family L

What a great  Cristmas Emil and I had.

We got to see both sides of the family  and made time for oursleve, too. And, this is the first time in a long time that we didn’t get each other a same gift.

Armed with new toys and gadgets (this blog post is coming to you from our couch via the new bluetooth QWERTY keyboard for my iPhone), we have a few days of R&R planned. We’ll see you all in 2012.

Happy New Year!

.

At Thanksgiving, we learned that one oft he Amanda’s is pregnant. Today, we learned the other one is too. The first cousins will be born in June and July. If my count is correct, these will be our 20th and 21st great neice/newphews. That’s a lot of babies in just 10 years.

Two years ago, I was far to ill to attend Thanksgiving–my third favorite holiday. I tried to get Emil to go to Bryan without me, but he wanted to stay here and take care of me.
yippie.
j.k. Actually, he was quite kind to check on me but otherwise leave me alone… I think he didn’t want to risk that he was contagious but not symptomatic and “share” with the whole fam damily.
I was no better by Thursday evening, so we cancelled our trip to Paris for Friday-giving, too.

Last year, I was to ill to participate in any part of Hallowe’en. I had one of those colds that lasted for days….and all the wrong days, at that! Since Hallowe’en is far and above my favorite holiday, I was not a happy camper. My costume was recycled from a fundraiser a few years ago, so I wasn’t that exited about it, anyway. (Curses to the crack pot who gave the Hallowe’en party a theme. WTF? I guess she doesn’t realize that themes only work for the person who picks them!)

This year, we made it to the No Kidding! party  and had a really good time. But ~30 hours later, while I suffered insomnia, Emil awoke unable to breathe. So, while tonight could have had some small have-to-work-tomorrow adventure to celebrate this fun holiday, we are at home. He’s “in there” and I’m “in here” because we don’t want him to share.

dammit.

Why can’t this happen at Christmas since it’s my least favorite holiday?

Excuse me, I have to go wash my hands with bleach.

You aren’t anonymous on the Internet. This should come as no surprise to anyone who has ever used Google or facebook.

• If you comment on my blog, I can see what city you are in. I even have a vague-to-accurate address (depending upon several things).
• If you ask me for help with something and then undo all the work I did with your blessing, I’ll know. Guess what? I follow the projects I’ve worked on.
• If you read most of the (infrequent) emails my business sends over the course of a few years but then suddenly mark one as spam a) I’ll know you did that and b) you’ll jeopardize your reputation as a savvy Internet user. Clearly you were interested enough to read some of them. Just don’t be a dick about it. Unsubscribe if you are no longer interested.
  And if you are family, it’s just makes you look even worse.

I’m tired of bad “sportsmanship” to use the term more globally. It’s just not that hard to be nice. It’s even easier to not be a jerk; ha, for that, you don’t have to do ANYthing!

Easter with the Luzas has shifted over the last few years from a BBQ feast–with a lot of wee-hours-of-the-morning cooking–to a hamburgers/hot-dogs lunch. It’s not as yummy, but it’s a lot less work, especially for a devoted few.

Last year, I honestly don’t remember what I ate. I probably took veggie patties and soy dogs.

This year, we were only going to be there for the one/big meal, so I opted for veggie packets and fruit kabobs. Along with chips, this was our contribution to the family meal.

Veggie Packets

prep:

• Chop onion into ~8 sections; with it’s natural layers, grabbing a wedge for each packet will be easy.
• Chop or slice vegetables for ease of scooping 1/4 cup portions.
• To make ~40 packets, this took me ~2 hours.

assemble:

• two layers of foil
• 1/4 cup diced potatoes
• 1/4 cup sliced zucchini
• 1/4 cup sliced yellow squash
• 1/4 cup sliced carrots
• 1 small wedge of onion
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon rosemary
• a pinch of thyme
• salt & pepper

Double-fold the packets along the top and then fold in the ends.

cook:

• Grill over a hot fire for ~15 minutes.
• Our grills were VERY hot that day, so we put them on the top rack.
• In our case, they were done when the foil started to change color.

