Thankful

In all honesty, it's been a little difficult to be thankful lately.  It's been a difficult few months for me and for my family.  However, that's not to say that I'm not thankful.  I keep a running list of things to be thankful for, so I won't forget how blessed I truly am.  And as a reminder that even when things are difficult, there is still much to be thankful for. 

This year we will be celebrating Thanksgiving at my parents home here in Georgia.  This is only the second time in my life that I will not travel to Chicago to be with my family, to be with my grandmother.  The first was when I was in high school, my sister marched in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  It's not going to be easy.  My mom and I are cooking on our own, we will have a very small crowd, my sister is not going to be with us, and most importantly, my grandmother won't be with us.  There will be tears, some happy, some sad.

I thought I would share a few of the things I'm thankful for:

1. Long weekends

2. Long conversations with my dad

3. Long conversations with my mom

4. Painting pottery with my sisters

5. A very patient husband

6. House starting to feel more like a home

7. Instagram so I can keep up with my cousins

8. Lighter holiday traffic in the mornings

9. Woman in the car in front of us paying for our Dunkin Donuts 

10. Snuggly puppy

This list may seem trivial, but I'm so thankful for the little things!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Election Day

I have read a lot today regarding voting.  I have listened to CNN all day about people going to the poles.  Earlier today I put a tweet out there that I am ready for all of this election propaganda to be over!  And I mentioned I am not voting.  I did not receive a huge backlash but there were a few people that responded to me and some that responded indirectly, so I decided to take my tweet down.  Not because of their response but because of my own beliefs.  My grandmother always said it’s not good to talk politics in a social setting.  I’m not even sure why I posted it in the first place, it’s very out of character for me.

But, I did and I thought I should explain.  It is my right and my right alone whether I chose to vote or not.  I’m not trying to sway people not to vote or to vote one way in particular.  I understand that especially as a woman I should feel a strong obligation to vote considering how many women fought to get the right.  I’m not trying to take anything away from that.  I understand that there are several places in world that people do not have the opportunity to vote or have gone to great lengths to be able to vote.  However, it is my personal opinion, that until they change the way the votes count, I am choosing not to vote in this election.  It baffles me that the man who wins the popular vote may not win the electoral college and therefore will not win the presidency.  So, my vote doesn’t count, right? Right.

I’m not saying which way I would vote, but in a historically red state, if I chose to vote blue, it wouldn’t count at all, and if I chose to vote red, well I’m in the majority, so what will one vote do?  Nothing.  And since I cannot positively agree with one side or the other, I chose not to vote.  I don’t talk politics too much, even though I have been known to voice how I feel about certain issues, my overall knowledge in politics is limited.  What I do know, is that our country is in a bad way.  But one man, one candidate, one party line does not hold all of the answers. 

I don’t expect anyone to agree with my choice.  It is my choice and I feel confident in it.  If you feel led to vote, you should do so!  Whichever party does win, I will pray that they make the decisions that can help get our country moving in the right direction.  There is no argument here that there needs to be change.

Scentsy Buddies BOGO

Scentsy buddies are one of my favorite things about Scentsy.  They make great gifts for baby showers or gifts for birthdays and holidays.  Kids love them because they are so cute and parents love them because they stay smelling fresh!

Now through the end of the year they are buy one get one free!  What a great deal!!  Make sure to stop by my website to check them out!  Christmas is coming!

Happy Weekend!  We are off to finally plant some bushes in our front yard!!

A Roller Coaster of Emotions

I’m not sure where to start.  The past few months really have been a whirlwind of emotions.  At first I thought it was only September and October, but I guess it really started in the summer, back in June.  I wrote this post about my grandmother being in the hospital and thankfully making a miraculous recovery.  We had the joy of the birth of our nephew in August.  We had the joy of finally after years of searching purchasing our home at the end of August.  We quickly sprinted off to the beach with my family and then returned home to finally settle into our home. 

Unfortunately, life never goes as planned.  And this has always been a tough lesson for me, very Type-A planner.  Early September 28^th, we lost my grandmother.  I was on my way to work when my mom text me that I needed to call when I got to work.  Knowing that at 7:30am this was not normal.  I immediately pulled off the road and called her.  So in a vacant Applebee’s parking lot I learned that we had lost one of the most beautiful women I have ever met.  I knew her health was not the best and I knew that she was having a very hard time remembering us, but it doesn’t make it any easier. 

We flew up to Chicago Saturday to prepare for the funeral.  It was truly a bittersweet time.  I was able to connect with some of my cousins that I haven’t seen in years (seven to be exact, when my grandfather passed away).  We went through so many things from her home, especially pictures.  We put together a board for the visitation that had pictures of her with all her grandchildren.  These are just a few of my favorites.

