one year!

On a very soggy mountain afternoon, exactly one year ago today, this Hamilton family was born. It sure has been a year full of joy! We have traveled to 6 states, wandered all over Virginia, enjoyed countless weekends at Evergreen, and even more just relaxing and getting to know Lynchburg. Curt has excelled in his new career and Susan Ada loves staying home to support and care for him. We have shared innumerable bouts of laughter. . .as well as our fair share of tears. And at the end of a year we stand as two individuals whose souls are knit together looking forward to years to come as we grow closer to each other and closer to Jesus.

one week : two worlds

Talk about a whirlwind week. Last Friday, Curt called Susan Ada from work and said, "Hey, let's take a vacation in Shenandoah next week while I have a quick break at work." And, 2 days later we were at Whole Foods in Charlottesville loading up on gourmet yumminess to take on our camping trip. We had a vacation planned for the week of July 4, but Curt ended up in SC working 87 hours instead. So, a few days in the woods was just what we needed. Sunday we arrived, set up camp, and cooked a delicious dinner. Monday we slept in and then drove the northern half of the Skyline Drive. We had driven the southern half on our honeymoon last year and had been curious to finish the task. It was much longer than we realized, but beautiful nonetheless. That afternoon we hiked a beautiful trail that followed a creek as it cascaded down the mountain. . .and passed a few waterfalls. Then back to the campsite for the evening. Tuesday we had another lazy morning then took a very short hike to a spot with gorgeous vistas of the Shenandoah Valley. We had a picnic lunch and read out loud for a long time as we were trying to finish a very exciting novel.

Then we found a flat trail in the woods so we could get a run in. . .still trying to get healthy and increase our distance. It was quite difficult, but we choose to blame it on the altitude. This was our last night to camp so we were determined to have a campfire. Turns out, Curt is ridiculously organized when it comes to sorting firewood:

Susan Ada just cooked dinner and enjoyed the show:

Wednesday morning we packed up our campsite and came back to Lynchburg. We stopped in Harrisonburg for lunch and then had some errands and dinner plans so we didn't actually get home until bedtime. We were excited to be back home in our comfy (although, HOT) bed. Thursday morning Curt went to work and Susan Ada geared up for the laundry marathon as we were planning to go to Evergreen that evening to work for the weekend. Susan Ada had just poured her cup of coffee when Curt called to let her know that he would be leaving for Japan on Saturday morning instead. Talk about a change of plans. If you didn't know, Curt has been working on a project aiding the Fukushima Nuclear Plant since early June so this didn't come out of nowhere. . .just left field. . .and certainly sooner than we had expected. The last 2 days have pretty much consisted of Curt running around crazy trying to get everything in order with Susan Ada following behind him looking pitiful and talking about how much she is going to miss him. That said, she is so proud that he has the opportunity to work on such a monumental project.

So, as I write this, my sweetie is on a direct flight from Chicago to Tokyo and there's no telling when I'll see him next. I sure hope it's within a few weeks as I already miss him terribly. God speed, my love.

transformations

If we don't watch it, folks are going to start calling us the 'Hefty Hamiltons.' Let's just say we've both enjoyed our first year of marriage. . .and all the yummy food that comes with it. However, we have turned a new leaf and are back to eating healthy and exercising regularly. There may even be some distance running in our future. . .

Meanwhile, Curt ran an impromptu 5k last Saturday morning. We were eating dinner with our neighbors when they suggested he join them the following morning. . .and Curt agreed. It wasn't too early of a start so all parties were pretty peppy. Susan Ada is not a fast runner so she didn't see the need to waste anybody's money on registration fees, but happily went along as team Hamilton cheerleader/photographer. Here's our champ before:

During:

And, after:

It was a very hilly course so Susan Ada was especially proud of Curt's accomplishment. We'll keep you posted as we progress.

In other exciting news for the weekend, Curt decided to shave his beard. No comment on how long this new 'do' will last, but it's here for now. The transformation:

poplar duck

Curt and Susan Ada have been quite busy about Lynchburg recently. Susan Ada surprised Curt the other day with a trip to a local garden. Randolph Macon college has a few interns living in tents out at their organic garden and Susan Ada's friend suggested we all go take a look at the place. They had ducks.

And some chickens.

Funny looking chickens to be exact. Curt tried to catch some of the cuter young chickens but didn't meet with any success. That afternoon we went out with our realtor to take a look at some houses. We did see one that is potentially interesting; however, we've got to decide how much work we want to commit to.

Later on that day Curt surprised Susan Ada by pretending to be a japanese hibachi chef. Well, there were no onion volcanos or flying shrimp pieces but he did make a tasty dinner. The "shrimp" sauce wasn't the best though. Don't use assertive canola oil based mayonnaise when you should be using the cheap bland stuff.

We might also like to look out our windows at what's going on in downtown Lynchburg; that night it was Friday night music down by the river. Apparently this guy didn't want to lay out the $5.

The next day we decided to head out to Poplar Forest just outside of Lynchburg.

It was Thomas Jefferson's rural retreat from Monticello and only in the last couple decades have attempts at preserving and restoring it begun. It was pretty interesting to tour a historically important place in the midst of repairs. It was built as a perfect octagon with, apparently, little regard for how liveable the space would be. But Jefferson didn't spend a whole lot of time out there so apparently it wasn't a big deal.

There were some trees.

Betcha can't guess what kind they were.

