The Garrett Gazette

Milestones for the G3

2011-06-19T14:44:00.001-04:00

The happy Garrett baby

What a week! The Garrett family had a wonderful week. To start off the festivities, Zach's mom came to visit and she arrived on Tuesday the 14th. We were so excited to see her! She hasn't been here since March and was looking forward to seeing her little girl before she learned to crawl. Although Dylan is making progress in this area, she is still just sticking to her tried and true army crawl (as per her daycare teachers). No hurry though; she's getting into enough mischief!

Christina celebrated her 30th birthday on the 15th and spent the day with Jodie and Dylan. There was shopping, lunch and relaxing time with the three Garrett Girls. Zach came home from work about 4:30 and then Jodie spent the evening with Dylan while her parents met friends for drinks in honor of the big 30.

Dylan really likes cat toys

Alyssa, Dylan and Christina

On Saturday we all took a drive to CT to see Eric, Tammy and Alyssa and spent the day at the pool. It was a beautiful day, but the pool water was still very cold. Despite that, Christina still braved the temperature and joined Alyssa for a swim and some sloshing around on a new pool float. It was ridiculous to see but really fun. Dylan enjoyed her little pool but then joined the older girls in the big pool and didn't seem to mind the cold water at all. In fact, she made it about 30 minutes in there and kicked her feet and splashed.

We were treated to some homemade pizza and an ice cream cake to celebrate our birthdays (Zach's is today). It was a late night and Dylan was pooped but we all had a lot of fun sitting in the sunshine and catching up.

Today is Zach's birthday and very first Father's Day. Sadly it was the end of Jodie's visit but we really enjoyed having her here and also thoroughly savored her cooking! Dylan enjoyed having grandma around to play with and hug and hopefully we will see her again soon. Zach is going to enjoy and relax today.

A very good week indeed!

Oh to Boston We Go

2011-06-05T15:51:00.000-04:00

Castle Island, South Boston

The Garrett family has had a pleasant and relaxing weekend so far. Yesterday we ran some errands and did our usual Target visit. We found some bargains at Ocean State (swimming items for the little one) and then relaxed. Zach found some time to go skate and the girls spent some quality time together and played and went for a walk. The weather has finally been nice so we wanted to make use of it.

Boston Skyline

This morning we took a drive to South Boston and walked around Castle Island; it's become one our favorite spots. The weather was fantastic and we showed Dylan the boats on the water and airplanes flying overhead. She seemed to enjoy it. After our walk we headed home for some lunch, did a little grocery shopping and cleaned up. It's nice having some time to ourselves over the weekend to get refreshed for another work week.

Time Flies

2011-05-30T08:22:00.000-04:00

An inexcusable length of time has lapsed since my last post. I really need to make a midyear resolution to check in more frequently. Let's see, what has happened since September 2010. I'll give the briefing here: I had two baby showers in September (one in SC at Jennifer's and one in CT with the Welsches), I grew to amazing girths and our baby "due" date came and went by 10 days. Dylan Elise Garrett was born on November 30, 2010 in South Shore Hospital, Weymouth, MA at 1:22 a.m. I can safely say she overstayed her welcome "in there" as it became difficult towards the end, but fortunately, our little one arrived safely and healthy into the world with many excited family members and friends awaiting her. It's hard to believe that today, our little Dylan is 6 months old! Where does the time go??!!

Tiring pregnancy aside, I did pick the best time of year to have a baby. I was fortunate to be home during the holidays and through the beginning of the new year. Mom and dad came to visit a few days after we came home from the hospital and Brian made his second Christmas trip up to CT. It was a lot of fun, despite the ridiculous snowy weather and blizzard conditions. We even lost power in the middle of the night in CT and relocated ourselves and a pack and play to the basement to stay warm. Moving to the basement you ask. Yes, it was warmer there! :)

Jodie came to visit in mid January to meet her granddaughter for the first time and it was so nice to have her here. In February we flew down to SC with Dylan for the first time so she could meet more of her large family. We stayed for a week and had a wonderful visit. Dylan was an unbelievable little traveler and gave no grief on the flight and with all the shuffling about during transit. We also got to see Sarah in Moore and meet her newest addition Reagan, who was a delight. Reese has gotten to be a big girl too and she is such a cutie!

I went back to work in February and it really wasn't as difficult as I heard it would be. I missed my little girl but it was refreshing to be around grown ups too. Dylan had a difficult time adjusting to daycare because there was so much to see that it was often a challenge to nap. She's definitely in the habit now and seems to be doing quite well and enjoys seeing her friends every day.

