This past weekend marked a landmark event, the first (of what I hope will be many) party in our home. We are finally to the point where we wanted to show it off a little and welcome new friends to our lives, Fincher style! It was a nice walk down memory lane; I was able to think back to all the parties we hosted at our home in Columbus, Ohio and feel like this was the start of a new chapter with similar fun to come.
I can't count the number of "gatherings" we hosted at our old home on Bricker Blvd. There was always food (LOTS and LOTS of Jeremy's food) and this first California party was no exception. We decided to go with a gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches (better than the Philly cheese steaks for those who can remember the cloud of smoke we spent the evening in and minus the stove fire, a secret between Jeremy and Sarah) and it was fantastic! From a simple basil pesto and mozzarella to the more inventive caramelized onion and rum jam with bacon and Gruyere cheese, it was all a tasty treat. It was great to have people clustered around the island building sandwiches and relationships.
There were always... LOUD NOISES! On Bricker Blvd. those loud noises usually consisted of a Buckeyes football game combined with heated philosophical discussions, rants about annoying profs and review of canine anatomy or the endocrine system or just general merriment. Four years later, across the country, the noises were a little different, but just as comforting and enjoyable. Noah was leading his new little friends on runs up and down the hall with shrieks of glee. The grill was sizzling, conversations ranged from wedding stories to postpartum emotional roller coasters (scaring all those soon to be dads!) to job satisfaction.
Although I miss those friends of old and wish for the country to fold in half and put Ohio and California closer on the map, it felt nice to host. I am excited to host again (Rowan's big ONE will be next... can't believe my little squish is already so close to one!) and continue to develop these friendships.
Stay tuned for more adventures of the California Finchers... the Holidays are here and we set off for Tennessee next week. It will be Noah's first experience as a ticketed passenger and he will have his Thomas the Train roller bag in hand and puppy backpack over his shoulder (who am I kidding? Mommy's wearing a backpack and Daddy's carrying a train), sure to be a great time (especially for the parents who won't have a 30 pounder in their laps for a 5 hour flight). Happy Thanksgiving, friends!
