Musical Monday

I make no promise that this will catch on, but I’m just starting to get a hang of the  external microphone that Ajay and I bought on a whim back when we were dating. It came in handy for recording the CD’s we gave away as wedding favors, but it’s been collecting a bit of dust ever since then. Therefore, in honor of the only day of the week that begins with the same letter as music, I have for you my first attempt at a DIY recording from me, my Mac and my Martin. The song is How Can it Be by Lauren Daigle. Hope you enjoy!

 

Eating Cheap

On the ferry ride home from Victoria, Ajay was reflecting on how well we had eaten that weekend: “I suppose we’ll be eating soup for three straight days once we’re home,” he said. Then, mistakenly, he added: “and I don’t even care.” So Sunday afternoon, I threw together a typical Volkenant lunch of Chunky soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. It didn’t take long for me to gather from his demeanor that he wasn’t anticipating me taking his sentiments so seriously. After all, since becoming a Martin, canned anything has ceased to be the norm. He slurped his soup in silence while I watched and tried to keep myself from laughing. One of my favourite things about Ajay is that he would never complain, or refuse to eat any food he was served. But the better I get to know him, the easier it is to tell what meals he is enjoying and which he is suffering through in silence.

Victoria

Nearly a year ago, my mom, sisters in law and I went to downtown Victoria for a girls weekend. It was on that trip that my faithfully blogging sister-in-law and ever-insisting-on-my-career-in-journalism mom convinced me to start keeping up a blog. This is largely unimportant information, except that I find it interesting that this trip commemorates almost one full year that my blogging habits have survived! And I suppose it also commemorates one full year of marriage, since that’s the real occasion Ajay and I went to celebrate. So anyway, lets get into our trip:

Date Day Discoveries – The Diplomat Bakery

Last week we had a long overdue day to ourselves. Our adventures on these odd occasions are bittersweet, with heavy emphasis on the sweet. The only real bitterness is that any shot at a healthy diet is gone clean through an open window when Ajay and I get days together. Whether or not it is our intention, if we leave the house for the purpose of exploring we will find ourselves at a new restaurant or sweet shop to check out the goods.

Family Photos

I can’t tell you what’s up with my family, but we seem to have an affinity toward photo shoots in the dead of winter. Case in point, three out of the last four years:

January 2013

January 2015

And this year we cashed in my parents’ photography session with M&Him to get family portraits done! Needless to say, the fact I was allowed to wear a sweater this time made the experience considerably more enjoyable. We finally got in the edits today (not that it took them long, it just feels like a long time when you’re excited) and I’m eager to share some of my favourites. Hope you enjoy!

One Year Later

I can’t believe I’m writing this, but I just had an anniversary. A wedding anniversary. That means I’ve been married for a whole year. 4 seasons. 12 months. 365 days. 8760 hours. Someone please tell me where the time has gone, because some days I have a hard time believing our wedding actually happened and that I’m actually married and that the rest of our lives has actually started already.

Christmas Festivities

My first official Christmas as a wife is complete, and it was better than I ever expected! As is per usual, the joy and anticipation of Christmas came alongside the dilemma of how to evenly split our time among the people we love and want to share our Christmas celebrations with. Even as kids, I remember time being set apart for a visit with my dad’s side of the family, my mom’s side of the family, all the while saving some time for just our immediate family to be together. This has only gotten more complicated as my brothers and I now have in-laws in the mix. It’s a blessing really, to have more people you love than you can possibly fit into two short days. But I was definitely nervous about my first year as a member of another family and about finding a balance Ajay and I and our families were both happy with.