April and early May brought some visitors to town. Zach, Dylan and I were able to meet up with Julie and Bryan Hatfield of Charleston and we had a great time. It had been at least 10 years since we had seen one another and it was like no time had passed. If only they lived closer to us, I could see us getting together regularly. We also had Jenny and Nils Noeppert for dinner who were traveling here from Germany. It had been even longer since we saw each other last and enjoyed catching up.

So, there you have it! The last few months have been full of joy, visits from friends and many a baby milestone. Dylan is currently working on her crawling technique and I think she'll figure it out at any time! She is very determined.

Updates and Upgrades

2010-09-07T21:04:00.000-04:00

Since the last posting in May, the Garrett family has endured some interesting and exciting things! In June, the two of us flew down south to visit friends and family. We had a really great time, even if the real-feel temperatures were in the 100s. Zach celebrated his 30th birthday among friends and family and we both had a wonderful visit. Honestly, I couldn't remember it being so hot there but I guess we just got used to weather here already!

In July, Zach celebrated one year with his company. I can't believe how fast the time goes! We also made the decision to move into a larger apartment. 730 square feet just won't fit a growing family!

The Welsch parents came for a quick weekend visit in August. We were part of their 3 week New England tour and while they visited, we took a drive to Gloucester and attended the Waterfront Festival. It was a comfortable day to be outside and we enjoyed the day trip. After their visit with us, mom and dad headed to Maine and by the looks of their pictures online, I would say they had a great time! I think Zach and I are officially adding Maine to our list of places to visit!

We just finished our move from the one bedroom to our luxurious and awesome two bedroom apartment. Fortunately it wasn't a far move; just across the parking lot. However, just because it was so close didn't make it any less of a pain. At present, Zach is moving boxes around and I am taking a break from organizing. Setting up the new place is less easy and more frustrating when your belly takes up more space than before! Ha! Aside from the shuffling about, we are very fortunate and very excited to have this new home and especially looking forward to our newest family member moving into her new room in November.

So, there you have the latest from the New England Garrett family. Until later!

The Great Garrett Cape-r

2010-05-23T18:05:00.000-04:00

As I patiently await the upload process to complete on snapfish, I thought I'd update our readers on our recent trip. I suppose some would call it a Babymoon, that time before the child arrives where you just want to get the heck out of town and relax. Well, the travel bug hit Zach and I and we went to Cape Cod for a blissful week on the beach. It was such a needed trip since the last vacation we both took was in May last year when we visited Orlando. This trip was definitely more our speed.

One of my coworkers was helping me decide where to go and she mentioned this quaint cottage she had stayed in a few times. The fact that we didn't have to fly was super and being among the more thrifty options we had considered, it was the winning choice.

We arrived on Saturday evening after a day of work and got settled in. Our cottage was waterfront, small and quiet; just what we wanted and expected. We started our visit at the Bookstore and Restaurant that was a mere half mile from the cottage. The place offered vegetarian options and while this equated to artichoke dip and fries, we enjoyed it anyway! Zach enjoyed some local brew and I stuck to water and tea. In their defense, the veggie choices were delicious. We took the beach path to get there and it was so nice. Admittedly, I am not much of a sand walker and probably got on Zach's nerves because I had almost fallen a few times. Whoops!

So, during our week, we did some touristy things and enjoyed the WONDERFUL weather we had. We challenged ourselves to visit all the Cape Lighthouses in our path, and saw three of them (Chatham, Highland and Nauset - and the Three Sisters). I suppose it wasn't really a challenge but we had fun anyway. We enjoyed great (non-seafood) meals, shopped, walked and relaxed. It was just what we needed to be rejuvenated. We were both overdue for time off from work!

Some other highlights included awesome ice cream, wonderful beach views, trails, and some action from a skulk of foxes living across the street outside one of the neighboring cottages. Zach loved watching them every morning and evening. It was a little creepy walking by them, but according to the research we did on foxes upon learning they lived there, they aren't harmful (unless rabid). They were very cute!

We ended our trip at the same place we started, the Bookstore and Restaurant, for some breakfast before heading home. I definitely look forward to going back (hopefully next year, with little Garrett in tow). It was a fun time!!

And baby makes three Garretts

2010-04-20T18:47:00.001-04:00

Ok, so I realize it's been a near eternity since our family last posted anything of interest. So, bare with me with an update.

