Twins

My dear friends Alex and Reid are having twin boys in January. Oh my gosh! Our friend family is growing. Their lives are about to drastically change, but so are mine and Brennan's! We live a ten minute walk away from Al and Reid and see them multiple times a week. They have been our saving grace here in this big, crazy city. And we are about to see them bring two little people into the world! It's going to be great, and honestly, quite comical to watch them manage this. Get ready!

A couple weekends ago we threw a little baby BBQ for them. A chance to celebrate, gather our good friends, and set Al and Reid up with some necessities. It was a great time! Man, we are growing up. But, not too much.

Because they are having twins, we all decided to dress like twins. We picked a partner, coordinated our outfits, and when we arrived Al and Reid gradually began to notice that we were dressed alike. I think it was more fun for us than it was for them.

Here's Murph and Ashley. Business casual.

Brennan and Dan. Turquoise t-shirt.

  Colleen, Kenny, and Craig, our odd-number triplets. Preppy.

Coe and I. Orange pants.

And here's Al and Reid...and the boys. Special people. Special babies. Can't wait to meet them!

Ladurée

Before coming to New York I was completely unaware of macarons/macaroons/etc. I thought they were too small to be a real cookie, too hard, and kind of boring. Man was I ever wrong! Very, very wrong. I now love these things! LOVE em! They may still be a little small, but they are not hard and not boring. They are, in fact, extremely gooey, delicious, decadent, and full of melt in your mouth flavor. Especially when you get them from Ladurée on the upper east side!

Now, let me tell you about Ladurée. First, if you want to be transported to Paris and act like a five year old princess go here, and for ten seconds enjoy a magical place. Ladurée is a pastry shop in Paris, but it is also a little macaron shop on the upper east side that has these teeny cookies flown over from Paris daily. What?! Yes, it's true.

Now, my first reaction to that is, "Wow, how disgusting is that? Are people that self-indulgent that they actually need cookies flown in from Paris? There are starving people in the world here. Come on new yorkers, get real." I am a social worker so I need to say things like that. And I do truly feel that way.

But, then there's another side of me. The side that is all things girl, all things sweets, all things cute and colorful, and all things nonsensical. That side of me says, "Wow, how amazing! I must go! I must buy a macaron from Paris! How delightful! New York is amazing! Who's with me?!"

I am a complicated person. Sometimes bi-polar. You have a greater respect for Brennan now don't you?

Well, a few Sundays ago, Brennan and I happened to be on the upper east side and not that far from Ladurée. So we went!

How pretty! It's magical.

Ahhhh! How to choose? I recommend the rose petal. It is quite amazing and truly tastes like a perfect smelling rose. Sounds weird, but it's weird in a good way. 

Macaron tower. Come on!

Maybe someday I will travel to Paris for my macaron, instead of it traveling to me. Ahhh. Ok, I'm done ranting about macarons. I will now go back to being a mature and respectable human being. 

My Mission

As I start my second and final year in social work grad school, I must remind myself of my mission, my calling, my passion to do this work. Being a social worker is not a glorious career. It does not pay well and it does not come with many accolades and promotions. It is dirty and messy, full of sorrow, frustration, heartbreak, and injustice. Yet, this is my calling.

One of my all time heros is Mother Theresa. I believe she encapsulated the true essence of service and I am constantly encouraged and motivated by her words of love. I recently found a book of her prayers and meditations and have been soaking it up. This is my mission, my calling, my passion.

"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop was not in the ocean, I think the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. I do not agree with the big way of doing things. To us what matters is an individual. To get to love the person we must come in close contact with him. If we wait till we get the numbers, then we will be lost in the numbers. And we will never be able to show that love and respect for the person. I believe in person to person; every person is Christ for me, and since there is only one Jesus, that person is the one person in the world at that moment."

I absolutely love this image. I will not change the world with my social work practice. There will still be pain, hurt, crime, injustice, and poverty. But, every time I meet with a client or patient and show kindness and love and respect and support, I know I am putting a drop in the ocean that was not there before. A tiny glimpse of hope and beauty. Every person deserves that kind of personal contact. One drop is better than none.

