Back in the Habit

Well friends it has been awhile. J and C have had some exciting adventures since we moved to the new city, and we are doing great!

First things first…I got a real big grown up business cards business dress new job! Yes that’s right we are talking a bon-a-fide real job that actually matches what I studied in college! Okay okay I  might be just a little excited but I am definitely blessed to have found a good match for me.

So when I’m not downtown at my new job, and when J is not in the other place at his job…we are still at our little apartment *sigh* but we are on the house hunt so that is super-de-duper exciting. I think our biggest problem in the house hunt is that I am one of those unreasonable buyers (not much different from those on ‘House Hunters’ that make you so mad when they say a perfectly awesome house is ‘not move in ready’ because there is no doggie door and one room is painted an ugly color) but I am working on that…I think pinterest has given me an unrealistic idea of what a house should look like on the inside.

Although I am loving my new gig event planning, I am totally missing those cutie pies at the preK/daycare…and it is giving me some big time baby fever. Since it’s almost mother’s day, there have been tons of baby commercials on TV and I cry everytime I see one of those…it’s a little bit sad I know but those commercials are so darn precious!!!

Speaking of TV, I have really gotten left behind this spring on all of the shows I love…so I really need one of those days where even though the apartment is gross and clothes are in mountains all around me waiting to be washed, I just cuddle up in the bed with the laptop and hulu and catch up on Revenge and Gossip Girl and Happy Endings and Once Upon A Time….you know all of those guilty pleasure shows most of you won’t admit to loving. Well I am not ashamed! *Disclaimer most of these shows are wildly addicting so watch at your own risk!*

In other news, I am having tons of fun living here! We are only 3 hours from home, 4.5 hours from VA beach, 45 minutes or less from VA Tech games, and 5 minutes to a big ol’ fun mall! Ahhhh the possibilities. But the really fun thing is how close we are to that special exciting wonderful awesome place where this happened:

Do you remember that fun day? I sure do and it’s coming up soon (the anniversary that is) and I think J and I will have to go back up to that fun rock and take another picture---a boring already married people one but still a picture!

I regret to inform that I still haven’t dragged the ol’ sewing machine out of its box since the move, so NO I do not have any fun crafting projects—still hoping for one of those days like the watch TV day to come along for that….but I do have TONS of ideas so I’ll keep you posted!

As for everything else, we are just fine. We are blessed beyond measure and we know that God has some great things in store for us here in our new—now forever-ish home.

^“ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

We all float on.

Ahhhhh welcome Springtime! The weather in the Roanoke Valley has been getting warmer every week and I cannot wait for the official start of Spring in just a few more days! We have been enjoying the warm weather and getting outside to exercise and enjoy the beautiful mountains...so glad to be back in the mountains :-)

As much as I love the increasing temperatures I feel like winter came and went in a flash, but lately I have been feeling everything pass by so quickly. It's as if we are always focusing on something in the future...'I can't wait to graduate' 'I can't wait to get married' 'I can't wait to move again' 'I can't wait for the weekend' 'I can't wait for the next visit home' 'I can't wait...'
When did we start this fast paced life? This is the country for goodness sakes!

I guess I have been really thinking about how time flyyyyys by. I feel like I closed my eyes in PA and woke up in VA two months later! Since we move around it is hard to feel settled anywhere so I will blame it on that and not my being super tired and going to bed at 8 every night.

We have successfully found a few churches that feel like a good fit-hooray! We heard a sermon today that really hit close to home because it was about experiencing your life instead of zooming through it. It's so easy to go to work and be thinking...'I can't wait to get home' and then to get home and be thinking 'I can't wait to get dinner over...and get the dishes done...and get to bed'. I want to try and enjoy and experience every part of my day and be thankful and give glory to God. Granted it is super-de-duper hard to do that when you are stuck in traffic and have a headache and the other 400 things that will go wrong--but hey make an attempt and God will make a way.