Since the last time: Zach has been offered a permanent position with the company he was on contract for. We were very excited about this news because he has worked very hard and it was great to finally make it official. He started his new position in February. I have also since been promoted in the bank and work in Hingham now as a teller operations specialist. I'm slowly working my way back up the chain of command to management as I was a few years ago. I'm shooting for another promotion soon, but we shall how that plays out. We are very fortunate to be in the positions we have now and are thankful for state of Massachusetts for giving us our independence back. We have had quite a year and things have been going magically since our move last May. What a relief.

In other news, Zach and I are pleased to announce that we are expecting our first child this November. Zach is beside himself in excitement. It took some time for me to adjust to the idea, not that it isn't exciting, but admittedly, it's the most bizarre concept to absorb. I'm only hoping it's a normal reaction for a woman and that I'm not on the path to being a horrible and heartless mother. :) Only joking! The first few weeks were strange as I adjusted to what was going on in my person and become acquainted with the new sensations occurring and what it all meant. Our first appointment was April 13 and since then, I have joined Zach in his excitement and anxiously await the little person that will soon consume us with happiness. Our families and friends have been gracious with love and support and we are lucky to have them in our lives.

So, there you have it! Stay tuned...hopefully it'll be a bit more regular this time. :)

New York New York

2009-12-06T20:52:00.000-05:00

Good eve all! Greetings from snowy Massachusetts. It's finally time for another Garrett family update. The Garretts are still doing well here in Randolph. Nothing much has changed since the last post, but we do have another big trip behind us.

Yesterday, Zach and I joined Eric, Tammy and Alyssa on a day trip to Manhattan. Tammy and Eric had gifted us this trip and we were so excited. The first thing on our agenda after an early morning bus ride, was a show at Radio City Music Hall. We saw the Christmas Spectacular and it certainly was spectacular. The show featured the famous Rockettes and they were amazing. Made me wish I had continued dancing all those years ago! Ha! The show was wonderful and I'm so glad we went.

The weather was less than cooperative for us but we made the best of it. We found a really great place for lunch/dinner called HB Burgers. Zach and I had the most incredible veggie burgers we have ever had. Tammy had one too and loved it. The food was excellent and they even made their own specialty beers and sodas. I had the pomegranate lime soda and it was quite tasty. After some food, and some time to dry off from the rain, we walked around a bit. Some places we visited over the course of the day were Rockefeller Plaza, Sax Fifth Avenue, St. Patrick's Cathedral and a local private showing of an art exhibition. The art was a treat! We just stumbled upon it walking down Madison Avenue.

The Garretts and Welsches had a wonderful day in the city. A sunnier day would have been nice, but we made do and had a fun time anyway. We definitely look forward to another visit some day.

Yes! We are still here!

2009-09-04T10:46:00.001-04:00

So, I assume it's time to furnish the latest happenings of the Garrett clan. Zach and I are doing quite well in our new home here in the Commonwealth. Things are going better than they have in a long time. Zach found a contract position at a local microbiology lab and is doing consumer testing. He is of course highly qualified thanks to the experience he received from his time at Clemson. I am thoroughly enjoying my work back at the Bank of America. I have the best coworkers a girl could ask for. To those of you I worked with before, you know I had fun with you too. :)

Zach and I have been taking every opportunity to explore our new surroundings. So far we have frequented our family in CT, taken a few trips to the city, visited the Cape and have done a bit of hiking in the Blue Hills. We were both off from work this past Wednesday and went for a hike in the morning. We were surprised at the view!! In one view, we had the city of Boston and the ocean. It was so great and we regret not having our cameras in tow. Don't worry though - we will return there and come back with pictures. It was really nice.

The kids are fine too. Klaus and baby Ming had their annual exams and all is happy and healthy in cat land. No one is overweight and no one is sick. We were happy cat parents after their check ups.

We are all looking forward to the arrival of brother Brian next week. He will be here briefly and go on a HUGE hike with brother Eric and sister in law Tammy in Mount Washington. Should be a good time for them and I bet they will be exhausted. Brian will be here Wednesday night and then we will go to CT to visit them post hike. We aren't expecting a wild bunch on Sunday when we see them but we'll have a nice visit either way. :)

The weather has been gorgeous lately and we are quite enjoying the cool New England summer. It's nice not having to use A/C a lot. Our wallets certainly appreciate it and the natural air is always nicer anyway.

Hope you are all well out there. We'll try to be better about keeping up. By the way, for more details on our lives, just keep up with my facebook. ;0) Until later -

Greetings from MA!

2009-06-17T22:57:00.000-04:00

Hello Garrett family fans! Zach and I just enjoyed a beautiful day in Boston to celebrate our birthdays. We started off the day by taking a short drive to Canton, a neighboring town to Randolph, where we live. I decided to put some birthday money to good use and bought a new Vera Bradley tote and wallet (thanks mom and dad). I thought it would be a great bag for the city - and it was!

