In case you haven’t checked out the new blog, there are some updates that you may be interested in hearing:
* Matt is now back in the full-time work force!
* And… that’s kinda it.

Our lives are pretty much routine these days, but even so, we’re grateful. Last year was pretty tough on us, so we’re looking forward to more positive things in 2010. It also seems like we’re not alone in this, which is also great news.

How is everyone else’s year going? What are the highlights so far?

Thanks everyone!

This is the Christmas card we sent out this year. We went the email route to save money and some trees. And even though it looks like we’re cutting down a tree, it’s just our funky old “vintage” tree that we love. (Apparently Martha liked them as well.) It also looks like some of my favorite blogging couples went with the email card route: John and Sherry at Young House Love, and Katie and Jeremy at All Bower Power.

Now that Christmas is over, here were some highlights from this year. I’m sure are there more, but these are a few that came to mind:
* Spending time with family
* Watching the Santa hand poke the yule log on TV
* Christmas guamosas (champagne and guava juice)
* Ree signed my “Poineer Woman Cooks” cookbook
* Our annual Christmas party with Rock Band
* Opening presents with Matt in front of our now working fire place
* Ladies watching “Julie & Julia”
* The mad-libs version of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas

One packet of paper was from the end of a track and field season with results from various meets. In it were results from league competitions and dual meets, showing us both competing. There was even a picture of me winning a race framed in our living room that was recorded the packet.

I wonder if things would have been different if we knew our future spouse was there.

Isn’t he cute? This picture was from my last year of college when Matt came down to visit. I think we can both agree that we’re so glad that long distance dating is over.

In reading wedding blogs and forums, it’s interesting to see that many betrothed women are not changing their names. I, for one, am anxious to change my name. Mom and dad — it’s not that Atwood is a bad name. I really love it. I’ve had people tell me that it’s a perfect writer’s name. Sure, there was that boy Patrick in third grade who always called me “Itwood,” “Ofwood,” “Bewood,” etc., but the playground taunting didn’t really come into affect until I interned at a big company.

“I’m sorry, but we can’t change this,” my boss told me. “I guess your parents weren’t really thinking about email addresses when they named you.”

Yes, my first initial with my last name becomes: eatwood. As much as I tell people my email address is “E for Emily and Atwood,” they write it down and say “Oh, eat wood! Ha!” Sometimes a coworker will walk by my desk, mutter it out loud and laugh.

And then there was the woman who said, “Eat wood! That’s great! Like, go suck an egg! Go eat wood!”

Now, unless you lived with me during my last year in college (or you presented me with one major diamond beauty), you’re not allowed to call me that.

(Post-wedding Emily here, and you also can’t call me that because my name is officially and legally changed.)

However, that’s not what this post is about. It takes time, energy and wireless Internet (ahem, Matt, I’m picky and don’t want to sit at the desk to blog on my laptop) to write a post about a big event such as home ownership. And peppy captions don’t just write themselves. So more on that later!

This post, instead, is going back to the roots of what this blog is about: Matt, me and the warm, fuzzy love we share. And so, while at work, I logged onto an awesome radio site called Pandora.com to help pass the day. The site is smart and plays songs based on artists you like. Well, wouldn’t you know they played one of my favorite artists, playing my (now) favorite song of his:

Anyone recognize this? It was our first dance song, “More Than Anyone” by Gavin DeGraw. Although, we had the DJ take out the part in the beginning where he tries to convince the girl that he loved her a lot, as there was no need for convincing in our situation.  

I got kinda emotional listening to it today, which is strange considering I was way too excited and overjoyed to worry about being a sap when we actually danced to it. It’s not necessarily “our song,” but one that A) we could agree on; and B) was somewhat meaningful to us. It brought us back to the beginning of our relationship as I have been a fan of Gavin DeGraw for a while–my longtime college roommate and I went to see him open for Maroon 5 at the Hollywood House of Blues when he was all new and undiscovered. It was ooey-gooey awesomeness!– and listened to it a lot when I first met Matt. I tell you this to give some background on our wedding details, but also because his music has been featured in some popular shows that I don’t watch, so I just wanted to clear the air that our first dance song was not chosen because of a lame TV show.

Cheeseburger in Paradise
When my family first went to Maui, we stumbled across this awesome restaurant. The waterfront location in the heart of Lahaina’s downtown provides a fun ambiance. Maybe it was because I ruined my appetite with popcorn a couple hours before, but this time it wasn’t as good as I remembered. Also, someone appears to have shrunken my Oreo smoothie! Even though it wasn’t what I remembered it was fun to come back to a place where I made several memories as a part of the “four family” (my name for the Atwood clan).

Be forewarned: don’t interrupt a serious meat eater when he’s at work!

An older couple sitting next to us insisted that we take a picture with this wax burger. He said it was bigger than a real burger, but it was pretty dang similar to the monster burger Matt ate. By the way, when Matt finished the burger, the older gentlemen was so excited, he patted Matt on the back, saying “good job!”

Mama’s Fish House
Before we left, our friends Stu and Lynn Anderson (also our Realtor and wedding florist) gave us recommendations for Maui activities and eateries and one of them was Mama’s Fish House. In fact, I believe they said it was the best meal that had ever eaten. They generously gave us a gift certificate to make sure we would not miss out.

The view from the restaurant, located in Pa’ia.

We didn’t get photos of our starters and entrees, but we agree that it was excellent. First they presented us with a bisque (can’t remember which kind off hand) and it was so good I wanted to have 100 more of those little cups. Matt started with a corn and clam chowder and I had a spinach salad. Both were good, but the real highlight of the evening were our entrees. Matt had Mahi Mahi stuffed with crab and lobster — perhaps one of the best seafood dishes he’d ever eaten. I went out on a limb and ordered duck for the first time. It was crispy and with a mango glaze. Part of me doubts that I will order duck that would taste that good.

To finish off the night, we went with what Internet reviewers recommended: the Polynesian Black Pearl. When the plate was placed in front of us, my mouth dropped and in a stupor I managed to say “wow.” It was difficult to eat, in the sense that it looked too pretty to eat and too yummy to miss at the same time. After some pictures, we gave into temptation and ignored the signals that we were previously full. Inside the pastry shell was a chocolate mousse “pearl” filled with creme. Just looking at these photos and remembering the taste makes it hard not to bite at my computer screen!

Thanks so much, Stu and Lynn! Now that we’ve experienced it, we want to get the word out to all our family and friends so one day they too can have an amazing meal at Mama’s Fish House.

Aloha Mixed Plate
Lcated at the top of Lahaina’s Front Street (about a mile away from where we parked!) was Aloha Mixed Plate. This is another place my family frequently visited while vacationing on Maui. It’s become famous for it’s authentic Hawaiian plate lunches for a good price. I’m afraid to say that, like our Cheeseburger in Paradise experience, I wasn’t as impressed this time. The flies were a problem and Maui’s weird laws prevent adult beverages from being consumed nearer to the water.

As with most of our plate lunch experiences (practically non-existent on Kauai!!!), we agreed that we have grown to favor mainland style.

Tedeschi Winery
In addition to a good meal, we also love a good drink! (Not excessively, but our wedding was at a winery after all.) We stopped at Maui’s only winery and were pleased with the unique offerings. We ended up taking a bottle of Maui Splash home — it is a pineapple wine with a “splash” of passion fruit. Intrigued? Good thing you don’t have to travel to Maui to learn more about them. Instead, visit www.mauiwine.com.