East Coast Tracys

A Very Tracy Christmas

2012-01-15T19:40:00.008-05:00

Merry Christmas from the East Coast Tracys!

East Coast Tracys back home in Missouri!

We all had a great time back home in Missouri for Christmas! Sarah and Ryan loved playing with cousins and being squeezed by Grandma Tracy all week long. We ended up being back home for about a week. It almost ended before it began though, as I didn't build in enough time to get through Fortress Dulles International Airport here in Washington D.C. That place is like Fort Knox! But fortunately they rebooked us on a flight an hour and a half later so no harm done (Adam's note: except to my pride. That was the first flight I'd ever missed!)

Cousins Jensen, Brett, Maya, Sarah, Ryan, and Jane. Hooray for cousins!

Back home in Missouri we got to spend time with Uncle Nathan and Aunt Camille and Jensen, Maya, and Brett, Uncle Daniel and Aunt Meghann and little Tracy-baby-to-be, Aunt Rachel and Uncle Scott and little Jane, Aunt Becky and Uncle Doug (Sarah especially like spending time with Aunt Becky, as she kept wanting to go back to Aunt Becky's house), and Uncle's Jacob and Joseph. We all had a great time being back together and can't wait to do it again.

Sarah loved playing with Charlie dog and Grandma's doll house. She couldn't wait until Grandma would show her all around it every day. We went Christmas Caroling, went to eat at Daddy's favorite restaurant for some authentic KC barbeque, and had a good old time. It was especially cool to see Uncle Joseph before he took of for his mission to India. India! I'm sure he'll have quite an adventure there.

The (whole!) Tracy clan back together again

Bonus pic: Grandma Tracy with her grandcubs

Another bonus pic: All Ryan wants for Christmas is his two front teeth!

Super Bonus: Sarah listening to Grandma Tracy read The Night Before Christmas in Virginia.
Thanks Grandma, Sarah loves her story-time!

It was the best of times...

2011-12-12T20:44:00.023-05:00

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it was progressively the worst of times...

if you were a gingerbread house at the East Coast Tracy's tonight.

That's right, for Family Night tonight we made graham cracker houses. Sarah and I had a good time building, and then demolishing one of them. Yumm...

This past weekend we trekked into D.C. to visit the National Building Museum. The building itself was pretty cool, and they had great exhibits there to explore. Sarah had a great time at the Lego exhibit building to her hearts content. There was also an exhibit on how the National Mall in D.C. evolved to what we have now. There have been some pretty crazy proposals for monuments!

But the highlight of the day was a close encounter with Justin Bieber! They were having a dress rehearsal for a concert featuring The Biebs, and he walked right past Karen, Sarah, and Ryan as they were getting tickets. AND... Selena Gomez, girlfriend of The Biebs, stopped and said hello to Ryan. Unfortunately, no one in our little party recognized either The Biebs or Selena Gomez. But we had a good chuckle after the security guard told us who they were.

Karen's note: Who needs the Biebs
when I've got this guy?

He can even rock the hoodie:

And last but not least... Karen got to be a part of the Occupy Washington D.C. protest! Well, she got to see that motley crew shuffle on down the opposite side of the street. But still, a part of unshaven/unwashed history!

Karen almost gets to Occupy D.C.

And now some random fun pictures. I particularly like the one of Sarah brushing Karen's hair. She is such a sweet girl! The one on the right is Ryan trying to eat Legos at the National Building Museum.
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It's been a while... again

2011-12-02T13:38:00.010-05:00

Karen and the kiddos at the Botanic Garden

So it's been a while... again. Work has really picked up as of late and Old Man Dept. of Labor has been working me long hours. The downside of that is that the blog posts become few and far between. The upside of that is... oh yeah, there is no upside. Unless you are a U.S. taxpayer and want to work your favorite labor policy bureaucrat to death! The only reason I'm getting this done today is that I'm home sick. And I'm really sick this time!

We had a great Thanksgiving, with Darren and Tia and little Grayson coming to visit from Pennsylvania, football with no injuries, and a fantastic feast. We all had a grand time, and loved having Darren, Tia, and Grayson here along with our friends the Laudies, but unfortunately didn't take ANY pictures. I know, can you believe that!?! So to commemorate our thanksgiving day feast (Adam's note: And what a feast it was! Karen worked for days and our turkey-day was awesome!), you'll have to imagine a stock photo of turkey.

Here we're visiting Fort Willard Park, a remnant of the Washington D.C. Civil War southern defenses. It was a small outpost, being the southern most defensive position for D.C., but you can still see the earthworks and shape of the fort. It's been preserved by enclosing it in a big roundabout (it never was very big). Sarah decided to wear her fairy skirt to our picnic that day, as she usually does these days.

Also this past month, we had another lightning visit from Uncle Brad, who likes to fly in on a wing and a prayer as the mood suits him. He was heading back to San Diego from spending Thanksgiving with Seth in New York City.

And last but not least, Team Tracy headed into D.C. yesterday to the U.S. Botanic Garden on the National Mall to enjoy their "famous Garden Railway featuring model trains and imaginative buildings created with plant materials" and listen to the soothing sounds of Laissez Foure, a swinging jazz quartet that was featured in the program that night. ECT fans will recognize this from last year, when Sarah was thrown into fits of ecstasy watching the model trains circle the exhibit. It was a great time and is becoming a family tradition.

And now all of us at the Botanic Garden!

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T20:38:00.007-04:00

It's Halloween time for the East Coast Tracys!

We went trick-or-treating tonight! Karen had been working hard for weeks and made us all fantastic costumes to celebrate Halloween. Sarah has been wearing her Dorothy dress for the past three days just waiting for the chance to wear it outside. I'm pretty sure she was more excited to put on her Dorothy dress than to get candy. In fact, I'm not sure she knew what to do with the candy she got at first. (Karen's note: But she found out pretty quickly though!)

We got to visit our neighbors and some friends. And Daddy even took Sarah to Chipotle (Adam's note: $2 burritos if you went in costume) and all the servers were taking pictures of our pretty Dorothy. Thanks for all your hard work in making us look good babe!

Sarah and Ryan ready to go get that candy!

Daddy and Dorothy

A wicked witch (but a pretty one ;) and a frowny little Tigger

It's Snowing in Virginia!

2011-10-29T17:05:00.011-04:00

.It's snowing... but in October!?

That's right everybody, we had our first snow of the season here today in chilly Virginia. To celebrate we took a quick walk down to the mailbox and lit up the fireplace for the first time this winter. And even as I type this Karen is braving the raging snow on a trek to Wal-Mart (right behind our house) with what I hope will be hot chocolate and treats for us. And as an extra bonus, you get to see the jack-o-lantern we made for Halloween.

It's the most wonderful time of the year!

Here's a video of our snow adventure today. Enjoy!

Bonus feature for those who read this far. Overheard this past Sunday from the carseat on the way to church:

Sarah: "Dangit, I forgot my keys! Dangit, I forgot my bag!"
Daddy and Momma: Uproarious laughter.

(Adam's note: Those chilluns are listening Momma! hahaha)
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I didn't win the Jello cook-off

2011-10-22T20:33:00.011-04:00

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How did this not win? Puh-lease!

You're seeing the fruits of over 24 hours of a one-person Jello-making flash mob. Our ward chilli cook-off was this weekend, and this year they added a new wrinkle: The Jello cook-off. And because they passed the food sign-up sheet around in elders quorum I signed us up for the Jello option. I told Karen about it, and it was not pretty. It turns out Karen is pretty anti-Jello. For those of you who didn't think Karen could ever hate anything, you better not be bringing Jello over for dinner. It will not turn out well for anyone, and I'll be left picking up the pieces.

Let's turn to Karen and let her explain her anti-Jello position. Karen: It's not that I hate Jello, it's just that we're too good for Jello. It is as much of an abomination as fry sauce, laz-e-boy recliners, and 44 ounce fountain drinks. The very thought of Jello gives me the shivers.

So there you have it. (Adam's note: And yes, that was a silent tear being shed as my dream of one day owning my very own laz-e-boy was shred to pieces. *sigh* I agree with the fry sauce though. We are definitely too good for that) Nevertheless, I had pledged my honor to the elders quorum sign-up sheet so I had to produce. Those of you that know me well will know that cooking (even Jello) is not an inclination of mine, but that very dry, ironic humor is. And so I came up with what was sure to be the Jello cook-off winner: A hidden message Jello with a plastic carrot in it. The message: "where's the beef." Why, you ask? Why not! Surely this would be the winner.

Well, it turns out that nobody thought it was quite as funny as I did, as I didn't even crack the top three. And they didn't give out an award for best submerged Jello message, for which I surely would have won. It appears I will need to up my game next year (Adam's not: Surely they did not appreciate how tough it was to get that hidden message in there) Here I am with my prize Jello ready to dominate the cook-off.

In other news, I'm starting to get Ryan into basketball. He reports that he's getting pretty good at dribbling (his food) and tossing (his food) the ball around. Here is my future point guard in action. I can already tell he can't wait to get out on the court.

Put me in Coach!

Last but not least, Sarah took this picture of us just the other day. She has discovered that pushing the main button on the camera will produce a huge flash that makes her immensely happy. So I am constantly discovering random pictures on my memory card of the carpet, sections of the couch, parts of the ceiling, and every so often a great one like this. Thanks Sarah!

Daddy, say cheese!

and we're back!

2011-10-08T21:01:00.013-04:00

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It's been over a month (gasp!) since our last blog post. We're still here, and we've got a lot to report on so here goes!

Life on the farm, Virgina style

We went to Cox Farm and got to sample what being on a real farm is like. Sarah loved feeding/fending off the goats, going on a hayride, sampling the yummy apple cider that flowed freely from the bourbon whiskey cask (Adam's note: hehe), playing in the corn, visiting the farm animals ("I want to hold them, Daddy"), and toting around her free pumpkin at the end. It was a really fun time and we've decided to make it an annual event.

Later in the month, we had a house full of Hills when Eric, Brian, Callie, Eden, Riley, Darren, Tia, and little Grayson all came to visit us. We all had a great time got to catch up on everybody's adventures. With Brian contemplating business and/or law school on the east coast (Karen's note: Yay! We're pulling for you!), Darren slogging away in medical school not far away (only two plus hours!), and Eric working on his around-the-world ventures there was a lot to catch up on. And Karen was so excited to be the big sister hostess. It was fun to see everybody back together again. Sarah was especially excited to play with cousin Eden and hold cousin Riley. She kept asking about them for days afterwards.

In more Sarah news, she started Playschool this week which means she romps around with four little boys around her age for a couple of hours once a week, rotating houses each time. Of course if you know Sarah, you can guess that she mostly plays contentedly with whatever music makers or "girl" toys she can find while the boys romp around her. Sarah has loved learning about cows, pigs (as seen here), and rabbits so far. Oh the places you'll go!

Ryan gets more loveable every day, and continues to prove that he is 100% boy. He yells, babbles, spits up, grabs at everything and then smiles at you until your heart melts.

And last but not least, just today we took advantage of a gorgeous Virginia autumn day by heading out to Burke Lake Park to ride the mini-train and climb one of the trees in our front yard. Sarah reports that she loves "her" tree and that the mini-train ride was a blast.

Ridin' the rails at Burke Lake Park

Cousins, cousins, and more cousins!

Hurricane weather

2011-08-29T09:35:00.019-04:00

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Looks like the end isn't come quite yet. We've survived an earthquake and a hurricane without so much as the power going out. A bit disappointing, really. We had our extra stores of water and batteries all ready to go. Karen even visited the garden in the rain Saturday to collect any produce that might otherwise be taken by the storm, and joyfully came home with a bucketful of green beans and tomatoes. Sarah joined Mom in the front yard to revel in the hurricane weather and even Ryan got his first taste of rainwater.

We've been trying to fully enjoy our last weeks of summer as the nights grow longer and cooler. Daddy taught Sarah her first solo strokes in the big pool (well supported by floaties), and she's quite a little fish (or "froggy" as she prefers). Ryan also took his first full dip with Mom. And of course, what is summer without half-naked kids and huge slices of watermelon out on the porch? We made sure to check that one off the list as well.

Sarah loves her some naked watermelon

Adam finished up the long ordeal with the plumbing, adding back in the baseboards and doing the final patchwork. Hurray! Back to painting...

Karen took the kids in today to get pictures for Ryan's six-month mark. The frenetic cartoon and Sesame Street noises the photographer was pulling out must have overwhelmed Ryan because our otherwise charming little fellow wouldn't crack a smile. On the other hand, Sarah loved every moment and hammed it up when it was her turn. You'll have to visit us to see the results up on our wall at home, since we don't have soft copies to post on the blog.

Hooray for summer!

Bonus video: Ryan preparing for his photo shoot
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Drilling and dancing

2011-08-14T21:34:00.022-04:00

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Adam has been getting his hands dirty finishing up the next stage of the plumbing repair--patching up the several square feet of drywall he cut away weeks ago. Now we just have to nail in some molding and (maybe) paint. It's all behind appliances and storage, however, so we may just save the painting for when we move someday.

Adam "MacGyver" Tracy

Meanwhile, Karen packed away the old law school laptop and replaced it with her dusty sewing machine to try and revamp Sarah's wardrobe. This means we're surrounded in our main room by the innards of our storage closet (where some of the plumbing repairs were happening) and piles of fabric and sewing notions. At least the laundry room and kitchen are put back together! Sorry, no pictures of the mess.

Other than that, we've been watching the vegetable garden sadly peter out in this heat and fade away while trying to keep the yard from suffering the same fate. This picture is our lovely front yard. We're planning to put in a drip irrigation system next year in the vegetable garden to cut down on the labor of hand watering everything though we'll still have to haul all the water ourselves. You should see the garden now, though! The half that never got cultivated is a jungle of weeds five feet tall. And though it's not producing much any more (we got one tomato last week), and what remains is plagued with drought, pest and disease, the five surviving sunflowers are at least 15 feet tall. Virginia is a strange place for gardens. Nothing is certain besides an entomologist's paradise. It was fun a couple of weeks ago when we actually got enough tomatoes that we got to share them with neighbors. Great way to get to know them. We're also going to miss Sarah's little voice piping up at dinner, "I'm eating tomatoes from my ga'ten."

Karen's foray into patio gardening

So, turns out there's really not much exciting to share after all! Life continues to be "blissfully boring," as Karen likes to put it. Couldn't be happier (Karen's note: Well, a clean house always makes me happier). Sarah and Ryan continue to be the darlingest little kids. It's always right after making the statements like the one about to be made when you eat your words, but Sarah so far has not been a terrible two. Here and there she asserts her will, but she's so easy-going by nature, and her attention span is so short it's easy to distract her from whatever she's being stubborn about so far.

Sarah enjoying a tea party with her friends--notice the coordinating dishes!

She's getting into ballerinas, "fairy skirts," and twirly dresses, which is the source of inspiration to pull out the sewing machine. She's taken several shopping trips in her tutus or fairy wings to the enjoyment of fellow shoppers. Ryan still adores her, and the absolutely most heartwarming thing in the world is to see them laughing together. Somehow we are blessed with two pleasant children. Ryan smiles constantly and as long as Mom or Sarah is in the kitchen with him, he loves jumping in his bouncy seat. What a difference six months makes! Mom never thought she'd survive two kids when he first arrived.

Adorable little Chubby Pudgkins

Bonus video: Sarah the fairy ballerina

Uncle Darren and Aunt Tia come visit

2011-07-24T11:27:00.012-04:00

More family time!

Uncle Darren, Aunt Tia, and little cousin Grayson came down from Hershey, PA to visit us on Saturday. They just moved there the day before to start med school at U. Penn this fall. It was so fun to see them again and meet Grayson for the first time. Little brother Darren is all growed up! We're so proud of him for starting med school. We think he'll be a great doctor and we're looking forward to them being only two hours away for the next four years.

Hooray for cousins!

Also this week, we had a water leak in our house. We found it when we
noticed the door to the laundry room wouldn't shut right from swollen wood at the base. After much searching Patrick our plumber found the culprit--a faulty pressure control release valve that may have been slowly leaking for years and suddenly got worse. Adam has had to cut out sections of drywall and insulation, wash and bleach the moldy areas, and all around learn more about the structure of our little townhouse than he ever wanted to know. But we've finished the remediation work and now just have to wait until it completely dries out. Then Adam our handyman gets to learn all about installing drywall and patching it all up! (Adam's note: I'm much better at signing checks... but I'm learning.) Fortunately, all of the damage is behind closet doors and appliances, and most importantly, the pediatrician assured us that the kids should be safe.

Cleaning out the water damage... ugh.

In happier news, our little garden spot is bursting with summer bounty and we've reveled in all the yummy dishes from the harvest. For the first time, we've also been able to share some of the gains with our neighbors, which really makes Karen smile. Maybe one of these years we'll even have enough to can. It's been SUPER hot out here this past week (triple digits and very humid), but Karen's will-to-garden-power are still going strong and though the plants are suffering, most of them should pull through. Next year we've (Adam's note: i.e. Karen) determined to install a small drip irrigation system which would save hours of work and lower the plant mortality rate since all watering now is done by hand, often to the tune of wailing children who haven't yet internalized the law of the harvest.