I'm also challenged by her words here:

"There is always the danger that we may become only social workers, or just do the work for the sake of the work. It is a danger if we forget to whom we are doing it. Our works are only an expression of our love for Christ. Our hearts need to be full of love for him, and since we have to express that love in action, naturally then the poorest of the poor are the means of expressing our love for God."

I hope I am never just a social worker. But a living and walking display of what God has done in me. I hope to love with that love, and live with that hope.

And lastly,

"Be kind and merciful. Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier. Be the living expression of God's kindness; kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in your smile, kindness in your warm greeting. In the slums we are the light of God's kindness to the poor. To children, to the poor, to all who suffer and are lonely, give always a happy smile. Give them not only your care, but also your heart."

I do not believe Mother Theresa was perfect. Nor do I believe her faith never wavered. But, I do believe she was a woman of true beauty, love, humility, grace, and service. I will never be as devoted, committed, or entrenched in this work as she was, but may I constantly try.

Long Beach Island

During my last week of freedom, before the craziness of my final year of grad school ensued, Brennan and I took an adventure to Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore. Brennan used to vacation on LBI as a wee little lad with his Dad, so we decided to reminisce, get all nostalgic, and make new memories. I must say, it was my favorite day of summer.

It all began when Brennan drove up to my door in this...

That's right folks. A red, mini-cooper convertible. We travel in style. It was awesome! And we did remember to put sunscreen on our heads. I must buy one of these someday.

Of course we had to stop at a local donut shop on the way. This one was called "Shore Good." And it shore was! :) It's my blog and I can say what I want. They make the donuts fresh and on the spot! You get to watch them frost it just the way you want it. It was delicious. I can still taste that warm, decadent donut smothered and oozing in maple frosting.

Once we got to the island we stopped at the Silver Sun. The old mall/tourist shop where Brennan and his Dad would stock up on LBI t-shirts and other memorabilia. So of course we had to get our souvenirs as well. And $3.99 sunglasses.

Me in front of mini-coop. A good day is a day when I get to wear my beach hat.

B in front of mini-coop. Sporting all LBI apparel (including hat). Channeling his inner suburban dad.

Beach, yes.

Yes, beach.

Beach life suits me.

After we rode the waves and soaked up the sun we went to Fantasy Island, the little amusement park Brennan used to go to as a kid. We may have been the oldest ones there without children, but that's ok.

We spent our first ten tokens on the ferris wheel. We were the only ones on it. It was quite dreamy.

You could see the beachy heaven for miles. It was gorgeous.

He's handsome.

We then realized we were too big for all the other rides, so we spent our last ten tokens on the ferris wheel again. Why not.

Round two. Still handsome.

We didn't ride this for fear of getting ill, but it was pretty to look at.

After the adventures of Fantasy Island, we had an amazing seafood dinner overlooking the water and watching the sunset.

 Who wears their sweater like that?

Beautiful!

 I love seafood, I love sunsets, I love the beach, I am one happy girl.

And right as the sun went down, Black Pearl came in to the harbor. Perfection.

Oh LBI! Thank you for a day of worry free bliss. We miss you.

The Campbell's come to NYC!

My sister and her fam swung through NYC on their summer vacation for a quick visit. It was great having family around in my neck of the woods and getting to show them my world. It was a busy, fun, fast-paced trip, and was so fun spending time with them.

 Dinner at Bogota Latin Bistro in Park Slope. 

 The girls' first subway ride.

 Here's Sam! We took the Staten Island Ferry for a ride to see the view of the city and Lady Liberty. We didn't have enough time to actually go to the island, but this worked! 

 You can't really see their faces, but at least you get the Lady in the background.

 Here she is!

 Here's Sam at M&M World in Times Square. I think this was their highlight.

 Brennan being tough at M&M world. 

 Hannah with Elvis M&M.

And Sam with her Elvis impersonation. We also saw Washington Square Park, NYU, ate donuts at Dough, and saw a naked cowboy in Times Square. So many adventures, so much fun. The Campbell's get extra brownie points for being the first ones to visit me in NYC. :)