I want to start seeing the ways I got to where I am as blessings and building blocks instead of obstacles...this is my spring cleaning--getting rid of the negativity!!!

Also on a different note--when do you stop being a newlywed? In relation to the 'whoa I cannot believe its already WEDNESDAY what happened' effect, I keep telling people..."I just got married" *ahem* 9 months ago thankyou very much. Oh well I'm still totally blissfully happy so I can be a newlywed for as long as I want...I guess that's okay!

Some new adventures in our newlywed lives include:
--Buying J a new suit--that was quite an adventure :)
--Buying a new mattress! so excited for that to be delivered soon
--A visit from Mom, Sis and Aunt
--Some clothing tragedies in the new washing machine--oops!
--Some new recipes
--and a lot of new friends

Roanoke we might be here to stay.

New--Again

So J and C are getting quite used to our new living arrangements here in Roanoke. We love being so close to our 'old stomping grounds' if you will. I can safely say that we are living in a place where we may actually see people we know at Wal*Mart or the grocery store. It's also refreshing to see lots of cars with VT sitckers and those cute little stick people families. I guess I am more attuned to bumper-stickers since my morning commute is roughly 30 minutes now...sigh...but at least I get some good a.m. radio time before reaching work.

My new job is great! It is definitely a challenge having 12 little ones all day, but so rewarding hearing those little people talk about Jesus. I have a new anecdote almost every single day for J when we get home from work--I don't think my impersonations really do those funny stories justice, but they are precious nonetheless.

J and I finally got to see some snow this year! We were actually quite pleased to miss out on the snow that came to PA after we left, but it really felt like winter here a couple days ago. As soon as it came it was gone, so now we have that left over black ugly snow piled up on the sides of the roads--I'm sorry but dirty old snow you are depressing!

Since we experienced some good old fashioned winter, I am totally ready for spring. I cannot wait to walk the dog without a jacket-oh the dream! One day I may even be able to let the dog out without a leash, talk about dreamy :-) But speaking of little Paris, she is really starting to like our home here. She loves running up and down the hallway after her toys-so funny!

In other news, last month J and I became the proud owners of a brand new Washer and Dryer Yayyyyyy! For those of you who have had to tote around countless quarters to wash your clothes in washing machines of questionable cleanliness you understand my excitement! Thank you GE for the awesome discount! Our little home is so complete.

As far as our apartment goes, we have pictures hanging and dishes in the cabinets. Our bedroom looks nice and decorated, but we still have one room that is stacked with boxes and a closet that has zero room left in it--safe to say we are blessed to have lots of stuff. Blessings are so easily forgotten-today I woke up in a warm bed with my husband beside me, I had clean clothes and food in the cabinets, I dressed and fed myself and drove my own vehicle to my job. Thank you Jesus we are truly blessed!

New Year, New Home!

Well it's official-J and C are residents of Roanoke VA! It took a loooooong week of traveling back & forth between states, packing and unpacking and moving things around and putting that new thing together and 'that shouldn't go there' and 'where is that one thing?' and 'oh that won't fit there just donate it to charity'......BUT we are now living very practically in our new apartment yay!

I had high hopes for our 1st New Years Eve as a married couple, I was envisioning shiny high heels and a new dress and someplace festive with sparkly confetti--Turns out when you are knee deep in boxes your New Years Eve dream becomes putting clean sheets on the bed and going to sleep at 8:30 pm....We did wake up long enough to watch the ball drop (so anticlimactic could have stayed asleep). Better luck next year New Years Eve--plenty of time to find those shiny shoes!

In honor of the New Year (whoa 2012 seems crazy) I wanted to give a little salute to 2011 because it was a wonderful year!

These things happened in 2011:

• I graduated College--good riddance RU
• J and I got MARRIED!!
• We went to Jamaica --Yeah Mon!
• We started living together
• We moved to Pittsburgh
• We had a lot of new experiences...
• We celebrated Birthdays!
• We prepared for another move
• We celebrated Holidays
• We ate good food
• We slept in on Saturdays
• We experienced love
• We experienced loss
• We Lived---Thanks 2011 we won't forget you!