Bonus Picture: Sarah and Ryan are buddies!
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It's always fun when Grandpa comes...

2011-07-10T11:28:00.013-04:00

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... When Grandma comes - Hooray!

Together again!

We've had a busy and fun month here at ECT
HQ in sunny Virginia highlighted by family coming
at us from all directions!

First off, we've had Uncle Eric staying with us while he's working in the area. He's been so fun to have around, sharing his world traveling plans and adventures, working hard, and taking his frisbee golf lickings like a man. (Adam's note: Hehe). Karen loves spoiling her little brother whenever she can. Sarah is especially vigilant with Uncle Eric in her role as prayer police, making sure, mid-prayer usually, that we are all folding our arms or clasping hands like her Prayer Bear, a prized gift from Grandma Tracy.

Happy 29th Birthday, Uncle Eric!

And just last week Grandma and Grandpa Hill stopped in for a few days on their way home after three years serving a mission in Slovenia. It was so great to see them again and have them meet Ryan and see our house. Poor Grandpa was awfully sick the whole time, but we were so thrilled to have him back it didn't matter except that we wanted him to feel well. Ryan loved snuggling with his Grandpa, and Sarah warmed right up to Grandma, whom she's only seen on Skype for the last 20 months. Grandma spoiled her with stories and games and songs, and must have read "the Mifi story" (a children's book from Serbia) by request a hundred times. We welcomed them back to the USA with a City of Fairfax Fourth of July parade, a tour through Wal-Mart, a trip to Wegman's, and some comfortable beds--all of which was overwhelming after living abroad for so long. We were spoiled by Grandma and Karen's combined cooking skills, and got to relax and help Grandma and Grandpa decompress after running full speed after serving as the mission president. Congratulations on serving a great mission. We love you and wish you lived closer!

Ryan says, "I wuv Grandpa!"

With all the festivities lately, Adam has been honing his grillin' skills from pork spare ribs (Adam's note: Alas, slightly burned! *sigh*) to barbeque/curry chicken and grilled vege's to chili spice burgers. Karen reports just being so happy to see her post-mission parents and to spend some quality time with them that she didn't even notice the slightly burned ribs.

In garden news, Karen loved the extra help with Grandma
and Grandpa here, and our little produce factory is really starting to produce! We've had fresh beans, squash, tomatoes, onions, green peppers, radishes, lettuce, basil, cucumbers, and can't wait for more. Adam is secretly planning a Mexican garden next year as he would love fresh tacos and burritos. Now we're getting excited for Darren, Tia, and little Grayson to come out to the east coast for Med school at Pennsylvania State in Hershey, Pennsylvania. And we're trying to talk Brian and Callie into grad school out here too. It will be so fun to have family around again!

Bonus Sarah pic: It's always fun when Grandma comes!
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Colonial Williamsburg vacation

2011-06-17T14:06:00.021-04:00

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We spent all of last week traversing America's Historic Triangle, and what a week it was! My Grandparents have a time share at the Williamsburg Plantation that they let us use this year so we hopped at the chance. We had an absolute blast and are looking forward to going back. I'll do my best to give you a recap of the week, but just know that even with six days we still didn't get to do everything or spend as much time as this History Channel nerd would have liked to at each attraction.

The combined Tracy-Eyerly troupe

The Williamsburg Plantation was a great place to stay, as it's modeled after an antebellum plantation, the resort's clubhouse features indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a host of other amenities designed to enrich your stay in one of America's original 13 colonies.The colonial American charm of Williamsburg Plantation makes it the perfect spot for a family vacation. (Adam's note: Yes, I copied that from their website). But seriously, our friends the Eyerlys and their huge box of chocolates joined us for four days of our trip and the suite at the Plantation suited us just fine. I had to put the chocolates in the picture. (Karen's note: The Eyerlys are welcome anytime!) We loved being so close to the attractions so we could return for the kids' midday naps.

Yorktown was first up on our tour of the triangle. After visiting the Yorktown Victory Center, I dutifully minded the little ones while Karen picked the brains of the re-enactors for their Virginia gardening tips at period garden site. She in turn stayed with the napping kiddos in the car on our driving tour through the battlefield site at Yorktown while I relived the fighting walking the battlefield and recounting the allies southern campaign that ultimately ended the American Revolution. I loved walking on the allies (the French were major contributors in our fight for independence) and British siege lines from 1781. They were surprisingly close together! We were sure we had hit the best part of our trip first, and then...

Historic Jamestown and Jamestown Settlement. This site was awesome! They had replicas of the initial sailing ships the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery (they still sail!) that carried the original English settlers to Virginia that you could explore, recreation of the Jamestown settlement (they were in the midst of building one of the buildings using original techniques and materials), an antique armory with period firearms and armor, (Karen's note: and don't forget the period garden!) and a Powhatan village with fully outfitted longhouses and demonstrations of canoe building and other Indian skills, and that was just the Settlement site. The original site of Jamestown Fort was in the middle of excavation (the discovery of the original church made the Archeological Institute worldwide top 10 list in 2010) when we where there. But it was totally open to walk through, and we even got to talk with Dr. Bill Kelso, the world-renowned archeologist about the site. We saw a recreation of Lord De La Warr's 1610 arrival to save the struggling colony, artifacts from the site, and much more. I could have stayed there all day (Karen's note: but it was hot and sunny outside and the rest of us were getting cranky--despite the garden).

All aboard for the new world!

We also spent a day at nearby Virginia Beach on the Atlantic shore. Sarah particularly enjoyed the sand. Literally, she was eating it by the handful. That's when we knew it was time to get more lunch and head home. Otherwise, I could have stayed all day. (Adam's note: I think I plunged her into the ocean too fast for her to really take to it. We'll try again next time.)

Last but certainly not least, we spent a good two days at Colonial Williamsburg itself. What an awesome job they have done recreating the second capital of the Virginia Colony! We definitely didn't get to see all of CW (what the locals call Colonial Williamsburg, since you know, we're locals now :) and are eager to return. My favorite parts were the guided tours of the Governor's Palace and the Capital building. They've recreated both on the original foundations and the tours were guided by re-enactors in period and in character. Sarah loved wearing her Williamsburg hat and running around the grounds. It was awesome!

Poor Daddy got caught by CW's finest

So in short, we can't wait to get back and especially when Sarah, Ryan, and future chillin's are old enough to appreciate the history. Come join us next time!

And away she goes!

And away she goes again!
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Summer is here!

2011-06-05T19:30:00.011-04:00

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We've been putting in some long hours lately and now it's time for vacation! But first, it's been a good month since our last post so here's what's been happening here at ECT HQ.

First off, Karen's brother Eric has come to stay with us for the summer while he's working in the D.C. area. It's been a blast having Eric here with us and Sarah and Ryan have taken quite a shine to Uncle Eric.

Ryan thinks Uncle Eric tells the funniest jokes!

Karen has been battling the fierce Virginia elements and our humble little garden is starting to bloom. We've battled slugs and bugs of various kinds, put down leaf mulch and compost, and gotten Sarah and Ryan in on the action. Here are some pictures of our growing empire!

The Tracy Empire grows

Lastly, we've discovered one of the pools in our little hamlet of Burke, and Sarah can't get enough. A frequently heard request around the Tracy Manor is, "More swimming pool Daddy!" And now we're off to Colonial Williamsburg for a week of well-earned vacation. See you in a week!

Sarah is flying!

Bonus Pictures: Sarah and Ryan are happy little munchkins!
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The Garden

2011-05-07T18:02:00.008-04:00

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And now... presenting East Coast Tracy Garden 2011!

All kinds of things are sprouting at ECT HQ these days

We have been hard at work lately plunging our hands into the fertile soil of sylvan Virginia, and oh how our garden is growing. Karen signed us up again this year for a sunny 25'x25' plot of land in the Burke Centre Garden Association, a small grouping of local enthusiasts working small garden plots. After staking a claim to our land and studying up on the Vegetable Gardener's Bible, we tilled our plot up last weekend and prepared two large beds during the week, with hopes to increase the cultivation over time. And today we put in the first tomatoes, bush beans, pole beans, onions, carrots, summer squash, parsley, basil, Swiss chard, tropical dots, twizzlers, and zucchini. Soon produce will be cascading like, well, produce you get from a garden. (Karen's note: What's all this "we" talk? Actually, Adam has already been much more helpful this season, and I think he's really hiding a green thumb.)

How our garden grows

Not all has been smooth sailing in The Garden though. For example, my attempts to maximize the (cost+time)/effort = enjoyment ratio of The Garden by out-sourcing the tilling, weeding, planting, and harvesting has once again been quashed by our Garden CEO. By my calculations, this strategic course of action would have resulted in a 72% decrease in garden-related stress, 84% less dirt in my fingernails, and a 43% increase in free/nap time, thus raising the garden enjoyment ratio to an all-time high. But alas, my proposal has once again been struck down. I did, however, finally get to put my considerable lashing skills to the test. Behold the bean-pole tripod! (Adam's note: Some things you just can't outsource).

Sarah reports having a great time helping shape new dirt piles from Mom's carefully formed raised beds via her hair and pockets, and Ryan reports sleeping through the entire thing. Daddy can't wait until these little farmhands, er, chillins are ready to take his place! Stay tuned as the growing season progresses for more garden updates.

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Easter time is (was) here

2011-05-04T10:55:00.006-04:00

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Easter was a couple of weeks ago, I know. But because the pictures we take here at ECT HQ usually dictate what our blog posts will be, you get an Easter update!

Karen and Sarah dyed some Easter eggs, and then Daddy hid plastic Easter eggs all around the house. Sarah reports having a wonderful old time finding the Easter eggs hidden in plain sight. It brought back cheerful childhood memories of finally smelling out that one Easter egg that escaped finding days/weeks later. Good times.

Sarah was overjoyed to get an Easter package from Grandma Hill all the way from Slovenia. She especially loved the pink candies and the colorful "Easter Tree" she's holding in her hand (actually "butarica," a traditional part of the Slovenian Easter celebration). On a side note, Sarah LOVES getting letters and packages in the mail. She squeals with delight and thinks every package that comes is from Grandma and is for her.

This picture really has nothing to do with Easter, but I thought it was funny. Ryan really likes to be held this way, and I can tell when he finally conks out because he just goes limp like you see here.

In other news, our little garden is well on its way to almost being ready to finish the tilling and start planting. Before too long now we'll have tomatoes, beans, peppers, and all that coming out of our ears. Karen reports that all our hard work will soon be paying off with increased quality, organic produce and increased character for everyone!

We'll be posting picture of Tracy Family Garden soon. Stay tuned!

Sunshine in her soul

2011-04-17T13:25:00.010-04:00

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We're trying to reinforce for Sarah the need to say 'please' and 'thank you' when she wants or receives something. So here's what happened today at lunchtime when Daddy was making lunch for her.

Sarah: "Juice!"
Daddy: "What do you say, Sarah?"
Sarah: *turning to Mom* "Juice, Mama!"

Hmmm...

Buddies!

People often ask us how Sarah is handling her new brother, and the answer is they both get along famously. Besides the normal eye-poking and occasional smack on the head, Sarah loves her little brother. Ryan beams whenever Sarah is around (as much as a 2-month-old can), and is fascinated by her. Here they are enjoying the "Rocka-rocka" together.

Here is a video of Sarah and the inspiration for today's post. Karen caught her singing while reading a few days ago. You might have to listen closely, but the song she's singing is "There is Sunshine in my Soul Today." It made me laugh.

Well, I couldn't figure out how to make the video go, so maybe I'll figure it out tomorrow. (Adam's note: Ok, I figured it today.)

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Zoo, Cherry Blossoms, Bike Rides... oh my!

2011-04-07T16:34:00.023-04:00

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The weatherman correctly predicted perfect weather on Thursday, so Adam took the day off and we trekked up to the National Zoo. And it turned out that April is a great time to be there. It isn't crowded, you can score the free street parking, and the animals are all out and about since it isn't super hot and humid yet. Sarah ran and climbed her little heart out all around the zoo all day, getting a great show from the lions and their seven cubs, the elephants, the ambling panda, and coming nose to nose with the orangutans.

East Coast Tracys at the National Zoo! (Ryan was asleep so we left him in the stroller)

Bonus picture: Tracy girls at the Zoo!

Meanwhile, Ryan reports being excited for his blessing this weekend, posing here in the knit sweater and cap his Great-Grandmother Metzger made for him. Thanks Great-Grandma! Stay tuned for pictures of Ryan in his super-suave blessing tuxedo Grandma Tracy made for him. One day he will look back in wonder at it.

In other news, Adam took Sarah out on a bike ride around our little hamlet of Burke last weekend. She's finally grown into her bike seat this season and she loved the ride. Daddy loved getting out there on the bike with his sweet girl. They ended up riding to the train station where Adam catches his commuter train and chasing the geese that congregate there. Sarah wanted to give them hugs. They didn't catch any, but reported lots of fun trying!

Bike riding with Daddy

And this Monday for family night we picked up Adam from work and had our annual Tracy Family Cherry Blossom Picnic at Hains Point. The cherry blossoms were out in full strength and we had a nice picnic dinner amid the swirling blossoms with the National War College on the Potomac as a backdrop. Sarah loved feeding ducks, picking wildflowers, reaching up for blossoms (with Daddy's help), and running around generally reveling in the unofficial welcome to spring.

Here Sarah is doing her nightly stretches with Daddy. (Adam's note: Part of my shoulder rehab that Sarah has grown attached to as well. It's really endearing.)

Sarah found a honey tree to climb on right in our backyard. Sarah is into all things Winnie the Pooh now, and is constantly pleading with us to play Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree on the computer. Well, the tree that has grown sideways right behind our house is now her Honey Tree. She can't wait to be hang on, sit on, swing on, and play on her own Honey Tree. What it must be like to be 2!

"I'm just a little black rain cloud... hovering under the Honey Tree"

And here are some bonus pictures of life with the East Coast Tracys!

Sarah displaying one of her favorite stories in her fairy costume from Grandma Tracy.

Karen's note: Sarah and I got matching pink hats from the Target dollar bins, and she insisted we wear them the duration of our shopping trip--ah, what humiliation we are willing to overlook to make our little girl happy!

Sarah turns 2!

2011-03-19T16:22:00.011-04:00

...Hooray for springtime!

We've been having birthday fever here at East Coast Tracy HQ! Sarah turned two the other day, and in celebration Sarah shared some yummy cupcakes with her friends who met for their weekly playgroup at the park. Daddy is still waiting for his cupcakes... (Karen's note: Awhhhh, the kid's ate them all. Pobrecito!) And because it was so nice outside, we had our first dinner on the deck in 2011. Hooray for springtime! Notice Karen's already shed her shoes. Sarah got a shiny red balloon for her birthday inspired by our current favorite bedtime story Little Rabbit Lost. Sarah then proceeded to use her new balloon it to float all the way to the ceiling like her favorite Pooh Bear, as seen here. Daddy helped a little bit.

Sarah reports having a great birthday and that she is ready to skip the terrible two's and go right to being appreciative for Daddy logging those long hours at the office to buy shiny balloons for his special girl.

Birthday cupcakes to share with friends!

In other news, Ryan is doing well and is getting better at sleeping at night, though he still wakes up like clockwork every three hours. And he's growing like a little weed. I can't believe he's already over a month old. I'm looking forward to getting out there in the batting cages with my little shortstop. (I asked him about it the other day and he said he'd rather be a shortstop than a left-handed pitcher, which is ok I guess) Other than that he sleeps and cries a lot, and all four of us can't wait for that to end--the crying part, that is. He is welcome to start sleeping through the night any time. Karen reports that while he looks more like her side of the family than our fair Sarah, he still takes after his daddy. We'll see, but either way he's gonna be ok.

Well that's all the excitement around here. We're excited to start Parade of Visitors 2011, with Brian and Callie coming out to visit the end of April, and Mom and Dad Hill coming the end of June. We can't wait to see you guys!

Bonus Sarah picture: Sarah steps out in style.
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Home again, home again...

2011-02-27T20:57:00.011-05:00

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And now... an update from the East Coast Tracys. Hurrah!

I had a birthday, shout HOO-RAY!

Much has happened here at ECT HQ in the past two weeks since our last post. The most important, of course, is that Adam is recovering very well from his surgery and rehab is going well - thank you very much. Ok, what's really important is that Karen and little Ryan are all well and good and happy. We took Ryan in for his two-week checkup today and he is right on target. The doctor said that from the looks of things he is likely to combine his father's dashing good looks and rapier wit with his mother's sensitivity and kindness. What a lady-killer he will be! (Karen's note: who writes these posts?!?) And Karen is recovering extremely well from the delivery. I can tell because it's getting harder and harder to make her take a daytime nap.

Can you spot the good daytime sleeper and not-so-good daytime sleeper here? hehe

Ryan seems to have taken well to being the newest Tracy, and Sarah has taken to him very well. She is fascinated by his hands and toes, and gets all excited whenever she can touch them. She also likes to hold her little brother and give him blankets and kisses. Here is Sarah (and Mommy) holding Ryan. Awhhh...