Fruit Ka-bobs

Thanks for my friends on Twitter and facebook, I knew what fruits would grill well!

prep:

Clean and cut fruit into wedges big enough to slide onto skewers and not fall between the slats on the grill. This took me about an hour.

ingredients:

• apples
• pears
• strawberries
• pineapple
• mango (given the size of the mango pit, this was by-far the hardest to work with)

prep:

Soak wooden skewers in water to keep them fire resistant. Some also advised soaking the fruit in water to prevent burning.

cook:

• Have each person assemble their favorites into a ka-bob.
• Sprinkle a little sugar on each ka-bob.
• Grill over a hot flame for ~5 minutes, turning one time.
• You know they are done when the fruit has grill marks.

The apples and pears will taste like bites of pie. The strawberries are unlike any I’d ever had.

I can’t speak to the pineapple or mango since I can’t stand the stuff, but it was quickly claimed when we packed up after lunch and divided all the leftovers!

YUM!

Emil with two of his nephews. Lydia sent us this picture and said it was just after Long John Silvers opened in Bryan and just before Bobby/Patty and family moved back to Washington.

Personally, I don’t think this looks like Emil.

Happy Anniversary to us!

One decade ago, we said said, “I Do” while surrounded by the love of ~300 of our family/friends. It was our perfect day.