We took the T from Braintree into the city and walked around. The one day link pass was a great idea because we just took the T from wherever to wherever. Our first stop was the North End. We walked part of the Freedom Trail but once we saw all the tourists, we decided to save the highlights for a less busy time of year. It's not like we need to rush around! We did manage to walk by the Paul Revere house. Our goal in the North End was to find a restaurant we found online called Grezzo. It's a raw food, vegan restaurant and man was that lunch delicious. Afterwards we took a ride to Cambridge to putz around. We took a brief walk through Harvard and then stopped for some ice cream and watched passersby and listened to some guy sing some caribbean style music. The people watching was top notch. Cambridge is certainly a nice area.

From there we went to the Boston Common, strolled around, caught a few minutes of some young children playing baseball, strolled through the Public Garden and ultimately made it back to downtown for a cold one and some appetizers. Walking the North End and wharf areas was a treat today. The weather was perfect and the waterfront was really enjoyable. We didn't realize all the walking we did today until we sat down and waited for the train to go home and felt really tired.

We had a great day! The weather has been overcast the last few days so I'm glad I had a day off that was enjoyable.

Aside from today's news, we are doing well. We are settling in nicely and are enjoying our new home. The people are great and Christina is adjusting well to her new job. Zach is working hard on finding a job and has some great contacts. Cross your fingers. Hopefully the next post will reflect a new job for the Mr.

Have a good night!!

A Reflection on SC

2009-05-17T16:58:00.001-04:00

Hi Garrett followers. It's Christina stopping by to share the latest happenings.

A lot has happened since the last check in, so hang in there. I was offered a job at Bank of America at the end of April so Zach and I are currently packing our home and getting ready for a long drive north. We are moving to the small town of Randolph 15 miles south of Boston, MA and are very excited! The location is perfect because we will be very close to the city, just under 1.5 hours to our family in CT and 3.5 hours from NYC. Lots of exciting new adventures await. While Zach is still looking for work, he will be busy getting us settled in and will certainly find something soon. I hope!

It's hard to believe that our final days in SC are here. I've been reflecting on all the things that have happened since we moved here from CT in 1992. It's been great. I moved here at age 11 and since then, have met many wonderful people, lived in Charleston, traveled to Mexico and Europe (Europe isn't really a new trip but still important), visited Orlando and met Zach. Not too shabby.

I didn't know what to expect when we moved here. I was just finishing elementary school and starting middle was hard. Everyone already new one another and I was the new girl, and a Yankee at that! It was obvious that I came from somewhere else. While I didn't know the term, I quickly learned it. ;) It was sort of a culture shock here and I had to get used to the accent. I still have a hard time sometimes!!

I continued playing clarinet from when I started in 5th grade and played through high school, giving me 8 full years of music. The summers were tough and the marching season was busy, but I wouldn't change any of it. It was a great experience. In 1999, I started at College of Charleston and met a bunch of fabulous ladies in Phi Mu. For a super homesick type like me, this was what I needed to keep busy. I'm thankful for joining because I have met two of my best friends there. I'm happy that after 10 years, I still have their friendship and they have been with me through good and bad. I probably would have made Zach more crazy during unemployment if it weren't for these two. Ha! Thanks guys for your support. I love you both.

I met Zach right after I graduated, thanks to my boss Pam at BofA. After we married, we moved upstate so Zach could finish his degree at Clemson. Even though it felt like it would never end, he finished on May 8 and I am so proud of his accomplishments. I also finished my MBA, so we are all educated and finally have a place to go.

We are sad about moving because we have thoroughly enjoyed having the family so close by for the last (almost) 3 years. However, we are very excited about the move and hope to have a lot of visitors. I'm looking forward to starting my new job and getting settled in and living close to my other brother and getting to know him better and being with the family there.

Just a note of thanks to family, especially parentals and siblings, for supporting our decisions. It's been hard finding work the last 6 months, so being flexible has paid off. I'm sure I will cry a lot before, during and after the move, but it will be a great experience for us. I especially appreciate everyone's support during my worklessness. It was tough, but a very eye opening experience that I wouldn't trade for anything. I have learned a lot about myself, what is really important and who my friends are. I absolutely do not regret having lost my job at all. It was great and I hope I can apply my cheapskate skills in the future. Ha!

We love and will miss you all!