And today Adam trooped back to the Department of Labor coal mine, ending his two-week stint of looking after the Tracy Empire. Sarah reports missing her daddy, who seemed to always be ready with a tickle or snuggle. Here she is instructing him on the finer arts of hunting for deals online. (Adam's note: Daddy is/was duly impressed as you can see) Adam reports enjoying the time off work to be home with the family (but secretly also enjoying being back at the office where there is nary a screaming baby to be heard or diaper to change).

In other ECT news, Adam recently celebrated his 32nd birthday this past week. Karen made a delicious carrot cake and Adam reports that his family is the best gift he could ever have. To help celebrate, Ryan decided to give daddy a nose-kiss. If you didn't know, those go like this as seen here.

And on a final note, we are extremely grateful to our ward family who provided meals for us after Karen came home from the hospital. We not only enjoyed the wonderful food, but really felt loved that our gospel family would show such kindness to us. Thanks so much Burke Ward!

Bonus picture: Sarah is just as excited as Daddy for the new baseball season! Go Royals!
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Oh Boy!

2011-02-13T11:07:00.013-05:00

Karen in full pregnant-glory

Just last night we snapped this picture, thinking, "hey, we really haven't gotten any full-term pregnancy belly shots of you yet." Well, it was a good thing we did, because little did we know only a mere hours later pregnancy #2 would be in the history books. And a scant three days after pleading to the blogosphere for our little boy to arrive, he is here! Ryan Michael Tracy was born late last night, Saturday, February 12th. Mom and baby (and Dad) and doing well and all is good and healthy and we're in the hospital resting comfortably until tomorrow sometime when we'll head home.

Karen started feeling contractions last night about 9pm. We arrived in the hospital around 11pm and little Ryan was born about 30 minutes later. He was a quick delivery! We got situated in the hospital and the next thing you know we had a little baby on our hands. Karen was brave throughout the whole thing and was rewarded with a perfect little boy. Ryan was 8 pounds 3 ounces and 20 and 1/2 inches long. He already displays a quiet dignity and mental acuity that is sure to place him in the BYU class of 2030. Meanwhile, Adam has been happily ordering double the hospital food for Karen (Adam's note: surprisingly good) and making sure none of it goes to waste.

We're excited to welcome Ryan into our family. Everyone, a round of applause for the newest member of the East Coast Tracys!!!

Mother and son both doing great

Our little guy!

here comes baby...

2011-02-10T21:51:00.000-05:00

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... any day now! Karen is fast approaching her due date of Feb. 24th, but on her last appointment yesterday the doctor said she didn't expect to see her next week. Come on baby!

Daddy and daughter on a recent snow day

It seems like such a long time since we updated our blog. Where has the time gone!?! In between posts we have had snow, days off work (Karen's note: for dad, not mom!) a new hardwood dining room floor, dinner parties (well, attempted ones anyways), tea parties, and pulling up carpet/padding ourselves and getting new carpet put in parties (not really a party at all). But most important of all, here at ECT Headquarters we've been gearing up for little Ryan Tracy to arrive.

We've also had a lot of snow recently, so on one of those days when it was hard to get to the commuter train, Adam phoned in and worked from home. And by work from home he means build snowmen with his girls. Here Sarah is getting ready for the BYU Class of 2017.

Karen reports being ready for little Ryan to arrive too. Comments such as "Get this boy out of me!" and "When is this baby coming!?!" have been heard around ECT HQ as of late. And on top of being pregnant, my sweet wife has been laid low with the flu this week. But she has been a trooper throughout. Hopefully our little boy gets his mother's toughness! The sisters in the ward also held a nice baby shower for us this past week. They were so generous, we feel so blessed to be surrounded by good friends.

Sarah has been hard at work helping Momma get ready for the new baby. She has recently discovered that with our little painting stool she can see what's happening on the counters, as shown above. AND she can carry that thing all around the house and scamper up and down it. You can always tell where Sarah has been by the train of destruction in her wake and the presence of her trusty stepping stool. Here she is washing the ice cream scoop, which she then proceeded to drink out of.

Last weekend was our attempted dinner party with our good friends the Eyerly's. It started out at our house for dinner, but ended up as desserts at their house. But nonetheless a good time was had by all. We'll be so sad when they leave D.C. for business school next year.

And last but not least... new a dining room floor! Karen put in a ton of hours researching brands, pricing, contractors, installation, pulling up carpet and padding, and overseeing the whole enterprise. If you have any flooring questions ask Karen and chances are she will know the answer and how to make it happen for less. We're really excited to have them in. Plus, that was our last major house project for the foreseeable future. Now it's time for another baby to arrive!

Our new dining room. Hooray for hardwood floors!

Snowman!

2011-01-28T15:47:00.006-05:00

Just yesterday we got a quick 4-5 inches of snow dumped on us here in chilly Burke, Virginia. Karen and Sarah ventured outside and had a grand old time romping around in the snow. And as luck would have it, just after putting the finishing touches on a brand new snowman to guard our front yard, a local reporting from BurkePatch.com (a local online magazine) happened to be walking by and asked if she could put our intrepid little snowman on the front page! Here's the link and picture. Snowman!

Once there was a snowman...

Happy (belated) Holidays!

2011-01-09T11:18:00.012-05:00

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From the better late than never category... A very merry Christmas and happy New Year to all of you from the East Coast Tracys! Here is the best-of-Tracy-Christmas 2010 recap.

Hurrah for Christmas, the best day of the year!

Here at ECT HQ we enjoyed what Adam called a "very girly Christmas." But don't let that fool you, he loved watching Sarah squeal with delight when she opened her presents of a new baby doll and crib, tea set, and an apron to match Mom's AND having tea parties with his little girl. Sarah paraded around in her fancy new apron while snuggling and taking care of her baby all day long and loved every minute of it. (Adam's note: Just wait until next year when the Tracy boys take over. MWHAHAHA!!!)

The best part of the holiday, however, was watching Sarah play with the nativity set characters (we only had to glue 3 of them back together this year), and point out all the joys of the holiday like Christmas trees and wreaths, sparkling ornaments, snowmen, lights, gingerbread cookies and candy canes. Christmas must have inspired her voice as well because suddenly she's talking up a storm with a vocabulary that includes all those holiday words. She especially loved seeing the train display and boogieing to the jazz band at the U.S. Botanic Garden. Her enthusiasm was even more entertaining than the event itself. We also enjoyed sharing Christmas day waffles with our wonderful neighbor.

In baby news, Karen had entered her third trimester and reports that this one feels more like an 8-pounder. We just hope that Sarah can teach him to be as sweet as our petite little girl has been.

Adam reports that his shoulder is feeling better every day and that he can't wait to get out of his sling and back onto the basketball court. (Karen's note: And Saturday chores!) He has started his physical therapy regimen and is looking forward to being done with it in a month or so.

Wishing you all a very happy New Year!

Bonus family picture: At the Smithsonian Botanical Gardens annual toy train exhibit!

Double bonus! "You talkin' to me? Huh?"

The Six Million Dollar Man

2010-12-18T12:32:00.010-05:00

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"We can rebuild him. We have the technology."

Things have been pretty quiet around the Tracy Manor as of late since Adam's surgery, as his total activities since going under the knife on Tuesday has consisted of 1) eating, 2) sleeping, 3) perceset-ing, and 4) moping around muttering strange ...urggghhhh... sounds every so often.

Helping Daddy feel better

The surgery went really well (Adam's note: Or so the doctor says. I was knocked out :) I went into the hospital on Tuesday and was out the same day. For those of you that are interested, it was a tear of the left glanoid labrum in the anteroinferior quadrant with an intact periosteal sleeve. The anterior labrum was torn, there was a type II SLAP tear, a mildly lax inferior glenohumeral ligament complex, and a acute Hill-Sachs lesion. The doc said it was a 9 out of 10 for level of severity with a shoulder dislocation. I would post the pictures, but... no.

Most of that first day home was a haze, and Wednesday wasn't much better. To help though, the hospital gave us a fancy sling and a pretty cool ice pack contraption that circulates ice water from a cooler through a wrap surrounding my shoulder. It's pretty sweet and very helpful. It makes me feel like a cross between Darth Vader and the Six Million Dollar Man. But mostly I've been just convalescing.

"He's more machine now than man... twisted and evil."

Karen and Sarah have been keeping my spirits up though. Our first snow of the winter fell this week, and the girls built a happy snowman to celebrate. Karen also finished our Christmas decorations with a green garland that winds up the stairwell and covers the mantle. Our Christmas tree is all trimmed and ready for the big day.

In other news, Sarah has been talking up a storm recently, and you really have to watch what you say around her now. Her favorite words seem to be 'cookie' 'pie' and 'Matt' (from the online Friend's Matt and Mandy series). She's still getting the hang of sentences though, as they usually sound like this, "Houihfiygo hgfiytdus fsedse cookie," while pointing to the cookie jar. And Karen has been working overtime taking care of both Sarah and me while I'm recovering.

But all in all Adam is happy to back on the road to health and glad to be back home.

the Tracy girls!

Bonus Sarah picture: Helping is fun!

So, I broke my shoulder

2010-12-02T11:26:00.017-05:00

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Happy (late) Thanksgiving everybody!

Mother and Daughter celebrating pajamas together

Yes, ECT fans, the rumors are true: I broke my shoulder. Dislocated, actually, but enough damage that I'm queued up for arthroscopic surgery in a little under two weeks. So congratulations for those of you that had 31 in the What-Age-Will-Adam's-First-Sports-Related-Surgery-Be? pool. You win a kick in the teeth from me the next time I see you. It happened a week ago playing basketball at church (of course) with the Elder's quorum. No funny business, just a bad break (and pun). But fortunately there was a sports medicine specialist playing that night that immediately set my shoulder back after the painful dislocation, and then gave me a weekend's supply of 800mg Midol until I could get in to see a doctor after the Thanksgiving holiday. So it could have been much worse. I should be back in action in about four months if all goes well.

Also, in case any of you are wondering the doctor advised me strongly to stay away from basketball, high-fives, dish soap, vacuums, scrubbing items of various kinds, and Comet until I am fully healed. He didn't say when that would be, but for my condition I'm guessing 12-15 years. I just don't want to come back too soon and ruin my recovery. (Karen's note: Fortunately, my second opinion on the matter is the only one that really counts. And scrubbing builds character!)

On a happier note, Karen created a fantastic Thanksgiving feast for us with everything you could possibly want. A yummy turkey, multiple types of stuffing, pies, green beans, sweet potatoes, punch, sparkling apple juice, rolls, and much more. We have been eating pie for the past week and loving it. We had the missionaries and some friends from the ward over for dinner. We were going to take pictures of the whole thing and then didn't, so you'll have to use your imaginations. But it really turned out wonderfully, and Karen put in a full two days worth of preparation to make our Thanksgiving a feast that I have been enjoying all week long.

And in other happy news, our new windows are being put in today. Hurray for new windows! Everyone is happy about them except for my wallet. Next up on the ECT home improvement calendar is replacing the carpet and putting in a hardwood floor in the dining room. You can send contributions and/or condolences to the Don't-Make-Adam-Get-A-Second-Job home improvement fund.

And finally, our little girl is babbling up a storm now and happily chirps out words seemingly non-stop. She'll gladly parrot what you say now too, so watch out!

And now some bonus Sarah pictures you are all dying to see.

"I was not informed that there would be pictures with this smoothie. Sheesh."

"l'm ready for my close-up now Mr. DeMille."
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Send in the clowns

2010-11-07T18:51:00.012-05:00

A couple of happy clowns!

We celebrated Halloween by dressing Sarah up as a clown and taking her trunk-or-treating. She was only enthusiastic enough for four or five trunks, but wasn't she cute! Adam dressed up as a bureaucrat, while Karen completed our D.C. trio by dressing up as a pregnant lady (Adam's note: albeit a stunningly beautiful pregnant lady!)

In (seemingly never-ending) home improvement news, we have officially finished painting the dining room. We ended up going with a color called Restful Pacific Calmnation. Actually, it's a light blue called Pensive Sky. The names of these paint colors crack me up. But it looks really nice though... like a country manor overlooking a broad meadow, with the morning fog lazily drifting through groves of evergreens and babbling streams that slowly gives way to the first rays of the emerging sun to a day filled with promise and promises. (Karen's note: Enough already, it's just pale blue. Sheesh) (Adam's note: But we've got a roaring fire going as we write this... the remains of the day drifting... ok. it's a pale blue) We can't wait until our house is all fixed up!

And now with the temperatures and leaves falling here in northern Virginia, we're settling in for the long winter ahead. Karen dutifully sweeps the leaves from our deck as they fall, and Sarah has discovered the joy of autumn and crackling piles of leaves.

Our car, however, is not so happy for the long winter ahead. I took it to the local high school auto tech program to fix it's litany of problems. The high school is close so I can ride my bike there and back, which is nice. With the commuter train, Wal-Mart and the grocery store within walking distance, we are fortunate to be able to live without the car for two weeks. Hopefully those students take good care of my trusty Stratus.

And at this very moment, we at the Tracy Manor are enjoying an evening by the fire, complete with Breyers Cherry Vanilla ice cream. So from all of us here as Tracy HQ to our friends and family everywhere, have a wonderful night and come visit us soon!

"I know, right? Mom and Dad are so cheesy."

Cousin Simon comes to visit

2010-10-26T15:04:00.015-04:00

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Well it has been an exciting couple of weeks for the East Coast Tracys. We're getting all kinds of work done around the house and enjoying a steady stream of visitors. Karen's cousin Simon and his family came to visit all the way from Munich, Germany. They were visiting friends in the D.C. area and graciously stopped by Sunday evening to hang out with us. Hooray for cousins!

Hills: The Next Generation

In home improvement news, we're getting closer and closer to finishing the painting at the HQ. We've just got the bathrooms, master bedroom, kitchen, and dining room left now. That might sound like we don't have much of anything done, but we're making good progress and should be totally finished before too long. We also are in the process of putting some water sealer on the wooden patio furniture. I don't know if that's a good idea or not, but it seemed like one so I'm doing it.

It also looks like we'll be putting in new windows soon. After hearing claims of up to 50% energy savings by having new windows (and the soon-expiring $1,500 federal tax credit), how could we resist? So we're now hosting a parade of window guys that are telling me how much money I will owe them soon. But hey, new windows!

General Lee approves of Boy Scout Camporees

In much more fun news, I attended a Civil War reenactment! Our local Boy Scout council put on a camporee based around the Civil War this past weekend that our troop attended. The boys got to participate in the first Battle of Zekiah Swamp at the Samual A. Mudd historical homestead with the local Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War and Sons of Confederate Veterans groups. According to General Lee (or rather, his impersonater), if the Confederates would've won this fictional battle than Washington D.C. itself would have been imperiled.

It was also FREEZING cold. I double-sleeping-bagged it it was so cold. But the highlight of the campout was my dutch oven peach cobbler. Well, it wasn't all that good. More like average. But I will continue to tinker with my recipes and report back. You can always find me on campouts if you know where my chair is at.

One last funny story. While on a walk this past Sunday afternoon with Karen and Sarah, we ambled through rows of pine trees behind our house. While Sarah was watching, I would clear the pine needles with my foot and then dramatically stomp my foot in the clearing. Only moments afterwards, Sarah walked over and proceeded to do her best impression of Daddy by clearing and stomping on pine needles all along the trail. I guess those kids really do watch what you do!

Bonus Sarah picture: Sarah loves to play the piano with Mommy and all by herself!

I re-seasoned my Dutch ovens!

2010-10-12T14:21:00.015-04:00

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This might not sound very exciting to all you ECT fans out there, but I re-seasoned my dutch ovens yesterday!

A little history: I had been looking for Dutch ovens for Scout campouts for months, when finally two (!) showed up on Craigslist within days of each other. So I bought both of them for about $10-$15 apiece, and proceeded to stash them in my garage. Every so often I would sneak out there and gloat to myself. I was a Dutch oven owner!

However, my Dutch oven-induced happiness soon turned into Dutch oven-induced sorrow, as an undiscovered small leak from our garden hose in the garage rusted my ovens while we were away in California on vacation. My Dutch oven dream, it seemed, was over scarcely before it had begun. I knew I had to save them, but didn't know how. Internet research yielded a variety of recovery methods, but in the end I had to call up my dad for the final word. So yesterday I scrubbed the rust off (most of it coming off surprisingly easy) and proceeded to season my Dutch ovens with canola oil in the oven for several hours. The rusted picture above isn't my oven pre-cleaning, but looks similar.

After much agonizing waiting (Karen's note: and much burnt-oil smells throughout the house), my Dutch ovens have emerged...

...clean! Now hopefully it will cook well and produce yummy cobblers and such. I will be sure to report back after our next campout.

In other news, we got out for a little biking trip yesterday during the Columbus Day holiday. Emphasis on the little, as we merely trekked down to a nearby lake and did a couple of laps testing out our baby bike seat in between stops to throw rocks in the lake and play on the playgrounds. Sarah reports that a splendid time was had by all (Sarah's note: baballaoo...beeyuapys...dada!). In ECT baby news, the boy continues to grow and Karen is reporting a surge of boy-baby activity.