2012 has started with a bang-We have moved to a new place, J has already started working (long hours *sigh*) and I will begin working a new job starting on Monday! We already found a supermarket and TJ Maxx is just around the corner. Little Paris is starting to bark less and less and the neighbors outside...2012 is looking pretty great!

As far as this blog goes...J and C are not really living in the 'city' anymore---but if you take in mind we come from small town USA, I think the title can survive a little longer (plus its catchy!)

Happy New Year to you and your loved ones--I am excited to share our new experiences with you this year!

The Countdown Begins.

Today its mid-December in PA and it is actually surprisingly warm and sunny. I am starting to think that we got very lucky because I was expecting snow boots and gloves everyday, BUT I am certainly not complaining.

We have only a couple weeks before Christmas and our next big move, so I am starting the packing extravaganza-sighhh-anyone want to come help? We are so excited to be back in VA and closer to our families and friends and now its time for me to find a new job. Yesterday my Nanny Diaries ended -sniff- and now I am looking forward to the next chapter in my life. We will just have to see what exciting things God has in store for us over the next few months. I was so blessed to find a sweet family to work for while we have lived here, I will miss those three sweet ladies...

With Christmas just around the corner, I feel so excited for everything this season represents and I cannot wait for our big multi-families to get together and celebrate the birth of Christ.
Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones! J and C will be back in the New Year with a new city to call their home.

Update...

Okay so a few blogs ago I wrote about how hard it is to get groceries from the car alllllll the way through a few doors and down into our apartment. Any of you out there who are apartment dwellers know my pain here--the worst part is seeing one of those terrific 10for10 deals and having to think about how you will really pay for those progresso soups later when the trip from car to cabinet commences. BUT I have finally found something that truly has helped and used it for the first time today...so I am super-de-duper excited to share with anyone who has this same conflict.

It's the thirty-one Large Utility Tote!

You would not believe how many grocery bags fit in this beauty! (This photo is not mine btw mine just has a big 'S' on there for Smith!) Honestly this has CHANGED my life after grocery store trips :-)

You can get one HERE

They are $30 but well worth it! Plus you can choose from many different patterns and add a cute monogram.

Just wanted to share a little tip for some help when its time for groceries, especially shopping for Christmas dinner! 

Thankful.

This past week was our first Thanksgiving as a married  couple...and wow we had so much to be thankful for. Living away from your family really makes you appreciate those little things that we so often take for granted. We definitely took some time to enjoy those special family things that only happen on holidays. Just to name a few:

• The ever-present separation of men and women--men to the TVs women to the kitchen
• The family dinner (J and I rarely even eat at our own table...)
• Morning coffee--J never drinks coffee so I love having coffee time with our families because I am pretty sure he is the only one who doesn't have coffee in the morning

Of course I enjoy every moment spent with our families, but those are some of those cozy moments that I miss way up here in PA. Speaking of...our moving day is set, and we will be residents of Roanoke, VA by January 1, 2012. New place for a new year!

We found a new apartment in Roanoke that we are super excited about! We will be living in 300 more square feet than we currently have for $1 less a month than we currently pay...still deciding what to do what that $12, any suggestions? Seriously though I can't wait for another room--I'm thinking craft room/office/reading area, I can't wait to decorate! AND in other news we will be having our very own WASHER/DRYER in our apartment...for those of you who don't have one you know how awesome this is!

So needless to say, J and I had so very much to be thankful for this year. We have had an amazing year in 2011 full of awesome experiences and now we are looking forward to the next chapter of our lives. We are so blessed to have such a wonderful large family and so many great friends and now we are going to be a little bit closer to everyone.

Now we just have to pack up everything and get ready for our big move...easier said than done.