The Latest

2009-04-01T21:14:00.000-04:00

Hello! Time for an update on the latest in our family. Christina finally had an interview for a banking position and is awaiting a call from the company and see what happened. We had a good feeling about it. It would be a great opportunity but we don't want to jinx anything. We are finishing up the last few weeks of school. Christina is 2.5 weeks away from her masters and Zach will be done at the end of the month.

We had an early Easter with the parents and Brian over the weekend and it was really nice. Mom had great food and lots of chocolate! Not good for the waistline but tasty all the same! Christina also attended a baby shower for her friend Sarah and had a great time! It made her excited about having her own one day. Again, lots of tasty foods and great people. We had an enjoyable weekend and then it was time to get back to the schoolwork.

Christina started a small business with Lia Sophia. She's pretty excited about it and hopes many will show for her starter party (hint hint) and that many will book shows. It should be a nice way to make a few dollars, so we will see how it goes! She is definitely excited about all the lovely jewelry coming her way!

That's it for now. Hopefully we will have good work news soon. Cross your fingers and toes!

In the land of Garrett

2009-03-19T21:07:00.000-04:00

Hello readers. Time for a post. I wish I had more to share but we haven't had much exciting going on. As of late, Zachary has been enjoying spring break and has been working hard for family and making a few bucks here and there. Christina is counting down until classes are done. Only 4.5 weeks to go! Graduations are all registered for and caps and gowns are on their way. Zach's graduation will be on May 8 and Christina's will be in Atlanta on June 7. So, mark your calendars so you can send the congratulations cards our way!

Meanwhile, Christina has been trying to get crafty and think of ways to make money. One idea came to mind but we're still contemplating. It's been a stressful 4 months of unemployment so far but we are hoping that the perfect job will be around the corner. The next week should be fun. Christina will see Jennifer on Saturday and go to a Lia Sophia party on Sunday. Next week we are celebrating an early Easter at the Spartanburg Welsches which should be nice. Mom and dad are flying to Germany soon and will miss another Easter in the states. Christina also has a baby shower to attend and is looking forward to that.

Well, that's the update for now! More to report after the upcoming week! Have a super day!

5 Years

2009-02-23T13:45:00.000-05:00

Hello all! Christina checking in.

Although not an official anniversary, Zach and I are "celebrating" our 5 year dating anniversary today. We celebrated with lunch at Thai Spice and it was tasty. I started thinking about how the two of us met and how much we have grown as a couple since then. In case you didn't know, Zach and I met through his aunt Pam. The story:

Sometime around Valentine's Day 2004, I had to work a Saturday shift on Seabrook Island and my boss at the bank, aunt Pam, offered to drive since we both lived on James Island. On the way there she asked me if I was seeing anyone and I told her I was not. She started talking about her nephew who was from the upstate and lived in W. Ashley and the types of things he liked, etc. She wondered if she could give him my phone number and I thought that would be great! What did I have to lose?? I ran into Pam the following day and she said Zach was nervous and may not call right away, so she gave me his phone number. After a lot of coaching from my friend Jessica, I finally dialed. I was so nervous! We ended up talking for almost 3.5 hours that night. I can't imagine what we talked about for that long but we did. I went to work the next day, grinning from ear to ear, and told Pam that I called him and how long we chatted. Her mouth dropped and she said "My Zach talked for that long!" Haha!! It was funny. We eventually decided we should meet and on February 23, 2004, we met for a beer. We had a lot of fun together and when the night was over, Zach said he would call me the next day. Being a typical girl who has heard that line before, I didn't believe he actually would. However, he called the next day, the one after that and just about every day since. A year after that date, Zach asked me to marry him.

We are not the people we were 5 years ago but the journey to the current "us" has been a lot of fun. We traveled to Germany, New England and Mexico together, moved apartments several times and have been each others' avenues for self realization. I don't mean that to be sappy or trite in any way, but before Zach I was not comfortable truly being myself with many people.

Anyway, cheers to 5 years together and many many more happy and exciting times!

Oh Charleston, My Charleston

2009-02-15T22:35:00.000-05:00

Greetings! Christina here. Zach isn't too much of a blogger so until further notice, these posts are from Mrs. Garrett.

I just spent a few days in Walterboro, SC with my dear friend Jessica. It was a really nice time. I arrived Thursday afternoon just in time for a delightful dinner at a pizza place. After that we ran some errands for Jessica's class the next day and I picked up some lunch for school. I was feeling crafty so I made some Valentine's gifts for the children (from Jessica).