Bonus Sarah pictures: Daddy takes his little girl out for a spin in her new ride.

It's a...

2010-09-30T15:04:00.007-04:00

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... new deck for the East Coast Tracys! I finally finished the deck last week and oh boy now we're decking it up all over the place. Whoohoo! Just in time for the rain and snow.

Sarah says she just loves the new deck

Sarah loves having a yard to run around in and toss balls around in. Karen loves having her plants and backyard access to Wal-Mart back. She's been clipping and watering and weeding to her heart's content getting the yard back in order. Can't wait until gardening season next spring! Now moving on to the painting, carpet, and hard wood flooring! (Adam's note: *sigh* A dad's work is never done).

But since we got the deck all finished Karen got to finally move the patio furniture and flower boxes back from the side yard. Because this project has likely taken months off Adam's life, we thought it would be nice to give all the ECT fans out there a glimpse into all his hard work. What you see below is the finished product (before the furniture and flowers). What you don't see, and that has only been documented in the sore muscles, dogged perseverance of sanding that deck after coming home from a long day shoveling coal for Old Man Dept. of Labor after battling the D.C. commute on weeknights and on the weekends, is the blood, sweat, and tears that have gone into making that deck a home. Every plank tells a story, sniffle, sniffle.

But mostly we're just excited to have it done.

Oh yeah, and we went to the doctor's office today for a 19-week sonogram. Adam was right the second time in a row--we're having a boy! WHOOHOO!!!

The newest Tracy! Well, his leg anyways
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Back from the beach!

2010-09-20T13:25:00.015-04:00

The East Coast Tracys are at it again. Just last night Karen, Sarah, and I returned from sunny Southern California and we are now safe and sound back at ECT HQ in Virginia.

Where it all began: The wishing well in Balboa Park where Karen's dad proposed!

Our first stop was San Diego, where we rented a beach house with Karen's brothers and families: Scott and Emily with their four little ones; Eric; Brian and Callie with little Eden; and Darren and Tia with baby boy-to-be. We landed Saturday afternoon and stayed the night with Grandma Gerry in El Cajon with the crew. Then we picked up and headed for the beach! Brian found us a SWEET deal on a beach house in Mission Beach from Sunday to Friday that was a half block from the ocean. It was so much fun being able to stroll down to the beach, back to the house, back to the beach, and home again whenever we felt like it.

Sarah especially enjoyed playing in the sand and chasing the seagulls to her hearts content. She was a little more intimidated by all the kids scampering about in the house. Daddy will have to toughen her up a bit! We visited the tide pools in La Jolla early one morning where Daddy and daughter got to touch their first sea anemones. We enjoyed great weather for the first couple of days on the beach, but the last couple were overcast. Still fun times though! And Brian brought some super-secret sample desserts from General Mills that we got to snack on throughout the beach stay. Yummm....

Also in San Diego, we visited the pier and sculpture of the famous "Kiss Statue." It deserved it's own front page billing, so here goes. (Karen's note: I especially love that little Gracie sneaked into the picture.)

At the Champion Estate in Hollywood!

After sunning in San Diego, we drove up to Los Angeles to visit my sister Rachel and her husband Scott. They have been hosting a steady stream of Tracy siblings in the past month (Adam's Note: But we were the first to book a weekend at the Champion Estate!) and were great hosts. They live in Hollywood (Yes, that Hollywood!) and Scott showed us were he works just a short drive away at Warner Brothers Studios. Sarah loved seeing Aunt Rachel again and swimming in the pool at their apartment complex (Adam's note: Right outside their front door. It was great!) Also, Karen and Rachel got to compare bellies. They are due within one week of each other (Karen's disclaimer: they say you always show sooner with your second) at the end of February/early March. The race for the first Tracy grandson is on! We both find out the gender in a few weeks.

Uncle Brad comes to visit

2010-09-05T17:34:00.005-04:00

This week at ECT Headquarters we had a very special guest, Uncle Brad! He is my uncle on my father's side, and came via military airlift for the Glenn Beck rally this past Saturday. He flew in on Saturday and out commercially yesterday. Adam got to show him the ins and outs of commuting in D.C., and he spent all day for about a week straight traiping around town. And we'll be seeing Uncle Brad and Aunt Lupe again next week when we head out to sunny California for vacation. It was great to see you again Uncle Brad! Come back anytime!

He even helped us finish staining the deck on a very early (Adam's note: we started at 5 a.m.) Monday morning. We are so excited to have our deck back! We were thinking about having a Deck Opening Party, but probably won't.

In other exciting news, Adam was recently invited to the White House (Adam's note: Yes, that White House) to go bowling in the Truman Bowling Alley. We only stayed for a little while though, as Uncle Brad was watching Sarah, and Karen didn't have any socks. It was pretty fun, though Adam seemed a bit underwhelmed by it all. Besides his hatred of bowling, the White House Bowling Alley is actually located in the basement of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. Still cool, but I didn't get to say hello to Barack on the way down there like I thought I would.

Next up for the East Coast Tracy's is a California vacation, with a week in sunny San Diego with the Hill siblings (sans Elder (Brett) Hill), and then up to L.A. for a few days with Adam's sister Rachel and her husband Scott. Away we go!

bonus Sarah video: Sarah chases the flashlight

Missouri vacation 2010!

2010-08-15T09:20:00.007-04:00

Last week we got back home from the epic East Coast Tracy Missouri Vacation 2010! We flew into Kansas City Thursday night and then trekked down to Lake Pomme de Terre to spend a long weekend with Matt and Lisa Mitchell and family, Adam's old friends from his high school days. We stayed in their cabin on the lake, sped around on jet skis, and took a twirl or two around the lake in their pontoon boat. In the evenings Matt showed off his grill skills by BBQ'ing up some tuna steaks and kabobs. Sarah got her first jet ski ride and loved it. Adam's note: Daddy was more scared than she was! She also got to play with little Madison, who showed her all about taking care of her dolls. (Karen's note: Sarah's still learning how to play with other kids. Her 'play' means mostly means being intimidated by the other kid.) Thanks for a great weekend at the lake Team Mitchell. We can't wait to do it again!

The Tracy and Mitchell clans - August, 2010 - Lake Pomme de Terre

Next up on the "Gettin' Adam Back to his Roots" tour was a four day canoe trip with Grandma and Grandpa Tracy and Uncle Joseph (or Uncle Jo-Jo to Sarah). We loaded up the canoes and gear and then trekked on down to Bennett Springs near Lebanon, Missouri and set up camp in the state park there. We drove down on Monday afternoon, floated the river on Tuesday and Wednesday, and came home Thursday afternoon.

Embarking on Tracy Canoe Trip 2010!

Grandpa Tracy showed his camping expertise by bringing the most deluxe camping setup we've ever seen. Grandma even baked a blueberry pie (no joke, a real blueberry pie) in camp, and Grandpa grilled up pork and Great-grandpa Metzger's chicken with dutch oven cheesy potatos and veggies over the course of the trip. Adam showed off his eating expertise by gobbling it all up. During our time on the river and afterwards we'd go splash and hang out in the river and exploring the state park. We took it pretty easy on the river, stopping frequently to swim, jump off mud cliffs (even Karen did it!), and snack. Sarah even got her first taste of river water when we flipped the canoe rounding a fast-moving bend in the river right in the middle of her nap! It was great hanging out with Joseph before he embarks on his wild college adventures. As soon as Grandma and Grandpa recover we look forward to doing it again with all the Tracys there. Thanks for an unforgettable adventure!

Announcing...

2010-07-28T20:55:00.004-04:00

We here at ECT Headquarters have exciting news...

We've finally chosen a cedar deck stain and we're a go from the Home Owners Association to finish off the deck! Whoohoo! Isn't that exciting?

After a long gestation and much labor on our part, I am ready to deliver on the promise to finish staining the deck and really start building something all of our family can enjoy. Seeing that Redwood color on our deck made us wonder just what was missing in our lives. Sometimes we would sit together as a family - Karen, Sarah, and I - and it just seemed like something big was about to happen. Or maybe something small... but something. And now it has happened! Soon our deck will be a smooth, sanded, and stained ceder-hued oasis!

We are all excited for this new phase in our lives, even though it is a big change. Especially Sarah. She has been looking so sad lately, as if to say, "Daddy, I am so lonely. When will I have somewhere to play with all the new arrivals in my world?" Also, Karen has started to feel a bit queasy lately with sudden cravings for midday naps and green olives...perhaps because of that nagging feeling about something missing in our lives. But now the deck is almost complete (again) so hopefully she will start feeling better soon.

And... oh yeah, Karen is pregnant! We're due February 24th! We just got to see the little bean kicking around on the ultra sound yesterday. Hooray!

Happy Home Anniversary!

2010-07-19T16:20:00.018-04:00

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A lot has happened in the past few weeks during a HOT July here at ECT Headquarters in sunny Virginia. Most excitingly, we celebrated our first anniversary of living in our new house. Hooray! Karen baked a chocolate cake for the occasion and we commemorated it by getting all dressed up and eating it. We can't believe it's already been a year since we moved down to Virginia and becoming bona-fide Southerners, and three years (three!) since we moved to D.C. And we've already enjoyed so many visits from family and friends. Come visit us again!

In other news, Sarah reports being delighted by the Grandma Tracy hippo pool. She constantly gives Mr. Hippo kisses, as seen here, totally disregarding her Daddy's counsel to save them. Hmmm... (Daddy frowning/furrowing his brow now.) But Sarah loves that hippo pool, so who am I to stand in the way of true love? Thanks for the hippo pool Grandma Tracy!

In the background of the picture you can see our almost-finished deck. The neighbors report that Adam has been hard at work sanding it down with his random orbit sander to smooth out the roughness caused by powerwashing off the old non-HOA approved redwood stain. (Adam's note: sorry neighbors!) Soon that deck will be finished and we will hold a Grand Reopening Party for it. You are all welcome to attend, of course.

Also this past week, the Tracy girls discovered a fun fountain nearby. Though one of the smallest and by far the chubbiest patron, Sarah splashed around with the best of them once she warmed up to it. For the first several minutes she just stared at the hole, mesmerized, waiting for the water to squirt. It was so much fun that Daddy decided to come join the action on our return trip Saturday.

And in garden news, Karen reports a bounteous harvest is coming... next year. However, this year we're still enjoying all the cherry tomatoes that make it back home. It must be a perilous journey from the garden to our dining room table though, for not many cherry tomatoes survive the trip. Come to think of it, chocolates suffer the same fate in the Tracy Manor. (Adam's note: Hmmm...)

"What? You've never seen a girl with a Penne-finger before?"

Uncle Eric comes to visit!

2010-07-01T14:47:00.010-04:00

As you can tell from the last couple of posts here, we've become a popular vacation destination! Karen's brother Eric stopped by for a quick visit on his way to South Africa and the World Cup recently. He had a layover in D.C. and so we got to spend the day with him. We were even able to watch the last half of the thrilling U.S. victory over Slovenia in the final minute to advance to the next round together. Hope you're having fun in South Africa, Eric!

Sarah especially loved having Uncle Eric stop by

In other ECT news, Adam is almost finished sanding the deck in preparation for a new staining. He puts in a few hours in the evenings working on the deck after he gets home from shoveling coal at the U.S. Dept of Labor all day. (Karen's note: Hooray for my hard-workin' man!) Sarah likes to help out, too. This time, however, Adam reports: "We will be picking a stain that we like and that is approved by our Home Owners Association so I won't have to strip it again, re-sand the deck, and re-apply more stain. This deck might kill me. The only thing keeping me going is Karen's cookies, waffles, and... chore-less Saturdays?" Karen, with a wry smile slowly developing and arching her eyebrows, reports to the Tracy household: "Unfortunately, two out of those three will have to do." I will let you guess which one didn't survive the cut... sigh.

First harvest!

In garden news, Karen brought in the first summer vegetable harvest with more to come! Karen has put in a lot of time and hard work into our little garden plot. It's been fun watching it grow from just seeds into a full-fledged garden of huge tomato plants, beans, squash, carrots, peas, marigolds, nasturtium, peppers, eggplant, and most importantly love!

Next up for East Coast Tracy adventures... weekend at the Lake and family canoe trip in Missouri in August. We can't wait!

Bonus Sarah picture: Sarah likes to show off her teeth!

Aunt Becky and Uncle Doug come to visit!

2010-06-08T20:47:00.007-04:00

Adam's sister Becky and her husband Doug flew out from CA to visit over Memorial Day! We had a great time with them, and they tromped all through Washington D.C. We barbequed ribs one night (Karen's note: more like incinerated them) and made some yummy homemade ice cream with Karen's birthday present, a Cuisinart Ice Cream/Frozen Yogurt Maker! (Adam's note: Ahh, the quintessential gift that keeps on giving!). As you can tell from the picture on the right, Sarah loved playing with Aunt Becky. Karen reports being thrilled to have another great sister-in-law visit.

In other news, during the past month we discovered another small lake close to our house. We took a walk around the lake and Adam taught Sarah the finer points of throwing rocks into the water. And Sarah didn't even try to eat too many of them! We also found a nice playground on the lake that we stopped by.

In less exciting news, Adam recently finished staining our deck a nice semi-transparent redwood color. It's less exciting news because upon finishing the job, we realized that 1) redwood color is a bit too red for our taste, and 2) redwood color is the only color specifically prohibited in our Home Owners Association codes (Adam's note: BOOOO redwood color). Adam is now halfway finished with stripping the redwood color, sanding the deck, and then staining it a semi-transparent ceder color instead.

In a happier home-improvement note, Karen reports progress painting the house. We painted Sarah's room a nice pink with white trim, we are painting the living room a sanded something color with some green alcoves, and the dining room is yet to be decided. Also, Karen reports that the garden plot is humming along, and that we should have loads of tomatoes, beans, and carrots soon! Of course, the carrots are scattered all around the garden because...well, Sarah was "helping."

And coming up in our Summer of Visits '10... Eric is stopping by D.C. for a few hours later this month; Daniel and Meghann are stopping by for a few days over the 4th of July; we are flying out to Missouri to visit some of Adam's friends and go on a canoe trip with the family in August; and MAYBE we're heading out to San Diego in September to see Great Grandma's Fox and Hill, Scott and Emily and family, and Rachel and Scott in Los Angeles. MAYBE!! Hooray for summer!

Bonus Sarah Picture: Sarah loves her fluffy dog!

Aunt Callie and cousin Eden come to visit!

2010-05-02T20:45:00.012-04:00

We love visitors here at ECT Headquarters in sunny Virginia! Aunt Callie and cousin Eden came to stay with us for almost a whole week and we had a wonderful time visiting the Capitol and the zoo, and just taking walks around our lovely northern Virginia neighborhood. Brian, bring Callie and Eden back soon! It was lots of fun having Callie and Eden with us and we can tell that Sarah and Eden will be good friends when they get older. We hope you got some rest after you got back home, Callie. Vacationing with a six-month-old is a lot of work!

Adam taking care of Sarah and Eden... for about 10 seconds.

In gardening news, our little garden plot is almost ready for planting. Karen got us a small plot of land from the Burke Centre Garden Plot Association just over a mile from our house. She and Sarah have been over there almost daily, and yesterday Adam joined in the work of hauling compost and horse manure. (Adam's note: My attempts to sub-contract the above has been blocked due to ECT management disapproval.) What does our little garden look like, you ask? Well, it's a square block of dirt with horse poop on it. But soon it will be exploding with vegetables for the eating, weeds for the picking, and bugs for the squishing. (Adam's note: My attempts to sub-contract out the above has also been met with ECT management disapproval... and eye-rolling.) Hooray for gardens!

In other exciting news, Adam took his 11 year-old Boy Scouts on a campout this weekend. He reports having a fun time out teaching his young charges how to light fires, cook hot dogs and s'mores, and telling funny camp stories about when he was a Boy Scout.

Sarah continues to grow like a weed and is babbling incessantly, twirling around in circles, demanding time on the local swingset, and overall being a pleasure for her mother. (Adam's note: Dad likes swing-time too!)

Other than that, things are going swimmingly here for us. Adam has been power washing everything in sight since getting his new power washer this past week. (Adam's note: Wait until I get to the deck! Whoohoo!) Karen is keeping busy planting her seeds of love and lettuce and sewing baby clothes. Hmmm... what else. Come visit!

(Karen's note: hey, what's with all the Adam's notes?)

Bonus Sarah Video: Sarah's a dance-y girl!

Cherry Blossom Festival 2010!

2010-04-04T11:27:00.013-04:00

East Coast Tracys at the Cherry Blossom Festival!

After the record breaking winter weather we've experienced, spring has never been so welcome. The perfect weather in Washington begged a picnic and a visit to the annual Cherry Blossom Festival on Friday evening. Sarah and I picked Adam up from the Department of Labor and we cruised under a canopy of cherry trees in peak bloom down to Hains Point for a dinner on the lawn overlooking the Potomac River. Sarah loved toddling through the tufts of grass and playing with Daddy in the cherry trees. We finished the evening with a sunset stroll to the Jefferson Memorial and then a most prosaic slog through traffic across the bridge home.