It hasn’t been easy.  I cry a lot.  I miss her a lot.  I think about her a lot.  My cousins have been sharing stories back and forth on Facebook about her and my grandfather and it’s tough to read.  Some make me smile, some make me laugh, some make me cry so hard it hurts.  I’m not sure my words could ever do her justice.  We read 1 Corinthians 13:4-13 at the funeral and no truer words could ever be said about her.

The following weekend I took a drive down to Auburn.  I debated most of the week whether I wanted to go or not, but I’m glad I did.  It was a nice relaxing Saturday.  Mallory, her sister and law, her mom and I went to the Auburn v. Arkansas game and it was dreadful.  Unfortunately, we are worse than terrible and it was miserably hot.  But, I loved spending time with one of my closest friends and her family.  We ate, we slept, we laughed, it was great. 

My mom had her second knee replacement surgery.  Unfortunately, it did not go as well as the first.  She spent five days in the hospital with a fever and a sinus infection. But, she is home now and doing better every day, hopefully. 

And we have started our first “big” project for the house.  I believe in my previous post, I mentioned how terrible the landscaping or lack thereof is.  I’m not sure what made us do it, but we started taking out the bushes in the front yard.  Ryan took the chainsaw to them, we also cut down a tree in the backyard, talk about mini panic attack, but alas we made it unscathed.  My BIL came over this weekend to pull stumps up out of the ground, these bushes were like trees, and if we had to dig them up by hand I would have quit.  Right now our hard is much “cleaner” we have laid top soil down to map out our plan.  We took a trip to Lowes, Home Depot and Pikes and still have yet to figure out what we want to plant.  We were minutes away from buying an apple tree, but upon further investigation, they grow to be about 15 feet wide, so the front yard is not ideal.  No worries though, I have big plans to clear out the back yard and plant two apples trees back there (they have to cross pollinate to produce fruit).

I almost forgot, in the midst of our landscaping mess, we took a break to head to the pumpkin patch.  It was Lainey’s first trip and I’m so glad we got to go.  Boiled peanuts, homemade ice cream and pumpkins, what’s not to love!

 

Happy Hump Day!

To Do List:

I love to do lists.  I love writing them out and the satisfaction of crossing off items that have been completed.  I even love rewriting my lists so that they don’t include the items checked off because I love the clean look of a list (weird, I know, I’m a little OCD).  So, I figured since my to do list is a mile long and I need somewhere to keep track of all my projects, I would post them here.  Hopefully this will help me stay on track and hold me accountable for actually completing the projects.  It doesn't help that Pinterest has so many great ideas! If only there were enough hours in the day and enough dollars in my bank account!

Thanks to my wonderful parents, one of my items was checked off immediately.  My mom and dad spent the first few days in our home completely redoing the laundry room floor. The linoleum was looking pretty rough so I wanted to cover it with the peel and stick tiles.  My parents kindly volunteered for the job and did a much better job than I ever would have.  Instead of putting the peel and stick tiles over the current flooring, they ripped everything out, leveled off the floor and installed the new tiles.  My dad even repainted the trim.  It looks fabulous and I’m so happy to have a clean, updated laundry room.

Family Vacation

So we moved into our home and then took off for the beach!  It sounds crazy and probably is a little bit, but the vacation was much needed!  We’ve started taking a family vacation every year to Seagrove, FL.  We used to go as a family every summer but once we were in college it was hard to find the time.  Thankfully now that we are all out of college and we can save our vacation time, we are able to take a trip as a family again.  I took my camera along but unfortunately never took it out of my bag.  Instead relied on my phone for quick pictures.

We took some time one night to take some family pictures.  Not too long ago we realized the boys all had the same shirt, so we had them wear it and turned out quite funny.  And if I do say so myself, this was the cutest baby on the beach, and as my aunt pointed out, she was the only baby on the beach!

We visited some of our favorite restaurants while down there, we had breakfast at The Donut Hole and we went into Destin one night for our favorite Amberjack sandwich at The Back Porch.  There is also a new rooftop bar in Seagrove, owned by a pilot.  Of course we had to check in out for the Bears/Packers.  Who knew a fire pit could be so wonderful at the beach?!

It was a lovely trip and really hard to come back to reality, when reality is unpacking from moving, unpacking from vacation and going back to work.

At Last!!

Does anyone else hear Etta James in their head when they say that? 

If you follow me on twitter or instagram or are friends with me on Facebook, you’ll know that I posted this photo two weeks ago announcing that we are finally home owners!! 

It was a very loooong process but we are so excited with the outcome!  We are blessed to have a four bedroom, two and half bathroom home in a wonderful neighborhood.  We have many projects to tackle, but that’s to be expected.  We spent the first few days cleaning, redoing the laundry room and moving our belongings in.  I was very thankful for the help from our families and the long weekend in which to get it all done (even though two weeks later there are still several things to unpack). 