I was the official volunteer at Hendersonville Elementary School on Friday as Jessica's teacher's assistant. It was great seeing Ms. Humphries in action as a teacher. Despite her thinking she is the meanest teacher ever, I object and would say she is a great one! The children obviously like her very much and surprisingly I received a few hugs before the day was over. The kids were celebrating Valentine's Day so it was a relaxed day and lots of fun. The day flew by and it was great. Especially amusing was the 2nd grade dance and the fact that 90% of the school thought Jessica and I were sisters. Haha! I guess after 9 years, you sort of act like the other person. I was not offended.

On Saturday the two of us drove to Charleston. We stopped by the CofC bookstore so I could get some alumni gear and then we made our way through the rain to find some lunch. It was really busy downtown because of the Wildlife Expo! Lots of tourists and dogs walking down the streets. It was really nice being back in the "old neighborhood." After lunch we drove to the battery and managed a few minutes along the water before the rain started again. It was great being back near the proposal site from a few years earlier. :) We made our way to West Ashley for some Marble Slab and shopping. I found a nice outfit for an interview I have Tuesday and otherwise, we just window shopped. A lovely day in Charleston. Although downtown is just about the same, the other parts were different than when we lived there and I almost didn't feel the longing to move back. It was odd.

I drove back today and had a bit of homework to do. I won't get into that but I had a great weekend with Jessica. I'm hoping to see her again before her big move out west. We always have a great time together, even if its just watching creepy ghost shows in TV. Thanks for a fun visit.

Time for bed and to prepare for another week. Tutoring, the gym, the start of a new class and a job interview! Wow! Lots to look forward to.

Time to Lean, Time to Clean

2009-02-06T10:50:00.001-05:00

Good morning readers! It's Christina again and I thought I would share the latest.

I am thoroughly enjoying my volunteer time at Centerville Elementary School and the kids are really fun. I'm sort of wondering if I have another career option. Not that I can do anything about it now because I have a degree to finish and depending on where we live, the requirements for licensure vary from state to state. Anyway, for now, I'm enjoying myself and if it leads somewhere else, that's great! The teachers have been very nice there and its nice to get some interaction from somewhere other than 90210 and the cats.

I went for a jog/walk yesterday and have been finding numerous gym classes to get a higher level of fitness going. I jogged on and off during my regular walk yesterday and although I was severely out of breath, I did pretty well. In all, I probably jogged 20 minutes. Not too bad for a beginner! I'm looking forward to a cardio class again today!

I have officially confirmed that I am going to Charleston next weekend and visit with Jessica. I'm looking forward to it and I will help her in her classroom Friday. Should be fun!

Not much otherwise. Zach is on campus until well past dinner time these days. His teacher is giving him some tips on where to look for work. She has been very nice to him and very helpful. He's lucky!

The weekend should be nice. Other than homework, I have yoga planned and a movie with Jennifer and her friends.

Time to Catch Up

2009-01-31T09:04:00.000-05:00

Hi there! It's Christina. I wanted to check in since it has been a while. There hasn't been too much going on lately, but I will share the goings-on.

I recently started tutoring at one of the local elementary schools and so far it has been a lot of fun. A few friends kept telling me to do it while I have the time but I thought I would not be good at it. I never did much with children since I was always the child. At first I wanted to help out at the animal shelter but after I got one good inhalation of the kennel I decided to go a different route. Talk about horrific! I am not much of a dog person but I helped out with the dog adoptions last Sunday. That was fine until about the second hour when there was so much dog hair in my nose that I could hardly breathe. Not to mention how bad I stunk afterwards. Needless to say, I am not a dog person. They are good from far away but I will never own one. They smell, they are dirty and honestly if I am going to put that much effort into another living creature, I'll just have a child! It was nice helping though.

Volunteering at the school is so far lots of fun. It's great watching the children understand what you are saying and do the work. One of the students already hugged me when I left and that was worth it already! They can be so sweet. Walking into the elementary school made me excited for having a child of my own one day. Glad I'm getting practice now because it is clear it has been a long time since I have done elementary school math! Yikes! Zach heard how much fun I was having so he will probably volunteer there too. He'll be good at it.

Aside from helping at the school, I have started taking more aerobic and yoga classes at the gym lately. I have learned I am severely out of shape despite all the exercise I have been doing lately. In addition, I also confirmed how coordination is not my forte. I couldn't quite do the hands and legs motions at the same time. Practice makes perfect and I intend on it.

I have also started a class in enterprise risk. It sounds as awful as it is. Interesting - yes; complex - yes! I still have 5 weeks to go of this. Glad I don't have work right now.

That is about it for now. Zach is busy in school and is in lab about 6 days out of the week. He is really enjoying it. At least we know he picked the right major!