In other news, the Tracy family passed another milestone--we took our first family portraits! We've put a few of our favorite family photos below.

On the home decor front, our home is finally coming together piece by piece. Karen finally finished the draperies she's been working on for the last couple of months (Adam's note: And they look great!), and we added a beautiful antique china cabinet to our dining room set that Adam diligently hunted down on craigslist. Adam couldn't be more pleased with his new job at the Department of Labor, and to sum it up--life is beautiful.

Happy birthday Sarah!

2010-03-21T16:27:00.011-04:00

You had a birthday, shout Hooray!

So what have the East Coast Tracys been up to lately? Well, Sarah has discovered how fun it is to help Mama with the laundry. Karen reports her "help" as less effective, but how cute is that little girl?!?

We saw what you did there...

But the biggest news is that Sarah turned 1 year old this week! Hooray! We had a birthday party and invited her favorite friends... ok, it was just Mom and Dad, but we are her favorite people :) Karen made Sarah a beautiful birthday cake, and like mother like daughter (see picture of Karen's 1 year birthday cake demolishing below) in an age-old Hill family tradition, Sarah mauled her way through it. Well, "maul" as in delicately patting the frosting and daintily licking her fingers. (Karen's Note: Mom has decided that the tradition ends with Sarah, as she died a thousand deaths watching her little girl stuff her face with sugar.) In turning 1 year old, Sarah would like to thank everyone that made this moment possible, including Mama for changing her never-ending dirty diapers, and Daddy for shoveling coal every day for the U.S. Department of Labor so she can have nice things.

Other than birthday parties we've been Skyping with Grandma and Grandpa Hill in Slovenia, and Uncle Daniel and Aunt Meghann in Prague, but still waiting to Skype with Grandma Tracy in Missouri... It's so much fun to get updates from family around the globe, and fun to see you too. Hooray for the Internet!

In other news, it turns out we have family in the area after all. Right across the street actually. When the Tracy family gathered for my grandfathers funeral last month in Missouri we discovered that my second cousin on the Bird side (my grandmother's maiden name) and her family live just across the street from us. I helped them put up crown molding in their nursery just a few days before I found out they are my cousins. It's a small world huh?

Bonus Sarah picture: Sarah loves her Daddy--and note the new bookshelves!

Sarah's 1st Birthday Party!
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Back home to Missouri

2010-03-10T20:22:00.009-05:00

It's already been about a month since our last post! Every week or so I get that feeling that it's time for a new blog entry, and then stuff just comes up. A lot of has happened here in sunny Washington D.C. for us since the Blizzard of '10 snowed us in for a whole week. The biggest news is that Adam's paternal Grandfather passed away last week and so we hopped a flight back to Missouri this past weekend to gather with the family. It was sad to see his Grandpa laid to rest, but it was also a happy occasion knowing that he is now reunited with his sweet wife Norma. I imagine Grandma has already put him to work.

Most of the the Tracy family looking good

On a happier note, it was so much fun to see everybody again! We crammed into my parents house and spent the weekend having fun just being together. Also, I couldn't believe how many of the extended family came out. There were cousins coming out of the woodwork.

Tracy cousins everywhere!

On an even happier note, I got a new job! Well, it's still with the U.S. Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration (ETA) so it's more of a different job than a new job - and to be completely honest I am sad to leave my previous post as I really enjoyed the work and the people I worked with - but it was time to move on to bigger and better things, and so move on I have done. I start the new job in about two weeks. Hurray!

And finally, Karen has been working overtime lately and our home is becoming more warm and inviting every day. We scored a nice dining room table and chairs and some matching bookcases from Craigslist since our last post, and Karen has finished curtain set number two for the front room. Pictures of our evolving front room/dining room will come shortly. Come visit everybody!

Bonus Sarah picture: I saw what you did there!

Digging out from Snowpocalypse 2010

2010-02-07T10:20:00.007-05:00

Daddy and Daughter enjoy Snowpocalypse 2010!

For those of you that have been watching the news, Snowpocalypse 2010 is here! After working from home due to the impending blizzard this past Friday and having church canceled today, we've been marooned at home for three straight days. This weekend we have been pelted with 30 (yes, 30!) inches of snow here at ECT Headquarters. Adam's fancy new workpants and snow jacket came just in time and all three had quite the snow-shoveling experience. This time around, Karen and Sarah got to be here to witness it and we were all snowed in together. Karen even got to shovel some snow this time. (Adam's note: what a tough girl!) What a workout! We all took a walk in the winter wonderland this morning and what a sight for a California girl! Karen notes that finally she sees why people enjoy white winters.

Walking in a winter wonderland isn't so much fun when you have to shovel it

But perhaps our most exciting news is that Sarah is walking! Really walking this time, all by herself. We'll set her up on her own, and then she'll wobble from side to side before cautiously taking little baby steps towards Mom and Dad. And due to the miracles of high-speed internet, Grandma and Grandpa Hill got to actually see Sarah taking some of her first steps. Wouldn't it be cool if both sets of her grandparents could access the wonders of Skype? Hooray for Sarah and the Internet!

In other exciting news, Karen's brother Brett got his mission call this past week to the St. Petersburg, Russia mission. We're excited for him and know he'll be a great missionary. And I'm excited to start planning on Russian Vacation 2012! Who's with me?!?

Finally, in ECT Decorating news, Karen has finished another round of fabulous window treatments, and the newly stained wood curtain rods and slate blue and sheer curtains are now gracing our bedroom. (Karen's note: At least it's going to be fabulous after some fresh paint and pictures on the wall.) Adam is looking forward to knocking out another round of curtains before another round of curtains knocks him out.

A Restful Retreat: Behold - the curtains!

New Year Update

2010-01-17T21:40:00.011-05:00

Happy New Year from the East Coast Tracys! The holidays have come and gone here at ECT HQ, and we're now celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Adam's note: Federal holiday whoohoo!) by updating our blog.

We thoroughly enjoyed our first Christmas here in our new home in Virginia, and Sarah especially liked the sparkly bows and the Christmas lights. Maybe next year she'll even figure out how to unwrap her gifts. Santa was extra nice to us this year, as we have been extra good. Karen got brand new piano sheet music from her favorite husband, and Adam got barbeque tools for his shiny new grill. (Adam also got chores to do, though those weren't from Santa) Now he can't wait until summer to grill up some barbeque!

"...but I need your help Daddy!"

In other news, our little explorer is up and about walking all over the house, albeit with Daddy's help. She is also eating solid foods now, and currently reports mushed carrots being a slight favorite over mushed broccoli. She's a veggie lover just like her mama!

With Christmas cheer all packed away in boxes, Karen has been feverishly working around the house to fill the void with warm and welcoming home decor. Once again, family pictures are up on the wall, and slowly but surely our little townhouse is starting to feel like home. And continuing the good times, Karen made a yummy hazelnut chocolate cake this past week. Trust me when I tell you that this picture barely got taken.

In a bit of late Christmas, Adam fulfilled a lifelong (though unknown) dream of his by acquiring some sturdy work overalls. After digging us out of the December snow last month in blue jeans, Adam is very excited to put his new workin' clothes to the test. He will periodically put on his new work clothes and walk around house, looking for 'man work' to do. (Karen's note: I've got the tool set all ready!) Karen reports it being endearing in a curious sort of way.

Happy 2010 everyone!

Bonus Family Picture: Our little girl has wrapped herself right around our fingers!

Christmas time is here!

2009-12-22T15:42:00.010-05:00

"Daddy, stop moving that darn jingle bell!"

Christmas time is here! Now that Karen and Sarah are back from their wedding adventure in Utah we're swinging into full Christmas mode here at ECT HQ. Because of a MASSIVE snowstorm we had over the weekend that shut down D.C. airports on Saturday, my girls didn't get in until past midnight Monday morning instead of Saturday night. (Karen's note: Thanks Scott and Emily for hosting all of us and driving Sarah and me to the airport TWICE!) I even got the day off work yesterday and enjoyed a family day at home. It snowed unabatedly Saturday and piled up over two feet of snow. Two feet! I know because I watched it come down all day all by myself while my girls were away, with only my barbecue grill and online Settlers of Catan to keep me company. *sigh*

The view from our back door.

In other news, Karen and Sarah report having an absolutely fantastic time in Utah for Darren's wedding seeing all the new cousins, enjoying friends and family and of course being there for Darren and Tia. Here is a picture of the Hill (and Tracy!) girls lunching it up and at the Temple. Karen reports that Tia is a wonderful sister-in-law and she's so happy for Darren for finding such a gem.

Lastly, we're getting excited seeing presents appear under the tree. almost as if by magic. We're staying put in D.C. this Christmas, but we are already looking forward to future holidays surrounded by cousins, siblings, aunts, uncles, and everyone else. Merry Christmas to all!

Bonus Sarah picture: "A-ha Daddy, I got it!"

Sarah is (almost) walking!

2009-12-06T17:12:00.011-05:00

Well, maybe she's a little far from that, but that hasn't stopped our intrepid little girl from trying! That's the big news here from East Coast Tracy HQ. Our little girl is getting so big! She's standing on her own for several seconds at a time now. Now we just have to work on smiling for those pictures!

In other news, Thanksgiving has come and gone. We had a lovely dinner with a neat family in our ward, and then snuggled the rest of the night. Now we're getting ready for Christmas, and recently broke out the holiday decorations. We almost got a tree last Saturday, but we got surprised by a huge snowstorm. (As a side note, white Christmases are highly overrated, especially when it means scraping snow and ice from your car to get to church in the morning.) Here's our Christmas mantle! Christmas preparations are so much more fun with little Sarah shrieking with delight at every sparkling light and shiny ornament. Update 12/16/2009. We got our tree! We decorated it and set it up and it looks so nice! And of course, Sarah loves the sparkly lights!

Coming up in December we're getting excited for Darren's wedding. We're so happy for him and his bride-to-be Tia. Karen heads out to Utah today with Sarah, but Adam is stuck working around the clock for Old Man Department of Labor. (Adam's note: I load 16 tons... every day.) All that working actually wore him out so much he came down with the flu this week and had to take some time off for some extra sleep and spoonfuls of Nyquil.

Other than that things are just going swimmingly at ECT HQ. Merry Christmas to you all!

Bonus Sarah picture: This sweater and hood makes her look like a Teletubby.

I like to fix stuff

2009-11-11T20:49:00.007-05:00

So everybody that knows me knows that I'm not the handiest guy in the world. I'm more of a division and specialization of labor type of guy: that is, I will continue to crank out workforce policy analysis and let the expert plumber guy fix the leak in our pipes. It's not that I wouldn't like to fix the leak in the pipes myself, it's just that the leak in the pipes would likely cascade into a deluge in the pipes if I were to intervene.

I like to fix stuff

That said, I was really proud of myself for fixing our shower the other day. I took out the water regulator that limits the water flow in the showerhead, so now we can revel in our high-blast water-wasting shower! Hooray for me! Take that tree-huggers! Also, I thought I would put out there for East Coast Tracy fans a little picture of stuff I've fixed lately. (I'm including "assembled" and "put some screws in" as being synonomous with "fixed" here. I know it's a generous claim, but hey, it's my blog). Stuff I've fixed lately include my bike, Karen's jogging stroller, this big bookcase thing, our new BBQ grill, and my habit of constantly complaining about Saturday morning chores. (Karen's note: He's down to complaining about Saturday morning chores only frequently now. He's coming along!)

In other ECT news, Sarah is chomping away at solid foods and is loving it, as shown here. She reports her favorites being mushed rice cereal and mushed peas. Mmmm... And Karen reports success hosting a baby shower for a friend in the ward last weekend and discovering we have a nice floorplan for parties. She is headed out to Utah in December for brother Daren's wedding and is super-excited to be there for the big day. (Adam's note: I am already stockpiling the canned chili. *sigh*)

All in all another another action-packed few weeks for the East Coast Tracys!

Bonus Sarah picture: Daddy and daughter after the baby shower

Rachel gets married!

2009-10-18T19:21:00.007-04:00

To conclude East Coast Tracy Summer Vacation 2009 we swung by Nauvoo, Illinois by way of Harrisonville, Missouri to attend my sister Rachel's wedding. Hooray for Rachel and Scott, the new Champion family! Check out my famous sister and brother-in-law here!

http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/58074/A-prophets-visit.html

It was fun to see everybody again and to be present at the Nauvoo temple for the sealing. Welcome to the family Scott!

After the wedding, we got to spend a few days with my sister Becky and her husband Doug, my younger brothers Jacob (who just got back off his mission to Albania), and Joseph, and my parents back in Harrisonville. It was pretty chilly for Missouri after our fun in the Croatian sun. And of course, little Sarah was loved up as much as a little baby could be by Grandma Tracy. (Sarah's note: Read me another story Grandma!)

Balkans and back again!

2009-10-07T09:40:00.016-04:00

The Tracy/Hill Clan on the Adriatic coast in Croatia

From a long but fun trip the East Coast Tracy's are back home. We spent the last three weeks traipsing around Turkey, Greece, Slovenia, and Croatia - and we all lived to tell the tale! So without further ado, here are the greatest-hits from ECT Summer Vacation 2009.

Are we there yet Daddy?

Sarah was such a doll our entire trip! She conked right out on the plane when she was supposed to, and played contentedly with her toys on each and every flight we were on. What spoiled parents Karen and I are so far! Plus, she was definitely the star everywhere we stopped. From getting blessed (Masha'allah!) by every adult in Turkey to never touching the ground at the Grandparents house in Slovenia, you're looking at one little girl that's gotten a lot of love!

Istanbul was our first destination. We settled into a quaint little guesthouse about two blocks from the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sophia, and Topkapi Palace in the Sultanahmet district. We spent four days wandering around the city and marveling at the wonders of the city. I really enjoyed touring the above sites and reading about the history of the region, as the Roman Empire split into the Byzantines Empire, which was then overrun by the Ottomans and Turks, and from the Christian to Muslim transition that was evident everywhere we looked. And we got to sample some yummy kebabs and Turkish food. Mmmmm...

Our next stop was in Athens, Greece. We spent about five days in Greece at a studio apartment less than a block and a half (!) from the Acropolis. It was such a great location we could stroll home for naps (often), sleep in (always) without missing anything, and cook dinner together with native ingredients from the local supermarket (Karen's note: that should probably read 'eat together' instead of 'cook together' :). Besides saving some dough it was tons of fun to sample all the different kinds of feta cheese to choose from. Mmmm... feta...

East Coast Tracy's invade the Acropolis!

Aside from the Greek olives and cheese, I loved being back in Athens. I was very surprised to see all the excavation and restoration work that had been done since I was last in Greece in 2006. It was nice to take a leisurely pace this time too. Highlights of Greece were of course the Parthenon, but also less well known sites like the Temple of Zeus, seen here at left with our intrepid little explorer Sarah, and the Temple of Poseidon at Cape Sounion.

Lastly, we stopped by Grandma and Grandpa Hill's home in Ljubljana, Slovenia. They took some time off from their duties as the Slovenia/Croatia mission president to host and tour around the region with us. We got to tour all over Slovenia and Croatia and down the Adriatic coast on the Istrian peninsula. It was fun to see President and Sister Hill in action too, and Karen and I got to speak in the Croatia Zone Conference. Talk about bringing back the old missionary days!

Karen in Croatia

And even though Slovenia itself was such a beautiful and pristine place, and Croatia just bursting with Medieval and Roman-era towns and history, the best part about the trip was spending time with family and just enjoying each others' company. We miss you already! Hooray for vacation!

Bonus Sarah picture: Out little munchkin at the Roman Amphitheatre in Pula, Croatia

And we're off!

2009-09-11T11:28:00.002-04:00

Heading out on vacation tomorrow morning. Turkey, Greece, Slovenia, and Croatia here we come!

Baldies

2009-08-22T19:12:00.011-04:00

These past few weeks Adam, Sarah and I have been settling into our new house, new ward, and new commuting schedule. Not very exciting huh? Well, life at ECT Headquarters is never dull!

The most exciting news is that I shaved Adam's head. Not all the way tho ugh; Adam reports being too chicken for that. I buzzed him down almost as far as the clippers would go and he is loving it. (Adam's note: It makes me feel like I'm constantly flying with the wind through my hair. Everyone should do it at least once.) And all the ladies in the ward keep saying how much Sarah looks exactly like Adam. In fact, a completely random woman at the grocery store remarked how Sarah must take after her daddy. (Adam's note: that's my girl!)

Adam in a longer-haired time... about a month ago.

And this week Adam finally realized a long-held dream by purchasing leather couches. He is ridiculously pleased with them, and for the fact that the day after we had them delivered his long-time nemesis - the micro-fiber couches that made him so hot every time he sat on them - found their way via Craigslist to a new home. Hooray!

And adding to all this excitement, we've now turned our attention towards our upcoming trip to Turkey, Greece, and the Balkans to see Karen's parents. It's come up like a bolt out of the blue even though it's been on our calendar for about a year. We can't wait to get started on that trip and see the family!