• We filled the church with bluebonnet scented candles early that day to fill the church with their gorgeous smell.
• The weather was perfect. Father John opened the windows to our church. I never saw them opened before and haven’t since! The scent of the candles lingered among the feel of gentle breezes and sounds of chirping birds.
• Our family and friends were perfect. My heart grew larger and larger at several points during the last few days of planning and the wedding weekend:
  • when I heard our wedding music the first time–performed by Tim, Alison, Melissa, John, and Emily–on piano and strings; I didn’t just tear up, I cried; it wasn’t just the songs we picked, it was the personal touch only family and talent can bring to the occasion
  • when the girls on our Alternative Spring Break trip were so anxious to do *something* that they tied our bubbles in a flash of ~10 minutes…in the van…on the way to the Gila National Forrest…in New Mexico
  • when Patty & Julie arrived from Miami to help, support, and love the whole weekend and all the hustle-bustle
  • when the Jenn/Patty/Julie took me out for what might be deemed The Most Calm Bachelorette Party Ever®; somewhere I have the Aggie CARPOOL receipt from my ride home
  • when Emil’s family and our wedding party showed up in droves on Friday to help decorate the reception hall
  • when Patty made gorgeous on-the-spot silk arrangements from the stems and garlands I purchased because she saw voids in my “affordable” decor plan for a giant reception hall
  • when Elain ran the one errand she hates because she was the only one who could leave the decorating
  • when Emil’s mom managed the process for extra last-minute linens from the church’s ladies’ organization where we rented them
  • when Jim personally delivered the party favors I forgot to pick up
  • when someone (who??) alerted me to the time for us to meander over to the church for the rehearsal
  • when I changed from the tshirt I was wearing to one that was for The Big Event (an Aggie tradition) that was set for our wedding date: 3.31.01; #awesomesauce
  • when Scott, just one week after graduation from Trooper Academy was there for our big weekend eventhough we were absent (due to Alternative Spring Break) from his
  • when Father John made ready his favorite five ferns (a Zeta Tau Alpha nod, even!) to fill the rail in back of the altar
  • when I heard Diane and Crystal speak our selected wedding readings during the rehearsal; they were poised and eloquent for both the rehearsal and ceremony
  • when AJ thanked me for including our whole family in various roles of the ceremony mass and reception; she told me she was proud to wear a corsage on our wedding day
  • when Emil’s brothers took him out for pool; they’d never gone out as a group before…and though it was the closest thing he had to a Bachelor Party and was the night before the wedding, it was low-key and “safe”
  • when I took quiet/alone time after the rehearsal to calligrapher my personal/private vows to Emil and sew the navy blue roses to the back of my dress (a Paula Opal original and one-of-a-kind)
  • when AMay gave me a pretty face with her fierce makeup skillz
  • when my mom and grandmother showed up dressed perfectly for our theme/style, eventhough I’d never gone with them to pick dresses
  • when Pam gave me her emerald engagement ring to “borrow”; a nod to my own Irish lineage, too
  • when our photographer, Tim, made me feel like a princess instead of like the photo-phobe I normally am; who knew such a introvert to make me feel so at ease?
  • when I saw Daddy for the first time in a tux; he looked so handsome and wanted so desperately to please me that day
  • when Erin genuinely grinned to each guest
  • when our wedding party walked down the aisle, arm-in-arm, with the ladies sporting those cute little sweep trains I adored
  • when Sharis drove in from San Antonio, arriving after the matrons/maid walked, but just before I did…such a sweet moment
  • when Daddy was at the ready with a handkerchief just before he walked me down the aisle…and how perfectly he performed such a very-important-to-me role from the foyer to the doors to the aisle to the actual giveaway (I love and miss you, Daddy!)
  • when Donna & Matt reverently escorted the Host and those worthy to receive it
  • when we shared the light from our unity candle with everyone in attendance…and wow is that a great photo!
  • when our (again, introvert) photographer was able to properly wrangle the Luza chaos into place for the big-damn-family portrait
  • when Leanne and Winkler set about 400 candles ablaze at our reception…to give the reception the look I wanted
  • when Chad and Brandon moved the altar arrangement to the reception (a step I had left out of the wedding day timeline)
  • when we weren’t yet “at” the reception; I peeked inside and saw decor moved and curtains pulled up off the floor and folded over a railing; I persisted until I found out the keg “exploded” beer all over the place; I’m still grateful that our family/friends took care of it as best they could in hopes that I’d never find out; no telling what else they “saved me from” that day!
  • when (again, when I peeked in) I saw everyone drinking our fancy margaritas…since there was no beer for the cocktail hour!
  • when Charles & Elain led us all, including my non-Czech/Catholic family and friends, through the Grand March, which rolled into our first dance, which was then severely interrupted by Aunt Grace, but that was fine because my dad’s laughter was priceless…making her shenanigans all worth it!
  • when, just after the first few reception “events-within-the-event” our photographer pulled us outside for some sunset images; Emil genuinely kissed me on the forehead, and Tim instantly said, “do that again!” One of my favorite shots!
  • when Mike DJ’d with the eloquence I felt worthy of a romantic day; we made the right choice in hiring a friend instead of “real” DJ
  • when, during the siblings portrait, Bobby hugged me and said, “Welcome to the family, Sis.”
  • when Sandra/Roy emcee’d each and every little “event-within-the-event” with perfection, poise, and humor
  • when Leanne and the other Replant members asked for a photo with us
  • when my grandparents danced for a few moments during the Generations Dance; Mama Bee was miserable yet tolerant of my wishes, but Grandaddy was elated
  • when Bob joked about his little gift prank of “camping” “egg cartons”; he must have given us three of them between our shower, the wedding, and “just because”
  • when Ali (and her/Jenn’s mom) found me at the water “barrel” and said sweet things about our ceremony (which given the month, colors, and similar faith was right on target with her own wedding a year or two before)
  • when Tres (Charlie the Third) danced with me, and when he danced with Kelly
  • when (one more time) our photographer remembered one of my Must Have images of us getting margaritas from the margarita fountain
  • when Pam & Pat were dancing to the songs we picked just for them (Play That Funky Music, White Boy and Brick House); probably my most favorite image from the whole reception
  • when Jenn made sure I remembered to give Emil’s mom, my parents, and my grandparents their gifts; yep, I had forgotten
  • when Daddy asked if he could change; he was so concerned about being properly dressed for long enough, but also knew he had to give his tux to Emil’s brother Tim to return on Sunday
  • when Emil told me and all our guests of our honeymoon location (I was too stressed out with wedding planning and asked him to plan the whole honeymoon & not tell me where we were going; he bought/packed me everything from swimsuits to sweaters): Greece; I’m still kinda dumbfounded that we did that; best wedding decision I made; best trip ev-AR; the image of my face during the reveal is another favorite image. Thank you, Julie, for your stories that made me appreciate Greece from afar.
  • when Crystal, who is Greek, taught us Thank You (Efharistó) and other key phrases in Greek in anticipation of our trip
  • when Emil gave envelopes containing itineraries and contact info to both our moms in case the unthinkable happened while we were abroad
  • when we had our getaway to the sights of bubbles and the sounds of little bells; it was a perfect blend for our senses to end our perfect day!