We'd picked up a Groupon to head out to Poplar Forest in the first place -- $20 for a year long family membership whereas just showing up would have cost us almost $30 to see it once. They've already marked out some of the locations of original plantings outside and we're looking forward to going back as the restoration progresses.

In other news, we might have had some professional photos taken for our almost one year anniversary. This is the one preview shot we've gotten.

memorial day weekend

Curt had the Friday before Memorial Day off, so to celebrate, he took a half day of vacation on Thursday! We have been wanting to drive the Blue Ridge Parkway from Lynchburg to Evergreen (the Sheek family's new mountain house) ever since we moved here so we were excited to finally have the opportunity. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed the relaxing drive through the green hills covered in blooming mountain laurel. Curt had never been to Mabry Mill so we made a quick stop:

Friday, we set to work bright and early. Susan Ada finished painting our new bathroom and Curt installed light fixtures:

Saturday Steve, Curt, and Susan Ada attacked the task of laying hardwood floors in the bonus room. We all worked very hard and had 450 square feet of pretty floors to show for it at the end of the day.

However, Saturday wasn't all gruelling labor. . .Curt took some time out to fry a turkey breast. He had wanted to try for a long time so when he discovered that Steve had a turkey fryer in his basement, Curt just had to break it in. Safety first. . .no hot oil ruining this handsome face:

It might have been delicious!

Sunday we drove to Shatley Springs for some yummy country cooking then all pitched in to mow and rake the yard and part of the orchard. We had a great time and enjoyed working hard on the new house.

sunshine, strawberries, and swings

This past weekend we went strawberry picking. Curt claims he can't remember ever going. . .so it was high time he was exposed to this southern spring staple. Unfortunately, there aren't any patches near Lynchburg (that we know of) so we drove 45 minutes to go to Scott's Strawberry Farm in the sunny metropolis of Goodview, VA. Here is Curt picking away. . .

The lady told Curt that you pay by the bucket and it's up to you to get your money's worth. Of course this engineer carefully placed the berries to achieve optimum capacity. Let's just say, the employees were impressed.

Susan Ada picked her share, too!

It may seem kinda weird, but one of the more fun things to do in Lynchburg is visit the city cemetery. It is a sprawling memorial over a big hill and there are many Civil War soldiers buried there. Right through the middle is a long brick wall flanked on both sides by heirloom roses. They have a sale every year and we actually purchased 2 plants a few weeks ago (one from 1908 and one from 1857 - crazy!). So, Sunday night, we went for a nice walk. A lot of the roses had bloomed out, but it was still a pretty evening. There is also the biggest swing ever in this huge oak tree. It is usually occupied. . .but we finally had a chance to play. So fun!!

We are really enjoying having some restful weekends together in Lynchburg. However, we just might be ready for an Evergreen adventure in the near future. . .Happy Memorial Day!

april

If we never have another month like April 2011 that will be fine by us. Curt was in SC working the whole month and Susan Ada was busy keeping busy so she didn't have time to think about how much she disliked her man living two states away. The first week Curt was gone, Susan Ada went to Raleigh to help a friend with her children while she was recovering from foot surgery. She had a great time hanging out with the boys and playing mommy for a week. . .but she realized, she is def not ready for that role. Luckily, they don't arrive on your doorstep in the form of a 19-month and a 4 year-old. When Susan Ada arrived back in Lynchburg, she went to the doctor for the 3rd time regarding her finger. This doctor added steri-strips on top of the existing glue and told her to wait a few more weeks for it to heal. Aaarrrrggghh!

At the end of that week, the lovebirds reunited as Susan Ada was able to visit Curt in SC. He was staying in a nice condo on the lake so we were able to grill out and enjoy some tasty meals together. Saturday we went to the SC Botanical Gardens at Clemson. . .they were beautiful!! We sat on a shady bench by the brook for at least an hour and just enjoyed being together.

Susan Ada surprised Curt with a shorty short haircut:

That week, Susan Ada stayed with her sister in SC so she could see Curt again the following weekend. She had a great time playing with the all the Illingworths. Curt switched to night shift that week so by his day off he was pretty much a zombie. Susan Ada made him a strawberry shortcake to try to cheer him up.

The little girls LOVE earth worms. . .who knew??

Susan Ada said good-bye to Curt and drove back to Lynchburg, picking up her mom in Charlotte for their last week apart. It was really fun to have her in Lynchburg and get to do girlie things all week long. She was a great encouragement. . .and distraction!! On Good Friday Susan Ada took her mom home and hopped in the car with Curt's parents to head back to SC to pick him up. . .SC work was finished!!! Then the whole troop headed to south Georgia for Easter and Curt's Grandad's 87th birthday party. There was a big turnout, and it was a great time for Susan Ada to meet all the Hamiltons who were unable to attend the wedding. After all the festivities the newlyweds needed some time away. . .so Curt planned a beach get-away. Two nights in a cozy room near the Florida coast and no agenda. Just what we needed!! We ate some fabulous seafood, played in the sand (water was still cold), rode bikes, window shopped, and rested.

Curt built a ginormous sand castle / feat of engineering that defies the ocean intruder. . .aka, he kept himself busy while Susan Ada worked on her tan:

We arrived back home in Lynchburg late on April 30. Sunday was spent recovering from the craziness and on Monday morning Curt went back to work. Susan Ada has never been so happy to stay home and do laundry, iron, cook, scrub, etc. . .as long as it means she has her sweet husband home to care for.