Meanwhile, Sarah continues to get fatter, put things into her mouth, and learn stuff. She even rolled over this afternoon! Hooray for our smarty-pants baby!

Bonus Sarah picture: My girl loves her some K.C. Masterpiece!

And... we're back!

2009-07-26T16:15:00.009-04:00

To all our ECT fans out there: I've been lazy, but due to popular demand (and just like Michael Jordan's first comeback to the NBA)... "I'm back." (Karen's note: Huh?)

Camp Metzger on Burden Lake

Life has been a whirlwind for us here in sunny Washington, D.C. these past few weeks. We've moved into our new townhouse changing wards, zip codes, states, and even sides of armed conflict if the year was 1861. We're now official Southerners! Our good friends Wade and Kelli Eyerly welcomed us to Virginia with flowers and our very own edition of Southern Living, while our new neighbors brought over wine and cookies. Our next act will be to rebel against the Union! (Or at the very least against high taxes and cost of living.) Okay, maybe not, but maybe one day little Sarah will become a southern belle and live in our ancestral home of Four Square. Stay tuned!

So, our new house. We're excited to have finally finished all the paperwork, signed our names to the deed, and moved in. For all those who are looking at buying a new place or have recently dived into the market (HOORAY for Brian and Callie!!!) you'll know what I'm talking about concerning getting all that paperwork out of the way. Our new place is a 3 bedroom, 2 and 1/2 bath townhouse in a suburb of DC in Virginia called Burke, and we couldn't be more thrilled with where we've landed. Burke is a forested, small-towny, commutable oasis in Northern Virginia. Karen (and by extension, Adam... I guess. *sigh*) can walk to Wal-Mart, grocery stores, parks, lakes, walking trails, play places, and ward neighbors all literally just outside our door. We could go on and on about it, but to sum it up we're tickled pink about the whole thing. Here are some pics of our new place, mostly unpacked:

Also, since our last post lo these many weeks ago, we had my parents here to visit DC with my youngest brother Joseph. They arrived the day after we moved into our new home so they were able to stay in an actual bedroom instead of in the corner of the dining room of our old apartment (Mom and Dad Hill and Brett, Eric, Brian and Callie, we now have room for you guys to visit again!). They got to tour DC for the week and help us unpack and settle into our new place.

Warning: Don't get between Grandma Tracy and her grand-cubs

East Coast Tracys at Fort Ticonderoga

THEN.... on Thursday of our move-in week we drove up to Albany, NY for the Metzger Family Reunion. We spent about five days with all my mom's side of the family in upstate New York. We hung out at the Metzger Camp on Burden Lake, took a side trip up to Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain, and generally had a great time catching up with family, meeting cousins Jensen and Maya, and seeing everybody again. Four generations of Metzger and Tracy ladies!

And this upcoming weekend Karen's brother Eric is stopping by to visit for a few days. So here's the open invitation to you all you guys; we've got space now to host you now, so come on down! You still may have to settle for an air mattress for a while, however.

How's Sarah handling all this excitement you might ask? Well, she has recently discovered her hands, and that they can put things into her mouth. She is very excited about this new development, and shows us by sucking her fists and anything else she can grab a hold of. She remains delightfully chubby, and so her Daddy continues to call her his little sausage link. And Karen reports many a happy day with Sarah while Daddy slogs away at the Department of Labor coal mine loading sixteen tons a day for the company store.

Overall we're thrilled with life here on the East Coast and thankful for all the blessings the Lord has shown us.

Bonus Pics: Quite a while ago we absconded with our little Sarah to Rehobeth Beach in Delaware.
What a couple of beach babes!

House-hunting...

2009-06-08T16:43:00.006-04:00

... is done! Karen and I signed on a townhouse this past week. Hooray!!! We've been truly blessed lately. If everything goes according to plan we'll officially sign the papers on July 1oth and be new homeowners!

And just in time too, because on the 12th my parents and brother Joseph are coming out to visit before we all head up to Albany for the Metzger Family Reunion. I'll try to post some pictures of it here if I can find some. We're moving to a little town in northern Virginia called Burke. Karen is excited to start her very own garden in her very own house, and Adam is recovering from having to sell his kidney to pay for it.

How does Sarah feel about all this? Well, she conveys her approval every time we tell her about it by gurgling incoherantly or by making her hungry face. Our little girl has picked up many nicknames from her Daddy lately for her growing prodigious-ness. They include Daddy's Little Chubkins, Chubba-Lubba, and Daddy's Little Sausage Link. But as I always like to say: She ain't heavy--she's my baby.

Baby blessings

2009-04-28T21:43:00.010-04:00

And now... the new and expanded East Coast Tracys!

Life here at ECT HQ is going swimmingly. Sarah is getting bigger-- a whole three or four pounds bigger-- and we've started getting out and about with her. Her wonderful pediatrician, Dr. Lillian Beard, says we're "doing all the right things." Music to a mother's ears!

Sarah's blessing day - Mom made the dress!

A baby brings the added blessing of visits from relatives, and this month we got a visit from Grandma Tracy and Aunt Rachel. It was great to see little Sarah snuggled up with her grandma-- and to turn around to find a clean kitchen all week long. Aunt Rachel charitably handled our screaming child while I got to run an errand or two and we even made it to the temple one evening. We took Sarah out for her first tour of the Capitol, and she now has the rare distinction of being one of the few and the proud to have nursed at both the Jefferson and Lincoln Memorials. Sarah and I also got a thorough tour of the mother's lounge at the Library of Congress while the in-laws browsed through the bookshelves.

The Sunday everyone was here, Adam gave Sarah a beautiful blessing, and she slept quietly through the whole thing, looking like a picture in the lovely, lacy gown Grandma sewed for her. It's clear that little girl has a hold on her daddy's heartstrings. Adam is happy to be back to the regular routine of going to work everyday, but loves to come home to kiss his girls every evening. And Mom enjoys every minute of motherhood, even when feeding Sarah in the wee hours of the morning. (Adam's note: and Dad is enjoying Mom enjoying getting up in the wee hours for Team Tracy!) We're happy to report that bedtime is now established and nighttime is at least more predictable, so life is good!

Bonus happy baby video...

How We Live: Little Baby Sarah

2009-03-30T13:04:00.014-04:00

It's been awhile since our last update, so here comes How We Live: Little Baby Sarah.

The proud mama and papa at the hospital

I could probably sum up this entry with just this - less sleep, more crying - and you'd all get a pretty good picture of what life is like here at ECT HQ these days. Our little baby Sarah has brought all kinds of sweetness to our house, and definitely some changes. For one, I didn't realize that baby's poop SO MUCH! Seriously, she's like a machine. Food in, poop out 24/7. It's astounding. But we still love her to pieces, and in her waking moments she must be the most hugged/kissed/snuggled little baby girl there ever
was.
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Some interesting aspects of new parenting I hadn't been fully aware of. First, househusbanding is back in style at our house. It's been my job since I've been off of work to tell Karen to go to bed when Sarah does and make to sure the house is clean. And I must say, by househusband standards I'm doing ok so far. (on the clean part that is, getting Karen to go to bed...)

Taking care of Dad stuff

Other than that our sweet little baby is growing like a weed, Karen is recuperating well, I am keeping myself busy watching college basketball on my computer and, of course, doing chores. *ugh* And on an exciting note, my mom and sister are coming in two weeks to help out with the baby. Karen and Sarah and I are so excited to have Grandma Tracy come out to see her sweet little chickadee. (and yes, you are Grandma Tracy now mom!)

Introducing... Sarah Anne Tracy!

2009-03-18T20:34:00.008-04:00

Yes, it's true! Karen delivered a beautiful little baby girl at the wee hour of 7:30 am this morning. Let's hear it for the newest member of Team Tracy, little Sarah Anne!

Karen woke me up this morning at 3:30 am, and after timing a few contractions we both knew today (9 days early!) was going to be the day. (Karen's note: Now that I've had a moment to get to the computer, let me clarify that statement. I had been up since 12:30 already, and had called my mom in Europe who suggested after about 20 minutes of pretty steady contractions that it was time to be serious about them. It was still a pretty speedy labor.) We got to the hospital at about 4:30 am, and at 7:26 am our little Sarah was born, weighing in at a wee 6 lbs. 15 ozs. and 19 1/2" long. Here are the little angel, her sweet Mama and proud Papa. Both Karen and Sarah (and Dad!) are doing great and are eager to get home. Here are some videos of little Sarah's (literally) first few moments. We're so excited to welcome here to our family!

President's Day at Mt. Vernon

2009-02-21T16:00:00.006-05:00

.So what's been happening at ECT Headquarters lately? Karen and I roadtripped (ok, it's about 25 miles) down to Virginia this past weekend and visited Mt. Vernon. As you all know, Mt. Vernon is the homestead of our first President George Washington. And what better way to celebrate our first president's upcoming birthday (which, as you all know as well, is the same as mine - February 22 - after the shift from the contemporary Julian to the modern Gregorian calendar, of course ;) than to visit his homestead?
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That, and President's Day is the only day out of the year that it's free to visit. It's $15 bucks/person normally. I'm not even kidding.
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Mt. Vernon is remarkably well-preserved and was quite the mansion for the day. Of course, Washington was one of the richest men in the colonies at the time, so that is fitting. Below is Karen and I and our time honored tradition of taking a nap at American historical sites. One day our kids will be so proud.
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And to make Adam's day complete, we stopped by Ted's Montana Grille for lunch on the way home. Mmmm.... bison burgers... Even Karen had a monster bison burger. (Karens note: The baby wanted it.)

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Bonus picture: a fife and drum corps marching on Mt. Vernon while we were there!

Pregnancy update

2009-02-07T19:50:00.005-05:00

Karen and I have been busily getting ready for our little girl to arrive this past few weeks. We have scoured the local cloth diapering scene, gathered little girl clothes from friends, family, and local sales, played a mean game of flag football this morning, and been looking for a TV to replace the one I sold. Yes, it has been a busy baby week for us.

For the pregnancy update, there really isn't a lot to share, although Karen just fell over from a seated position just a few minutes ago. I'm not even kidding. She was crouching down to gather up the laundry, reached to her side to grab an errant sock, and just kept on going over. We both ended up on the floor laughing.

Aside from Karen's diminishing sense of balance the pregnancy is cruising along just fine. We have decided on a name for our little girl and have been attending the Make Way for Baby classes held at the local hospital. So far they have taught us how to make awkward chit-chat with other local parents-to-be and not to beat our baby. Hopefully we'll cover dividing up the Saturday morning chores with the new arrival soon.

I've got a 50 inch hole in my heart... and I joined Facebook

2009-01-27T18:43:00.008-05:00

As you could probably tell it's been an exciting week at East Coast Tracy HQ here in Washington D.C.

You might have heard, and yes, the rumors are true: I sold our TV this past week. As a result, there is now a slow-healing 50 inch hole in my heart as the coolest thing I have ever purchased was in turn callously sold to an obviously wealthy Nigerian student pleading poverty and our "friendship" while trying to haggle me down from my firm asking price. I didn't buy his pleading penury or his being Nigerian, but he did end up buying my TV for the $750 I asked for. Who says you can't put a price on friendship? But alas, now my 50 inch friend has left me for greener pastures. Fare thee well my electronic friend! In related news, both Karen and our yet-to-be born little baby girl are both thrilled at the development.

. Master and TV in happier times

In other happier news, I recently joined the rest of the civilized world and joined Facebook. And now i've got 86 new (old) friends and counting! For some reason I always unconsciously looked down on the whole social networking phenomenon, but now that I'm one of the sheep it's not that bad. It's been fun having a small (albeit unabashedly self-edited and self-promoting) glimpse into familiar peoples lives. And the best part of it is that some of those people are actually friends of mine! Curiously, the Nigerian guy hasn't asked to be my friend yet.
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Shenandoah cabin getaway!

2009-01-20T16:41:00.008-05:00

Karen and I got out of dodge this past weekend courtesy of the federal government employees four day weekend (hooray!) during the Presidential Inauguration to a cozy little cabin with some friends. We took off down to Luray in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. (Karen was excited to finally sing all her favorite Shenandoah songs while driving along the picturesque Skyline Drive. She also sang John Denver songs, even though he is from Arizona. Now Karen informs me that John Denver signs songs about Shenandoah, but only one. The other one is O Shenandoah, but that' s not a John Denver song). Karen's note: *...eyes rolling now...*

We had a blast just spending a weekend with my best friend Wade and his wife Kelli. We got to enjoy a Shenandoah Valley snowblast early one morning, see some Shenandoah donkeys and miniature horses, enjoy an romantic and relaxing Shenandoah Valley hot tub, and eat so much chocolate I think my stomach is going to explode. Good times were had by all.

The weekend at the cabin was restful and fun, but seeing our good friends again (and snuggling with Karen) was the best part by far. We hope to be do it all again soon!

Bonus Weekend-At-The Cabin picture: Karen and the Shenandoah Pygmy Horses!

Brian and Callie come to visit

2008-12-15T16:19:00.004-05:00

Last week Brian and Callie came to visit us here in the frozen tundra of Washington DC. They picked probably the craziest week to come, as it was FREEZING here on the east coast, and our heater in the living room sprung a leak. Nothing like industrial blowers to dry out the carpet seranading you to sleep on your sisters air mattress on the dining room floor for good times! But they were great sports about it and we ended up having a great time. Come visit again soon!

Thanksgiving in Utah

2008-12-04T17:18:00.008-05:00

Karen and I spent Thanksgiving in Utah with all her brothers and their families for a Hill reunion at Scott and Emily's house. We all had a great time welcoming Darren home from his mission in Jamaica via Slovenia, and Brett in from Europe as well. Eric had just come back from a European adventure, and Brian and Callie arrived in from South Africa, making us a well-traveled group. We only wish Mom and Dad Hill could have been there!

What a good lookin' family!

Emily thoughtfully threw a baby shower for Karen while we were there. Aunts, cousins and sister-in-laws in the area all attended to make it a special day. We're getting so excited for our little baby girl to arrive (Karen's note: especially now that we have such cute little girl things for her--thanks so much everyone!). We can't wait!

And in our action-packed week in Utah, Nathan and Camille and little Jenson, and Daniel and Meghann all drove down from Idaho to spend some time with us. We went out to dinner and got in some serious post-Turkey Bowl football with the Hill boys on Saturday morning during the baby shower. Below is the aftermath. And nobody got hurt so we're all winners.

Now we're back home safe and sound in Washington DC. It was so fun to see everybody again!

It's a girl!!!

2008-11-14T19:22:00.003-05:00

We're having a girl!!!

Karen and I are pleased to announce that we'll be having a little girl in March! We are super excited for our little baby girl. As you can see, our little girl already has Karen's beautiful smile and loving nature. And during the ultrasound whenever chores were mentioned you could see her little fists flail around in what I could only interpret as "Oh please daddy! Please don't make me do chores!" (that's how you could tell she's my daughter). (Karen's Note: or maybe she was just eager to help her beleaguered mother!)

But we are so excited we can't even tell you how excited we are. Karen is looking forward to teaching our little baby girl all about being sweet and loving, while I am getting ready to teach her the finer points of the West Coast offense and the intricacies of the pick and roll. Wish us luck!

Slovenia here we come...

2008-11-07T16:23:00.011-05:00

... in Fall 2009!

Well it's official. Last night Karen and I booked our tickets to Slovenia. And not a moment too soon either, as these award tickets literally fly off the shelves. After being available for only three days (and we're still 11 months out!) all the slots from Baltimore on our route were sold out, so we're flying from Dulles instead (DC's international airport for those outside the Beltway ;)

And now we would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone that made this moment possible; our American Express Small Business cards miles promotions (shhhh... AFunk Industries and Karen's Kleaners have been operating since Sept. '08, or didn't you know that?), Delta Skymiles card miles promotion, Bosley Hair Replacement miles promotions, Netflix miles promotion, and American Express for just giving me miles when I asked. And we're on our way!

While I'm sure we'll have a fantastic time carousing around Europe next year, it was just as fun for me to acquire all those frequent flyer miles. We didn't actually fly anywhere to get the frequent flyer miles, but it was fun nonetheless. My favorite was Karen and I going to the local Bosley office for free "consultations" about hair loss. But hey, you can't argue when the payoff is 20K miles apiece!

So check out the itinerary.

Sept. 12 - Washington DC to Istanbul, Turkey

Sept. 16ish - Istanbul to Athens, Greece

Sept. 22 - Athens to Ljubjana, Slovenia

Oct. 3 - Ljubjana - Washington DC

We're so excited to finally have jumped in and booked the tickets, and Karen reports that the baby is thrilled he/she'll be able to see his/her grandparents. We've got Greece covered, but if anybody has any Turkey travel tips (or baby travel tips!) send them our way!

Slovenia here we come!

Eastern Shore adventure

2008-10-22T14:40:00.011-04:00

Karen and I trekked around the Maryland's Eastern Shore during a short day trip in our latest adventure that didn't directly involve pregnancy. I had the day off (hooray federal holiday!) and Karen called in sick. Fortunately, she quickly recovered about the same time we both hopped in the car.

