The Stones go to the mountains. And we drive there. When we get there, we hike. A lot. We wake up and my dad makes breakfast, and then we hit the trails. We usually hike farther then intended, lose the trail, get lost, get annoyed, snap at each other, run out of water, eat all the granola bars, and wish there were more. At some point, we pause in our frustration and set up the tripod that my dad has lugged along, decide which of the obscenely large cameras we should use (having brought 3 on the hike), and pose happily for a photo. There are mornings spent reading and debating with each other about books, but no glossy magazines unless you count the medical journals my mom brings. She likes to shove one under your face while you are reading and suddenly you are staring at a boil about to burst or a weird toe fungus. Sometimes we engage in game playing, but mostly so that we can have intense smack talk and gloating over winning. And after cooking dinner together, we all just kind of drag our sore feet up to bed. We usually have at least one fight during the trip, and I inevitably cry at some point because I am an overdramatic middle child who does that sort of thing and takes everything personally.

And there is no one I would rather vacation with.

These people are my family, and they are everything. They populate the otherwise perfect backdrop and make it quirky, interesting, and intensely dear. Having James with my boisterous family in our #stegmannsgowest (yep, I forced everyone to embrace a hip trip hashtag – let it never be said that we aren’t with it) adventure is something I have dreamed about for a long time. These people make it worthwhile to go to this place.

breakfastIf you are reading this and have my dad for a morning class, you should probably just demand that he make breakfast, because it is kind of his spiritual gift.hiking1Oh, and in case you were wondering, yes my mom did do her hair in hot rollers before every hike. I mean, “you never know who you will run into out in those woods!” It does mean she looks awesome for the million photos we took. I took the other route, foregoing all hair rituals and makeup application for the whole time in the mountains. This is also evident in the million photos. hiking2That last scene was a common occurrence… even if we sometimes chose to ignore the map. dinner

One night Zach made those amazing caramelized onion grilled cheese sandwiches from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook. Oh man. hiking3

hiking4I also got to spend some time in Colorado with a couple of my closest friends from college, as well as one from childhood, who is now friends with those college friends, which is pretty much the best thing ever.friendsThese people. They’re my favorites.

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Vacating: This Place.

Posted on June 8, 2013 by Hannah

this placeAfter a longer period of blog silence than I have had in a long while (maybe ever? though I have to admit, it was kind of awesome), I am back to inundate you with tales and pictures from our vacation in Colorado.

My family has been going to Colorado for as long as I can remember. For the first half of my life, the whole extended family gathered in Estes Park every other year for a family reunion. We would spend a happy week playing with cousins on the boulders, traipsing between cabins each night for my grandfather to tell us stories, and begging my aunt and uncle to make homemade ice cream and then sneaking away so we didn’t have to churn. Sometime when I was in middle school, my great uncle built some cabins in Buena Vista Colorado and our reunions shifted locations but remained otherwise intact.  After high school however, it became too hard to get the whole family out to Colorado. Everyone had jobs, summer internships, camps, sports, etc, and no one could find a two-week chunk where we were all free to trek out west.

It had been over five years since my family has been back to Buena Vista. When we started trying to find a time for just our immediate family to come out, it looked a little impossible. Lyman graduates and moves out to DC (hurray!), Zach has all sorts of research grants for the summer, James can only take so many vacation days, and I… oh wait, I spend my summers reading books and staking out pools, so I was always free. But finally, it all fell into place together and we all made it out here.

There is something about this place that I love.independence pass

I love waking up in the lodge that my great uncle built, the realization of the dream that he and his late wife had always held to build it here. cabin

I love the mountains that surround this valley, rising up and wrapping around you in snowy white peaks.mountains

I love the aspens that grow in endless groves, shaking their bright green, and later silver, leaves in the mountain breezes.aspens

I love the freezing mountain lakes and the bubbling brooks that smooth the stones in their wake. water

I love this land, with all of its memories and majesty.

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