Happy Anniversary, Emil, my darling, my love. We had our perfect day, and these last 10 years have been the best of my life. I know the next decade will be just as exuberant as the last.

xxxooo

Five years ago, our brother-in-law Pat died. He was one of the family favorites, and at just 43, he was one of the youngest. That’s hard enough, but his death came on Thursday before his only daughter’s wedding on Sunday. As a wedding photographer, I could never imagine something so tragic for a bride and groom…and here I was faced with it not only for a client, but also for family. And, it was a loss that hit me hard, too. There were some very rough days from his death, to the wedding (where our niece’s brothers, God father, and grandfather took the traditional father roles), to the funeral a week later when the couple returned from their honeymoon. This was probably the 2nd most difficult death I have ever had to deal with. It hit Emil’s sister, Pam, hard too, of course. She and Pat were high school sweethearts and had been together for 25 years. They adored Maegan’s fiance and were embracing wedding planning and the impending Big Day with gusto and love.

fast forward to 2010

Last week, Pam’s boyfriend, Scott, passed away suddenly. Scott was the only other partner in Pam’s life, and according to the minister at the funeral today, Pam was the love of Scott’s life. Scott was only 47.

Scott’s parents are now childless after the loss of their daughter several years ago. They had to deal with the loss of a child not once, but twice? How terribly sad.

Pam is in her 40s. To lose two partners by such a young age is a slap in the face; the crappy timing—just before a wedding, and again against the holidays—is just one for the other cheek. I know there is never a good time, but this is combo nothing short of cruel.

It’s no wonder I lost all faith/religion.

Yesterday’s visitation and today’s graveside service were nice. I hope it can help give Scott’s family and friends some closure and help them start healing. Funerals don’t do much of anything to help me grieve (one of the many reasons why I don’t want one for myself, but that shall be another post at another time), but I know some find comfort in the process.

If you knew Scott or know Pam, the family has asked that donations to the charity of your choice be made in lieu of flowers.

For part of our 2011 celebration of thanks, I just purchased my first ever “tofurkey” with trimmings. We’ll see how I can handle two holiday meals in Bryan, followed immediately by another two in Paris.

It’s hard enough to get to both Thanksgivings with some kind of contribution to the meals. Now, I’ll bring my own entire meal.

I wish I could “just eat sides”. That would be LANDS easier. Or, if I could have a weekend of allowed cheats….that would be easier, too. However, it’s not that simple. Sides will be laced with butter and/or cheeses and/or creamy sauces. After no meat/diary for several months, it’s quite likely that eating items that rich will make me sick. The only things I know for sure that I can eat will be tossed salad (BYO dressing of course) and whatever rolls my grandmother prepares (because she’ll leave butter off of one for me). Everything else at the Luza semi-potluck will be a crap shoot. Everything my grandmother will prepare will have a dairy protein in it.

So, our plan is that Emil is contributing a dessert to the meal at his mom’s. My grandmother has offered to buy me whatever I want and let me cook it when we get there (delaying the meal by another 20-30 minutes). So, I’m going to cook up the tofurkey and trimmings (like a vegan gravy!) and make a couple of sides for my meal in Bryan. Then, in Paris, I’ll have the leftover tofurkey and some different sides I make at her house.

So, I’m off to research thanksgiving-worthy vegan side dishes that will make ahead and reheat well. Then, I have to figure out how I can transport it without making a giant mess.

It should be interesting to say the least.

Our first day of Christmas (and our first major holiday since the move to Austin ) was jam packed.

9am – leave Austin for Bryan
11am – 2nd group to arrive on scene at Luza Christmas
12noon – giant family lunch, 65 in attendance, paper plates and a seat on the deck
1pm – visit with family, watch Mom and the kids open gifts
4pm – after the mass exodus of her home, we visited with Mom and the remaining family
5pm – leave Bryan for Paris
10pm – arrive in Paris

What a day!

Thanksgiving would have been our first try at this travel pattern, but Lori came down with a cold bug. She too sick to travel, but more importantly, we didn’t want to infect anyone else.

We have been slow to update and that is mostly because we’ve traveled back to Bryan a LOT. After, getting the apartment, packing, and moving, we also traveled for these reasons:

• 30 May  – a wedding
• 13 June – a wedding
• 20 June – to have the carpets cleaned
• 22 June – to get something from the house that we both thought was already in Austin; Lori made a special day trip
• 27 June – Emil’s neice’s wedding
• 2 July – to Paris. Happy Birthday to Lori’s grandparents (3rd and 4th) and to celebrate Independence day with the Parisites.

For the 4th, we headed back to ATX. We wanted to hear the Austin Symphony play 1812 Overture with real cannon fire and see the fireworks over the lake. It was amazing.

photo from the Austin American Statesman

Read about the Austin festivities.

Happy Independence Day to you all.