The tour was pretty fun. We started by driving east to Easton, the self-proclaimed "8th Best Small Town in America." We got a copy of a historical walking tour of the town and I escorted Karen all around the town as her personal guide. (Karen's note: And he was a GREAT guide.) Many of the buildings hailed from the 18th and 19th century. Cool huh?

Next, we spirited away to the small town of Oxford via the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry. The Oxford-Bellevue ferry is believed to be the nation's oldest privately operated ferry service, crossing the Tred Avon river since 1683. The town itself claims 1683 as it's official founding. In Oxford we walked through the quant little town looking for a home on the small tourist map that had been built in 1640. Really, 1640. The house we were looking for was one of only a handful that survived an 18th century smallpox plague. The prevailing wisdom at the time was that the entire dwelling needed to be burned to get rid of the disease. This home and another still standing structure, the Robert Morris Inn (Yes, history buffs, that Robert Morris. Otherwise known as the financier of the American Revolution), were saved when their residents refused to see their homes destroyed. You can read a short article about Oxford here.

We found the location for the home, but couldn't seem to find the building when a man who ran the local shipyard of Cutts & Case asked if we needed help. When we told him we were looking for the home, he pointed us straight to it while giving us an overview of the town's history and of his own family's time in the town. Turns out that he grew up in that house, still lives there (actually in an historic houseboat later beached and enjoined with the house), and that he's the Cutts, Jr. that is heir to the world-famous Cutts & Case custom yacht-makers. He happily gave us a quick tour of the house, pointing out all the distinctive features including how the walls were filled in with laticed saplings, horse hair, and crushed shells. We also spent some time admiring his beautifully crafted yachts and wandering among the tools and materials and half-built yachts in the workshop (Karen's note: Scott would have been in heaven!). He's a real self-made man and by the end of our gratuitous tour of the house and yacht shop, he had also freely expounded on his opinions of rich people, the government, and public schools (he hates them all).

From wandering tourists we felt like VIP guests peering into a forgotten crevice of American history. Hooray for federal holidays! (Karens note: and sick days!)

How We Live: Pregnancy

2008-10-15T14:26:00.011-04:00

And now... in another piercing window into the ever-exciting life of the East Coast Tracys, I present another edition of this scintillating series with - How We Live: Pregnancy.

First off, thanks to everybody for the well-wishes. We're both pretty excited for this new stage of life. Now that people know that we're pregnant they constantly ask us how we're doing. To which I reply that I'm fine, except for the occasional vomiting and increased desire to sleep in on Saturdays. Karen usually respondes with a prolonged eye-rolling while I finish my attempt at Dad-humor, and then proceeds to give the real scoop of how we're doing.

For the most part things haven't changed all that much really. Karen hasn't had any wierd cravings or anything, aside from wanting to get up before 9am on Saturdays to do chores (of course... sigh) and talking about our feelings more than usual. She is starting to get big now and is slowly outgrowing her clothes though. We went shopping this past weekend and got some very cute maternity shirts for Karen. Armed with her new wardrobe she is one sexy mama! Paradoxically, my clothes appear to be shrinking ever-so-slightly since we became pregant. Probably the clothes dryer setting is too hot or something.

But seriously, it hasn't really been that bad for either of us. Karen only reports occasional bouts of short-lived nausea and her feet swelling up a little bit. In fact, i've thrown up more times than she has since getting pregnant. Mine were caused by bad shrimp and rancid taco shells rathar than having another person growing in my belly though. And to be fair about the taco shells, Karen warned me against eating them when they smelled so funny and tried her best to stop me... but I ate them anyways. Only a short hour and a half later did I see the error of my ways. Who knew that taco shells could get nasty like that? I don't remember that section in school.

And also, even though you would never think so from seeing her genteel, pleasant, and cheerful manner contrasted with my rough and tumble, yet inwardly gentle and innately sensitive nature, I can now certify that Karen is much tougher than I am. She has a person growing inside of her that is making her feet swell, hormones race out of control, and tear ducts work overtime and she hardly says a word in protest, while I am on the verge of death because I pulled a muscle playing flag football last Saturday.

So the bottom line is that all is well for Karen and Baby and we're looking forward to our new arrival in March!

Announcing... Baby East Coast Tracy!

2008-10-04T22:27:00.008-04:00

Yes, it is true! After all the hints
unabashedly parceled out by Adam in the past months, Karen is finally allowing me to announce officially that we're pregnant. We're at the 14 week mark now! And while Karen has been letting me know what the baby likes (so far... going on walks, talking about our feelings, snuggles, me washing the post-dinner dishes) and doesn't like (so far... unmade beds, Xbox, Madden football, and sleeping in on Saturdays) for some time now, we're happy to announce that March 27th is the ECT Baby delivery date! Karen is hoping for a sweet little green-eyed baby with lots of hair, and I am hoping for someone to do the Saturday morning chores. But we'll both be happy either way.

As you can imagine we're both pretty excited. Karen is starting to show now (Karen's note: only a little!) and is going to be one sexy mama. We've started to collect little baby things here and there, but we're open to advice on stuff we might need. I've already started looking for a new stereo system for the baby so we can be ready for the big day.

Our little bean!

So what do I think about being a dad? I figure if all those doofuses out there can raise kids, I can do it. In all seriousness though, I've had two great examples of what being a father is all about. Both my father and Karen's dad are great role models, so as long as I try and follow their fatherly example I'm sure I'll be ok. We've both been blessed with great families that are supportive and excited right along with us.

I Heart Cuisinart

2008-09-23T17:25:00.014-04:00

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First of all, I’ve never been a big gadgets person, preferring to bother with only one knife that I can wipe clean post-use instead of a whole electronic chopping contraption that I have to assemble, disassemble, scrub down, and pack away just for a few carrots or block of cheese. However, my marvelous, deal-grubbing husband found this unsurpassable sale on a Cuisinart food processor, and I hesitantly agreed to the purchase. (Adam's Note: Score one for the erstwhile HouseHusband!!!)

Since it arrived, it has become an indispensable member of the Tracy household. It retains a coveted spot in the center of the kitchen rack, always available for a quick chop, and hardly has time to dry in the dish rack before I’m pulling it out again. It slices, dices, blends, chops, grates, and even kneads bread! I can now slap together pizza dough in 5 minutes flat and grate a block of cheese in 7 seconds. If a fire broke out, Mr. Cuisinart would be bundled right up with the pictures and journals and medical documents (and husband) as we fled.

Saturday morning, I decided to be ambitious and finally make Adam some cinnamon rolls that I’ve been putting off because I felt exhausted just thinking of the kneading involved. However, if my mom could whip out 12 dozen cinnamon rolls before 7am on a Saturday morning for our one-time Hill Bakery venture, I could certainly handle one little batch. Ambitiously, I started in dissolving the yeast, adding the other ingredients, and then attacked the kneading with a vengeance. Real women knead by hand, I thought, and my batch was too big for my little Cuisinart anyway. But sure enough, twenty minutes and three additional cups of flour later, beads of sweat forming on my brow, it was still nothing like that “smooth and elastic” dough ball that my mother and Betty Crocker insist upon. I eyed my Cuisinart, its mouth gaping tauntingly. My wrists started to ache. Growling, I grabbed a knife, chopped the dough in half, and with two 60-second spins in the machine—BAM! The dough was perfect. By the time Saturday chores (Adams Note: ...chores... ugh. Cinnamon rolls... hooray!) were through, Adam and I partook of the fluffiest, tastiest cinnamon rolls…just like Mom’s. I will never knead again.

I love you, Cuisinart food processor.

New York, New York!

2008-09-14T19:56:00.013-04:00

Last weekend Karen and I jetted (bused actually, thanks to $17 round trip tickets on BoltBus!) up to the Big Apple for the weekend. Karen's cousin Seth was kind enough to put us up in his apartment right on Central Park for the weekend (Thanks Seth!!!) and show us around his stomping grounds. We had a blast carousing around town.

We have a bridge to sell you

Our first order of business was to settle in at Seth's apartment. He's got a great little apartment in South Harlem right on the north-west corner of Central Park. Then early Friday morning we hopped the subway down to Battery Park and took the ferry out to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

Here is Karen looking fabulous as she strikes a pose on the ferry with her movie star sunglasses. Can you tell what she's thinking? I'm torn between the following: 1) Fabulous - adjective or noun? hmmm... 2) I hope they don't tow the Benz, or 3) All right Mr. De Mille, I'm ready for my close-up. You make the call!

The park rangers on Liberty Island were nice enough to give us a tour, and told us all about the original torch, seen below. Ellis Island was great to see as well. Especially since my mom's line from Germany came through there. I even got chosen by the tour guide to be a scrawny Italian that everyone casts stereo-typed insults upon. They don't usually include that little perk in the price of admission!

During our long weekend, we also enjoyed visited an authentic NYC cheesemonger, enjoyed a live jazz combo in a butcher shop, ate $1 pizza on Times Square in the middle of a thunderstorm, walked Adam halfway to his grave all over the city, had a lovely Sunday afternoon picnic in Central Park, visited the fictitiously famous Monk's Cafe, walked across the Brooklyn Bridge,and toured the World Trade Center ground zero site.

There's so much to see and do in NYC. Thanks Seth!

How does our garden grow?

2008-09-02T16:47:00.006-04:00

Turns out not as well as we had hoped. If you look at Nathan and Camille's garden (one acre! they better have more kids to tend that thing!) ours pales in comparison. We did get some small and medium sized tomatoes though, and they were so yummy. We got a couple (three) small strawberries too. And this little guy here is our prize cucumber.

We kept getting flowers out of the cucumber plant but the little cucumber starts would shrivel up and die. So we thought we were out of cucumber luck this year. But lo! A patio-garden miracle, and we should be enjoying our delicious cucumber in about a week.

Joking aside, Karen has created out of our concrete 20th floor apartment a nice little patio garden. At nights it's fun to sit outside when the weather is nice with ice cream and brownies and watch stuff go by. And while I didn't fully understand Karen's desire to have a garden yet, I have to admit it is kinda fun watching our little plants grow... and then eating them.

Parading with the U.S. Marines

2008-08-23T09:34:00.011-04:00

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A big hello out there to all our fans! The last little while has been pretty fun for us here in Washington D.C. Lot's of fun and big news and such. Well, lot's of fun anyways, and who knows but maybe soon we'll have some big news that we can officially share with everybody ;) . Rest assured that as soon as The Boss (Karen) gives the word I'll deliver the little, er, big news.

So what have we been up to since our last blog entry? Well for starters we've been making plans to hip-hop around the country (because you know Karen and I just don't travel - we hip-hop everywhere we go. We're like a traveling two-person carnival wherever we go. Right? Right), making plans to head out to Utah in October for my buddies wedding, back to Happy Valley in November for Thanksgiving and to welcome Karen's brother home from his mission in Jamaica, and back to Missouri over Christmas.

But here at ECT HQ, we got together with some friends this weekend and attended the Marine Corps Evening Parade at the marine barracks in Washington D.C. You can read all about it here. It was a great show, with "The President's Own" United States Marine Band, the Silent Drill Corps, and a parade of the battalion. The coolest part of all though, I thought anyways, was that when you're approaching the barracks in the middle of the Washington D.C. the Marines are outside the walls to guide you to the proper gates. And whenever we'd pass them and make eye contact they saluted me and welcomed us to the barracks. Now, I'm fairly sure they do this for everybody, but I felt pretty important. They looked so impressive and daunting with their precision and discipline. I'd hate to imagine going up against the U.S. Marines! U.S.A... U.S.A! U.S.A!!

The Marine Corps Silent Drill Team

Oh yeah, and we went back to Ted's Montana Grille before the Marine Corps parade for those yummy bison burgers. Mmmm....

Out and about on a Saturday afternoon

2008-08-03T17:29:00.007-04:00

Hello out there from the East Coast Tracys! Here's a quick report on
our wild and crazy weekend in D.C.

This Saturday (after Saturday morning chores... ugh... of course) Karen and I sped down to Virginia and explored Theodore Roosevelt Island and memorial. The island straddles the Potomac River right between D.C. and Virginia. It's only a short span (or a coin toss, depending on what legends you listen to) across the Potomac from such landmarks as the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and all the classic D.C. monuments, but it's a whole wild, forested area just ripe for some good 'ole exploring.

Then on the way from Teddy Roosevelt island down to meet our friends Wade and Kelly for an early dinner in Virginia, we happily got lost on the way, ended up in the parking lot of the Pentagon, and serendipitously found the Lyndon Baines Johnson Memorial Grove! Karen remarked that the misstep was fate, as we never would have found the little park, or seen the blue and white herons. I was just miffed that I missed the turn on the highway. C'est la vie!

Then we met up with Wade and Kelly and I had what was probably the best burger I've ever had. Let me just say that Ted's Montana Grille + $5 off any burger coupon = yuummmm! (it's good until 8/29!) Karen is sick of hearing me talk about it (and from eating such a huge burger), but it was quite simply the pinnacle of the burger experience. If there were a burger royalty Ted's Bison Burger would be above Emperor, perhaps a Burger Deity.

THEN we met up with some friends from our ward for some games before Karen and I conked out for the evening. Too much fun even for the fabled ECT's!

AT + KT... awwhhhhh!

Awl-bany!

2008-07-22T20:37:00.004-04:00

Here come the East Coast Tracys!

Adam and I got to take advantage of our east coast locale and took a short plane trip for a long weekend up to the green expanses of Albany, New York to visit our other east coast relatives. We stayed at Grandma and Grandpa Metzgers' house, which is just a hop skip and a jump from all the Metzger aunts and uncles, too. I loved meeting everyone and being welcomed into the family, and Adam loved reconnecting with the family that he didn't get to see enough of growing up. From the minute we landed, they wined and dined us, beginning with a deluxe breakfast at Dick and Tracy's. We visited the fabled lake house (and fattened up on the endless supply of tasty appetizers), cruised on the boat navigated by Captain Leigh, visited all the Metzger historic sites, rode the Albany Aqua Duck tour downtown, enjoyed some of Denise and Joe's great BBQ, got a private guitar and trumpet concert by Cali and Jack, and even met Ashley's boyfriend Josh. The two of them drove all the way up from Connecticut and back again just to spend some time with us, and we're so glad they did! We packed all that and much more into just four days. Everyone was so generous and loving, and Adam felt like no time at all had passed since the last visit. I loved poring over Grandma's well-cataloged family photo albums, too. We decided for sure we'll have to make it up there again before we leave the East Coast. We'll definitely have to plan a time when Doug and Cindy will be there with Amber.

How We Live: Deals

2008-06-27T15:02:00.021-04:00

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To continue the proud ECT tradition of providing insights into our frequently mundane but real-life adventures, I present you with another edition of How We Live.

As many of you know, getting deals and/or free stuff is something of a hobby of mine. Actually, hobby might be an understatement. Anyway, I like getting deals on stuff. But the money factor really isn't the most exciting part of the whole thing (lest anyone dare call me... cheap!). It's the satisfaction of knowing that I paid less than you did, or that I paid less than you in the aggregate. 'You' being of the huddled masses yearning to breathe free. It's my way of scoring one for us - the little guys out there - against The Man.

So without further ado, How we Live: Deals.

*Disclaimer. You are about to save a ton of money and pay less/nothing for a bunch of stuff, especially if you live in the D.C. area. I should charge a cover for your reading this. In fact, if you're reading this you owe me.

Fatwallet.com
This one has got to be one of my favorites. It's a website where people post the deals that they find. Most of the time I don't need 24 AA batteries for $4.24, but sometimes I do. I've gotten in on so many deals and/or free stuff from this site I can't count them all.

slickdeals.net
This one is sorta like Fatwallet, but I don't like it as much. But it's still good to pore over in the morning because you never know when you might need that 12% off coupon at Best Buy to combine with the $50 gift card you got while test driving a car you had no intention of buying with the proceeds from selling your old cameras on craigslist to get that sweet new digital camera you'd had you eye on for about 1/6th of the original price. I'm just sayin.'

http://www.ytic.com/
The next couple of sites are how we get our free movie passes. Basically, I sign up for every contest they have for free tickets to movie screenings. Takes about 2 minutes total. And every so often (lately about twice a week) I get a little email that says "hey, you got free tickets to a sweet movie that doesn't come out until next month. You must be a stud," or something to that effect. And plus, it's always fun to comment how good Movie X is when your co-workers are talking about how they're going to see Movie X when it comes out.

Co-workers: "Man, movie X looks so sweet!"
Adam: "Ehh, it's not that great. I wouldn't go see it again."
Co-workers: "You already saw it? How?!? It doesn't come out until next month!"
Adam: (looking around suspicously) "I know this guy... (walking away) I've got work to do."

http://www.filmmetro.com/

This one is a new addition to our free movie roster. In fact, we're heading over this very evening to see a documentary about high school kids called American Teen at the local art house theater that comes out sometime next month. But usually we're watching that movie that you want to see in August that we'll be seeing in July. Like I said, I know a guy.