It was the worst of times, it was the worst of times

2009-01-18T09:40:00.000-05:00

No, you didn't misread anything. The title speaks for itself. I should note that while our posts may have become increasingly cynical and morbid, it is with good reason and yet we remain optimistic.

Not much has happened in the Garrett household since the beginning of 2009. We were hopeful that a certain bank would have called Christina by now but apparently her many years of financial experience are not making the cut in any banking jobs lately. Quite frustrating. Since the first, however, Christina has been increasing her fitness aptitude by exercising daily for about an hour. Mind you, when time is all you have, you really have no excuse not to be small and healthy. Her final 3 MBA courses are approaching and both of us have been whittling away at job applications, resumes and graduation paperwork. Hopefully something will happen despite the dreadful job market.

Christina has been home a lot and has become increasingly obsessed with her furry children. A new movie short has been produced entitled, Not Without My Feather Boa starring Ming. She has an illustrious feather boa and parades around the home growling at anything. If you are interested in seeing this epic drama, please see below. You won't regret it. Make sure the sound is on relatively high for maximum enjoyment.

Zach is back in school again finishing his last semester at Clemson. He is busy working in the lab with a scientific genius. Zach is admittedly dashing in his white lab coat and should really be getting paid to do the work he's doing. That will come in good time. He is learning many new things and hopes to land a cool job for May.

Lots to look forward to and we are anxious to get 2009 rolling. I know it has already started but time tends to stand still when you have bupkiss going on.

Farewell and we'll check in soon!

Happy New Year

2009-01-01T23:11:00.000-05:00

Greetings to all! The Garretts just returned from another visit to Spartanburg. We celebrated with champagne and horns at mom and dad's and wished each other a happy 2009. We're just hoping for work and everything else is a bonus!! :)

Brian had us over for dinner and we had another good meal on Hamilton Chase Drive.

Christina had a good afternoon and met some friends from college. It had been several years but very much enjoyed a visit with Christine and Angela. It's always nice to see what others have been up to. She visited with a good friend from high school, Zeynep, just a few days ago, too. One good thing about unemployment around the holidays is the time to visit!

We also tried out the new Wii Fit that mom and dad just got last week. It's a great item and is definitely on the top of the list of things to buy with our first paycheck. It inspired Christina to get back in shape. Along with not working all the time comes the lack of activity and it certainly shows. Fortunately, good friend Jessica has agreed to be a buddy and be part of the 2 Hot Broads in 2009 campaign for weight loss. Should be interesting. Christina is going to buy some nice shoes in May when the Garretts go to Orlando to celebrate Zach's graduation.

We are really looking forward to the new year. It should prove to be challenging and rewarding. Zach has 4 months left of school, Christina has 3 classes left to fulfill her MBA and we are looking forward to our trip in May as well as a move. Quite a busy 6 months! Stay tuned for more...

Happy Holidays and Whatnot

2008-12-29T17:50:00.000-05:00

We're hoping everyone had a delightful holiday. I know some people have been getting a right bit oversensitive of the term holiday during this time of year, but let's be honest - Christmas is a holiday.

Zach and I visited the Welsch side of the family on Christmas Eve and spent the night. It was the first time this year, for me, that it actually felt Christmasy. Mom always has nice decorations out to get into the holiday spirit. We enjoyed opening gifts, drinking margaritas and other spirits and taking our usual drive around the neighborhood to celebrate and ridicule decorations. I know that making fun of things during a holiday sounds cruel and unfestive, but if you saw some of the things we saw, you'd be laughing, too. One of the things that made the ride particularly interesting was Zach and Brian mocking the guy on the music channel for his enthusiastic "praise the lords." It was quite eventful.

On Christmas Day we started off with a delicious breakfast made by the one and only Brian Welsch and then headed to Central to meet Zach's dad. We ended our day at Zach's mom's house and had a tasty dinner with grandparents and siblings. A nice end to a nice holiday.

Since then, we haven't been up to much. The waiting continues on the work front but we try to stay busy with reading, Wii, exercise and Netflix. We can't believe 2009 is upon us already and have so much to look forward to. Zach has started his job hunt and we are looking in MA. Brother Eric is going to supply us with some useful information and we'll see what happens. Should be a delight and we look forward to moving ahead in this OVERWHELMING process. Most importantly, we are excited about Zach's graduation. It has been a long time coming and we are more than thrilled.

Unleash the Cuteness!

