Hello Everyone,
As good as my intentions were, I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever get back to writing about Thanksgiving and Christmas. I apologize. Suffice it to say, they were both great holidays, and we’ve had lots of fun little adventures in between. If I get on a roll, I may pull out my journal and update you all. Until then, moving on to more current events.
I can’t believe it’s already February. We’ve been married for a year! Can you believe it? Yeah, me neither sometimes. It’s amazing how fast it’s gone. It’s been a wonderful year though. Makes me excited for all the days ahead.
We actually took a vacation for our anniversary, to Colonial Williamsburg. It was pretty much awesome. Unfortunately, we forgot to pack the camera… which means we bought a disposable film camera instead. Which in turn means we still have to take 10 or so pictures before we can get to Williamsburg pictures. End result: someday I will create a huge photo library of all these pictures I’ve promised for so long. Dream big with me people! 
To recap the trip: Driving out of DC during rush hour is crazy. Hotels are trying to fill rooms in the winter, which makes a February anniversary that much better, because you can find a room almost twice as big as our apartment for $65 a night. Chris is going to have a wood shop someday ¹, and he’d like a forge as well (I’m not so sure about that one)². It was so fun to see him at the cabinet maker’s and the joiner’s shops, because they do different kinds of woodwork. One of the cabinet makers is building a harpsichord, and that was pretty much awesome. They had a finished replica there in the shop, and I played a little bit on it. Also pretty much awesome. Though I’ve got to admit, I don’t know how they managed without pedals back in the day…
It was also a good weekend to go, because there were President’s Day celebrations going on, so we got to see a drum and fife parade and they shot off the cannons. Always a bonus (despite the teenage girls from the high school groups screaming every single time a shot was fired) and we got to attend “A Conversation with George Washington” that was fun. Chris was afraid it was going to be a little hokey, but he managed to enjoy himself anyway³. I guess that’s the risk you take when traveling to places like this with history majors that focused on early American history.
We focused a lot on the trade shops, just because they’re so cool. We also toured the newly reconstructed coffee house, and even got to sample some of the “latest” beverage, chocolate. I never thought I’d enjoy something with cayenne pepper so much.
Chris also got some landscaping plans from the Governor’s Palace, including a full-on hedge maze. Though I think to complete that you have to have little kids chasing their dad around in a crazy game of tag.
We wrapped up with dinner at one of the taverns, which was totally worth it. Delicious food (and tons of it) and the ambiance was fantastic. There was a musician walking around that would alternate between his guitar and a recorder; it’s amazing that something you learn to play in elementary school can actually be a serious instrument in the right hands.
Coming back to reality, even a short week, is never fun after such an awesome trip, but such is life. Except Chris still had two days off because of a faculty retreat. This is a brag alert, please skip to the next paragraph if you don’t want to read about just how awesome my husband is. So while I was at work, Chris (who, by the way, had packed for me so we could leave right from work on Friday for Williamsburg) cleaned the house, grocery shopped, and found some houseplants for us. He also packs my lunch pretty much every day, and during this week he got dinner going by the time I came home most days. Did I win or what?
Well folks, I’m going to say that wraps us up for now. Loves to you all!
The Rawlins
(Footnotes by Chris)
1.It was so cool! At the cabinet makers, they explained how they hid places where the wood came together using a “double-blind” technique. Why they used pine for some projects and mahogany for others. They explained how they carved round objects into furniture, and how they made they made glue that held projects together. At the joiners, we learned about the planing they did to create molding, and he told us about how they were doing research to find the exact dimensions and techniques for making a crate to carry muskets. It was all very cool. It made me miss having a garage to work in. One day.
2. I see nothing wrong with having a forge.
3. The guy playing Washington was good; I was impressed. I learned some new things. I also ended up asking a nice softball question about Hamilton and Jefferson, setting him up to go into a discussion on the dangers of faction.
I just love to read your blogs. Your marriage life sounds so great. You have just been married for one year, your Grandpa and I will be married 55 years on March 29th. Keep on blogging, it makes us seem so much closer to you. Love from your Grandma Betsy and Grandpa Val.