Screen on the Greens - various iterations
Ahh, yes... the D.C. classic. You can't do better than a free, classic movie on the National Mall to really make that girl/guy think you have a sensitive (yet financially responsible) side.

Safeway card
So this one really isn't a big secret. When they ask if we have a Safeway card I always wait until they have checked all our groceries before swiping it. It makes my heart feel good to see a $94.20 grocery bill turn into $36.75 with a little swipe of plastic magic. True story.

selling stuff and upgrading
This one really isn't a big secret either, but my advice to you if i'm trying to sell you something is take that same amount of cash and go buy the upgrade that I would be purchasing should you buy whatever i'm offering you. Momma didn't raise no dummy, but you'd be surprised how many Mommas did.

http://www.kayak.com/
Airfare, plain and simple. I once flew with a friend NYC-LA, NYC-San Diego, then paid for that same buddy to fly NYC-LA twice, all to save $300 a ticket x 3 for airfare to Buenos Aires. Then that turned into an additional free DC-London-Rome-DC. Talk to my peeps. True story.

Hey, when you're getting paid to be in Kenya strange things happen

http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/
Another true story. SLC-NYC-Paris-Dubai-Ghana-Dubai-Uganda- Tanzania-Dubai-Athens-NYC-SLC. Resulting frequent flyer miles turned into Kansas City-Peru. Cost to me? zero. Sucka, don't even get me started.

my friend at the Kennedy Center
Alright, so here's a case where I actually do know a guy. He gets comp tickets to distribute to performances at the reknowned Kennedy Center. Karen and I have gone to at least 10-12 events this past year alone. National Symphony Orchestra, Operas, Stage Plays, etc. Cost to me? That's right, zero.

http://www.craigslist.com/
You know about this one, but talk to Karen about how she decorated our house with sweet stuff (like her beloved Broyhill bedroom set) for about 15% of what you'd pay retail. That's my girl!

Karen's sweet deal:
Always Negotiate
So Macy's had a sale on their new suits, but I found a couple of suits by Calvin Klein I liked better off of the clearance rack and asked if I could apply the same deal to these suits already marked down over 50%. I sweetened the deal by assuring them I'd use my Macy's card, and ended up getting two suits for $70-- a 90% discount!

But my sweetest move of all? Karen marrying me and putting up with me getting multiple pairs of sweet-o earmuffs with built in speakers because they cost $2 each in June. And I know that might sound strange, but who are you gonna be coming to when you want earmuffs with built-in speakers? That's right, it's me.

My sweetest move yet

Cousins seperated at birth (by 10 years) resemble Ben Affleck

2008-06-13T16:53:00.024-04:00

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If you are a frequent visitor to East Coast Tracys, you will know that my Aunt Kalleen has discovered our humble blog and has linked our blogs together in the familiar blogosphere. We are very pleased at this and enjoy reading about their exploits in the rainy climate of the Pacific northwest. Upon perusing their blog I've discovered something mildly intriguing. My cousin and I look eerily similar. See if you can pick out which one(s) are me and which one(s) are my cousin.

Well, if you guessed that the one with the star was me and the others are Cameron than you would be right. If you guessed that all three are unbelievably handsome/studly then you would also be right. And if you guessed right your self-esteem deserves to rise to all time highs.

What is my reaction to all this? Well, if nothing else we now know that Cameron is one lucky guy. I'm not sure how we managed to pull it off, but I have to hand it to us. To have two people this good looking in the same extended family is almost statistically impossible, yet we have achieved it. (Karen's note: My reaction? Puh-lease.) And since we're on the subject of handsome people that people have said look like me, and by extension Cameron, here is another one - Ben Affleck. And I'm not just making this up either. I was once told by a girl in a 7th grade science class I was substitute teaching for in college that I looked like Ben Affleck. True story.

Now when I say we look like Ben Affleck, I'm of course referring to the pre-Gigli/Jennifer Lopez travesty pictured here on the right. We are referring of course to the People magazines Sexiest Man for 2002 Ben Affleck below. I'm not saying I, or by extension Cameron, will ever grace the cover of People Magazine or be anointed the year's Sexiest Man... but logically, if we look like Ben Affleck and he's on there...

I'm just sayin'. (Karen's note: Except that Adam's not a male bimbo and doesn't have that silly clefted chin.)

This is a cowboy of some kind. Actually, no one has ever said that I look like this guy, but Karen has said at times that my roguish handsomeness that seems completely at odds with my sensitive cuddly nature reminds her of a tough guy from the movies, to which I can only compare to this picture of a cowboy. Or perhaps a cowboy roasting marshmallows. Anyway, here's a picture of a cowboy that may or may not look like me.

We bought a barbeque grill

2008-06-13T16:39:00.009-04:00

So things have been pretty quiet around East Coast Tracy HQ lately. We would, however, like to welcome Aunt Kalleen and the Halverson Herd to our blog. Welcome! And here's our plug to spread the blog-bug around the family. It's fun to see and read about what the clan, extended clan, friends, and extended friends are up too. Of course, it's not that fun to read that things have been pretty quiet here around here lately, but hey, now you know. And if there's one thing we've learned from GI Joe over the years, it's that knowing is half the battle.

Here's some exciting news for you all. We recently purchased a barbeque grill and have named it Sparky. It's a cheap little gas grill, but it comes in super handy on those cold, lonely nights when Karen has to work late and my only source of comfort and solace is the unlimited grilled meat with KC Masterpiece sauce that Sparky provides. (...sigh...) Sparky and I have become close friends this week, but alas! Sparky is not a good cuddler. (...double sigh...)

But on a happier note, the other night Karen and I had my best friend Wade and his lady friend Kelly over for a cook out and birthday cake. Wade joined us in turning 29, and so I fired up Sparky and Karen made a yummy chocolate birthday cake (from scratch!!!). The dinner was, as always, a thouroughly exquisite taste explosion. To top off the birthday festivities, Karen lit a match and stuck it in the cake. Mmmm, mmm, mmm! Who wants to lick the match?!?!

Also, I'm going to buy one of those new iPhones when it comes out and a new digital Camera, the mighty Canon SD950IS next week. We're so excited we can hardly wait! (Karen's note: Make that, Adam's so excited. I've yet to figure out what's in it for me...)

It's already been a month?!?

2008-05-28T17:12:00.012-04:00

Due to overwhelmingly popular demand for our sufficiently sappy blog from our fans, the East Coast Tracys are back in blogaction! Ok, so it's been a month since our last post. We've been busy, of course, so forgive us; but we're never too busy as to leave our devoted fanbase in the dark lo this past month. So without further ado, here's the latest and greatest ECT news in pleasing pictures and anti-prosaic prose (as always!).

The highlight of the month was my little (younger) brother getting married in the LDS temple in Nauvoo, Illinois. We're excited for Daniel and Meghann and we're happy to add a new sister to the family. Based on the pictures, one might wonder if Meghan knows what she's getting herself into. But hey, it's too late now!!!

My whole family minus the missionaries (Rachel in Argentina and Jacob in Albania) were there. We all stayed in a big house in Nauvoo for a few days (definitely the way to go if you're visiting Nauvoo by the way) and then relaxed at the Tracy homestead for a few days more. Seeing the old Nauvoo and the temple again was a neat experience, but being there with my family all in the same house again was the best. My grandparents also flew out and spent the week with all of us in Kansas City after the wedding.

And this past weekend, Karen and I broke out our new tent procured from the Tracy general store (parents' basement) and went camping here in Maryland. We found a national park just 10 minutes away, set up our cozy little tent, and had a relaxing night out in the wild. Karen supplied the cooking and the enthusiasm for hiking, and Adam contributed the air mattress and the fire buildin' skills. (Karen's note: I'm ashamed to admit to the Hill clan that we actually slept on an air mattress and called it camping. Mr. Tracy was delighted.) Then for Memorial Day we met up with some friends and hiked up the imposing Sugarloaf Mountain near Gaithersburg. Karen reports a glorious day communing with nature and enjoying the fresh mountain air. Adam reports being tired and hungry, but grudgingly admits that he, too, had a good time hiking.

One Year and Counting!

2008-05-12T16:13:00.006-04:00

Karen and I recently celebrated our one-year anniversary! Here are some pictures of the beautiful bride and her dashing husband at the one-year mark.

To celebrate our first year together and to up the cheese-ante on our blog, we've come up with a short list of things we love about each other. For example, I love the way Karen laughs when I say stupid/funny things. She makes me think I'm funny and that makes me feel good. And I love it when Karen plays the piano and sings like an angel. I love the way Karen is happy and waiting for me when I come home, so that upon hearing my nightly "honey... I'm HOME!" she is ready with a big hug.

Karen loves the way I scarf down her cooking. She reports that it makes her feel good inside, and Adam reports that it makes him feel good inside too. Karen says that she loves it when I sing and dance in the kitchen at random times (and while doing chores... of course). She also loves the way I look at her with my innocent yet mischievous green eyes. She reports loving my unique mix of tough and tenderness as well. Adam's note: I'm like a good toasted marshmallow. You know, tough on the outside but soft on the inside.

We both love to snuggle and are happy to be trophy-spouses. But mostly we love to snuggle.

To sum it up, there's too many things that we love about each other to list!

The Zoo... WHOOHOO!!!

2008-04-24T15:29:00.013-04:00

Karen and I enjoyed a warm and sunny day in our nation's capital by heading down to the National Zoo the other day. Since it was a weekday and Adam wasn't feeling too well (shh...), we got to cruise down through Rock Creek (only open to cars on weekdays) right into the backside Zoo entrance. We even found parking literally a 1 minute stroll from the back entrance. WHOOHOO!!! Parking at the Zoo usually costs about $20 or so. That's why I was so excited. Anyways...

It was a beautiful day outside and Karen and I just strolled hand-in-hand to our hearts content dodging school groups all over the zoo. Plus, I got to wear my new running shoes that Karen bought for me. It feels like I'm walking on pillows all day long now! WHOOHOO!!!

Some highlights of the National Zoo. They only have one full size African hippo there and he just swam around under the water all day. EXCEPT we got to see him raise up from across its pond and roar about 5 ft from the gaggle of frightened little kids. The above picture was after the fact when the hippo was placid, but Karen wouldn't have been scared even if we had been right in front during the roaring and I wouldn't have been there to protect her from the slow, lumbering, captive hippo behind a concrete enclosure that it had no way of getting out of. After all, it's not like that hippo was one of those uber-frightening little bugs that skitter around our kitchen floor every so often or anything:)

We also got to see the Zoo's prized Chinese Pandas. They were pretty cool to see and the enclosure was top-notch. One of them rebuffed our efforts to feed it, seen here, as it just sat there and stared blankly back at us. We did see a pack of wild gummi bears next to the panda enclosure though, and after they posed for this photo I promptly ate them.

But the highlight of the trip was taking a day off to spend some time with my favorite girl. And even though I woke up that morning not feeling so well all I needed was a little snuggle to feel so much better. That always seems to do the trick.

D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival!

2008-04-04T14:16:00.011-04:00

The Jefferson Memorial through the cherry blossoms

Last weekend Karen and I cruised down to the National Mall to enjoy the Washington D.C. Cherry Blossom Festival with some friends. And since it just happened to be the National Kite Festival as well, the whole sky above the Mall and especially the Washington Monument was filled with kites as far as the eye could see. And the people! There were a TON of people all around. If you ever come to visit us to see the cherry blossoms and insist on seeing them on Saturday... yes, you will be going by yourself.

Maybe Adam will stay home, but I'll take you-- I loved all the people! Even ran into an old friend. You never know who you'll find there. And bless the Japanese for gifting us those beautiful trees full of blossoms. - Karen

Two beauties!

Another sleepy Saturday for the East Coast Tracys!

A night at the opera and VIP lounge, my dear?

2008-04-01T09:41:00.021-04:00

So it's been an exciting week here for us. Almost more excitement than we know how to handle. First off we went to the opera Rigoletto and hobnobbed with the upper crust of Washington society at the Kennedy Center. Actually, it was the shows dress rehearsal and we got $10 tickets from a ward member to join her homeschool group there. So it was us and the homeschoolers. And even though I've never seen so many wrinkled, tie-less, fully buttoned plaid dress shirts and comb overs in one place before, ya gotta love $10 opera tickets right?

But the best part of the evening began during the first intermission. Karen and I were standing there mid-stretch in the sea of homeschoolers when an elderly usher calmly approached us and asked if we wanted some free coffee. Noting the baffled look on my face as I stammered something unintelligible about not really being coffee drinkers, he smiled kindly and passed on with a wave and a, "Well, just find me if you're interested. It's in the lounge." Lounge? Did he mean the Lounge? My curiosity was piqued. Spotting him later, Karen approached and inquired politely if there was still coffee. Just then the lights dimmed, signaling for us to retake our seats. He said to look for him during the next intermission because we would need his pass to get in. After stewing all through the second act over the turn of events, we sought him out to end the mystery and take him up on his exclusive lounge access offer. He smiled again, slipped us a well-worn VIP pass, and said, "Go stuff your pockets." It turns out that he has a personal membership card to the private VIP lounge, and he just gets a kick out of letting whoever strikes his fancy that night use it during the intermission. This time he just happened to pick us. So I escorted Karen past the menacing guard/bouncer with a cavalier wave of our card and proceeded to stroll past the commoners to lounge like all-stars in the Kennedy Center Opera Lounge. We even tried out fake snobby accents and sipped ice water as if from crystal brandy snifters.

Ok, so the lounge didn't quite look like that, but it felt like it did as we waltzed past the guard flashing the VIP membership card into the roped off area, watching languidly as he later unceremoniously escorted out a poser. And then they only had some cheap cookies and what I imagine was tepid coffee to offer. But it was still exciting for us. And opera turned out to be ok, or as least not be as bad as I thought it would be.

After 10 year absence - Easter Bunny arrives

2008-03-25T16:14:00.012-04:00

Happy Easter!

So this past Sunday morning we woke up to find a happy a pair of surprises sitting on our kitchen table. Yes, after a 10 year absence, the Easter Bunny has again found where I live and has delivered Easter baskets full of jelly beans, plastic grass, and chocolate bunnies! And if you take a closer look, the Easter Bunny happily remembered that the only true chocolate Easter bunnies are the solid chocolate Easter bunnies. Parents everywhere, please instruct the Easter Bunny at your house to provide solid chocolate bunnies to your wards. This is very important. And the less plastic grass the better as it only obstructs the discernible amount of candy in the basket. Trust me on this one.

In other family news, we've finally almost gotten our picture wall finished. We call it the the East Coast Tracy Wall of Fame. It has been in various forms of frames-but-no-pictures post-modernism status for some time now, but is slowly filling in. We now have wedding pictures of Karen and me in various sizes, poses, and frame/matting color combinations all in a pleasing and tasteful arrangement on our most prominent interior wall. And in keeping with our diabolical master plan for East Coast Tracy HQ interior design, everyone that now enters our house will be compelled to acknowledge the cuteness/handsomeness of The Wall, as it captivates and overwhelms the senses upon entrance.

mwahahaha.... MWAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

In other news we got our piano tuned and Karen loves it.

The 'Rents! (and Brett) come visit

2008-03-21T15:30:00.009-04:00

Hello ECT fans! This past weekend we hosted Karen's parents Dave and Dana Hill and brother Brett here at East Coast Tracy (ECT) Headquarters in fabulous Washington D.C. They got to stay for about 5 days or so and a good time was had by all.

We managed to set the greater Washington D.C. area on fire with our madcap antics all weekend long. For example, we managed to almost see a show at the famed Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, get most of us to the Jefferson Memorial, nearly took the guided tour of Arlington House, and fairly dodged murderous inner-city D.C. traffic. Also, Adam developed a slight case of intestinal fortitude and so was able to call in sick to continue the touristy charge into the district on Monday.

But we also did plenty of other really cool stuff as well, like seeing the changing of the guard at Arlington National Cemetary, finding (after many attempts) a serenely wooded shortcut into the district from our apartment, dropping in on the Croatian and Slovenian embassies, touring the White House (yes, again for Karen. She certainly is one lucky girl!), finding a sweet-o parking spot right on the National Mall, and taking in the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

But mostly we just had fun being together and indulged in having family around. We all got to witness Karen's Dad's insatiable demand for ice cream. I must admit at first I was a skeptic, but now I'm a believer. The man can down a serious amount of ice cream. On a seperate but related note, we also solved the mystery of the origins of Karen's sweet-tooth. PLUS we all got to genuflect at the combined culinary prowess of the Hill women. There are no words to describe the yummtasticness of the whole weekend. All I can say is that the gym has never called to me more loudly or my waistline expanded so quickly as this week. We also managed to sit Brett next to the cutest young woman in our ward on Sunday. How's that for hookin' a brother-in-law up huh?!?

All in all, we had a great time and are glad they were able to come visit for a few days before they embark on their next big adventure overseas. Maybe next time we'll have beds for everybody! Karen fought the tears bravely as she dropped them off at BWI, but only long enough to send them off with a smile before the floodgates broke on the lonely drive back to Silver Spring. Three years is such a long parting. But we can't wait to see you soon in Slovenia!