2008-12-22T14:16:00.000-05:00

As most of you are well aware - Zach and I are obsessed with our cats. Yes, Klaus and Ming Garrett are the highlight of most of our days and bring joy to our lives. The two children live in grandeur all the days of their lives. The love we have for these two is quite possibly one of the reasons that the two of us decided to go veg a little over a year ago. The more we learned and thought about what we ate, the more we thought "hey wait a sec, I would never roast Klaus and serve him with gravy and corn." That may be an odd thought for most people but it hit close to home for us and made a decision to lay off the meat. Not surprisingly, we have never felt healthier and better! Lately, we've been slowly working towards veganism, although that might take some practice. I've been doing well lately not having any dairy and once you let out the inner scientist when you're shopping, can read the labels and pick out the animal items the producers don't want you to know are actually animal products. It's amazing how it's in so much stuff - even mouthwash!!! YIKES. It always amazes me how dumb they think you are. Yes - pork is pig and steak is cow. Funny how they call it something else so you don't realize what your eating. Hmmm...very crafty. Or maybe it's just good marketing.

Anyway, we certainly don't try to impose our beliefs on anyone, even the cats since they are natural carnivores. We become more fascinated by the creatures in this world and even the ones in our own living room. Ming was especially curious last night and I'll share that briefly.

Christmas is upon us and since the kitties have been good this year, we decided to buy them some special toys. Ming received a few mice with beautiful feathers on their tails. She must have thought she caught a real animal because if anyone went near her she started growling and hissing! It was really funny. Later that night, Zach and I enjoyed watching a special in HD (very nice) on Yellowstone Park. What a lovely place! Ming was sleeping until she heard some birds on the show. She quickly woke up, jumped on the coffee table to see what was going on. She became enthralled in the birds on the show and when the scene changed to show coyotes - she was all over it! She jumped to the TV and started following them. When they weren't on the screen anymore - she looked behind the TV to see where they went! It was quite a sight! Definitely a hunter!

That's all the news now...stayed tuned after this commercial break...

Fun Old Fashioned Garrett Party

2008-12-21T09:25:00.000-05:00

Last night was the annual Garrett Family Christmas party in Central. It was a fun time with delicious snacks, entertaining children and good company. Although we didn't eat the main entree, we certainly enjoyed the home-baked desserts that all the aunts made. We haven't really been in too much of the spirit this year. Maybe it's the 75 degree weather coupled with rain or the fact that the last part of our year has been stressful and upsetting due to job loss and difficulty finding a new one. At any rate, the holidays feel like just another day this year. On the plus side, the party reminded us of the good people that know and love us and how lucky we are to have such great people in our families. It was a good time.

The first part of the day started off slowly and we drove to Whole Foods in Greenville in the afternoon. Mom needed a few things at Total and since we never brave Woodruff Road, we figured we'd knock out two things at once. Crazy as it sounds, Whole Foods is like a fun park for us. The food options are endless and if you can afford it, shopping here is ideal. We purchased the first Garrett Family Tofurky roast to be enjoyed on Christmas. I heard it was tasty, so we'll see what happens. We also bought a few rice and soy ice creams, that may sound awful, but are actually fabulous! We've been trying to improve our well-being and look for healthier foods. This is definitely the place to be! No offense to our man Gary at Publix and the whole crew, but other grocery stores pale in comparison.

All in all, a delightfully rainy Saturday for us. Until later!

What to do and where to go...

2008-12-18T22:39:00.001-05:00

Hello all. Welcome to the first installment on the first official Garrett family posting. I have to say, I'm not really sure how this whole blog stuff goes, but I'm willing to give it a go. I've seen a lot of Facebook people with their own page and it has been fun seeing what everyone has been up to over the years and many with their own blogspot. I figured - we're interesting people - why not create our own.

The latest:

Zach and I have been in deep conversation lately about where to go next year. As most of you know, Zachary is finishing up his microbiology degree in May 2009 and our family will be making tremendous moves and life changes as a result. You would think that having the world at your fingertips would be exciting and easy, but it turns out it's far more confusing and complex than anything I have dealt with in a long time. The two of us have aspirations to move away from SC to experience a new place with exciting places and veggie friendly restaurants. :) The problem: leaving family and friends behind while moving somewhere that is not only awesome, but very expensive! I can handle the cost but leaving friends and family is very difficult as 99% of our loved ones are within 20 minutes to 3 hours away. Time will tell...

We have been tossing around the idea to establish ourselves up north - where the winters are beastly but the summer coastlines are gorgeous and the beer is fabulous. It'll be a change, but we will see what happens. For now - Christina is still looking for work and finishing her MBA and Zach has his final semester. We are looking forward to having Christmas with the family next week and catching up with friends from high school and college over the break.