Miles isn't quite sure of his new home, he seems a little restless, but that’s good for us, he runs up and down the stairs a lot which tires him out!  He does seem to be slightly more attached (more so than he already was, if that’s possible) and very protective of me.  He does seem to bark a lot more, but there are several more birds, squirrels and trees with leaves to look at.  Hopefully he will settle down in the next few weeks, I think he must think we are going to abandon him and once he is sure of where he is, he can chill out!

The only downside to this move, is we are in Woodstock, GA, which is a great area and we love it.  BUT, it increased my commute quite a bit.  It's an hour every morning and I'm lucky if it's only an hour coming home. But, I am trying desperately not to complain, even though my husband might tell you otherwise.

I’m hoping to post some of the many projects on here as a reminder of what the house was and what we make it into. 

So Worth the Wait

I saw a onesie a few months ago that said “So Worth the Wait” and I thought it was perfect for Wyatt.  Unfortunately I did not purchase it in time and have not had any luck in finding it again.  I think it sums up just about everything Amy and Kevin are experiencing right about now though, and really the rest of the family as well.  It was a very joyous occasion last Saturday (early) morning as we welcomed Wyatt Edmond Pace at 1:14am.  Thankfully the nurse knew how long we had been patiently waiting for his arrival and let us all in the room to meet the little guy!  

Weekend Review

1. I took Friday off of work, it was a much needed personal day.  I got to have lunch with this little cutie, so it really started off the weekend right.  Unfortunately as I was saying goodbye she decided to spit up on me L, just a little parting gift. 

 2. While at home, I found a great picture of my sisters and I at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.  Check out my hair!  Unfortunatly I did not use a hair straightener until later in life. We did have a lot of fun when the Olympics were here.  We were lucky enough to go to several events and had a lot of fun. 

3. Ryan has been dying to see The Dark Knight Rises.  He begged to see it at the IMAX theatre at the Mall of Georgia, but seeing how tickets were $17.50 a pop and we are on a strict budget, I refused.  He settled for a 10:30am matinee. We loved it, I’m sure he is already trying to find to go see it again.

4. Our 10 year high school reunion was this weekend.  We did not go.  I had been on the fence about going, it was going to cost $100 (yes, I know, it’s not that much) but Ryan really didn’t want to go.  It was held at Sweetwater Brewery from 4pm-7pm and we both felt it was such an odd time.  We have also been to the brewery and not many classmates were going.  From a class of 800+ only about 80-100 went.  Plus, Ryan was not interested in the same questions you hear every time you run into someone you haven’t seen in a while.  He joked that he was embarrassed to be married to me, (I was the shy, quiet type, he was not) but we all know that’s not true!

5. Instead of heading to the reunion, we chose to meet up with some of my close girlfriends and their husbands after at Front Page News.  So much has changed since high school, so it was nice to catch up.  Unfortunately, I did not take any pictures.

6.  Sunday we took our moms to see the house.  We didn’t show the house to anyone before we put an offer on it, and only told family that we had.  We’ve been burned in the past and didn’t want to take our chances.  Of course having plenty of time in the house has us already planning millions of projects.  I have to keep reminding myself, one at a time.

7. Speaking of projects, we spent a good hour and a half walking around Home Depot pricing things out and getting ideas.  This was extremely dangerous!  We also stopped at Brands Mart because Ryan assured me that our TV is not big enough to mount over the mantel and we will need a bigger TV.  Ha!

8.  We ended the weekend with a little bit of a scare.  Miles started choking on a rawhide bone.  Unfortunately, I could not get it out,  but instead he swallowed it.  I did some research, and turns out, you really aren’t supposed to give dogs rawhide bones.  I don’t give them to him often, but I didn’t know any of the issues that they can cause.  We have watched him closely for the last two days and he isn’t experiencing any of the symptoms that would indicate he is having trouble.  Needless to say, we won’t be giving him bones anymore!

Things I've Learned From House Hunting

As most of our friends and family know, we have been searching for the right house for some time.  Some may say we are picky, I say we are meticulous.  I thought I would share some of the things I have learned about house hunting/selling a house.

1. Make sure your house smells good.  This is key.  We have walked into some pretty nasty smelling houses.  This could mean one of many things, you are dirty, smelly people, you have pets that you do not clean up after, you smoke or you have mold issues.  Making a home smell nice is inviting (Scentsy products do wonders to a home :) ).
2. Clean up.  It's unbelievable to me how messy some people are.  If you are selling your home, make sure it's appealing, first impressions are everything.  If nothing else, run a vacuum to make sure there are not dead bugs laying all over the place.
3. Price your home right.  It's been our experience, if the home is priced right, it sells quickly.  In our experience we find the ones that are overpriced for the market (or our budget :/) sit on the market longer and the seller becomes unwilling to negotiate.
4. Staging.  This goes back to cleaning up.  If the home is staged right, it gives the buyer an idea of what the home will look like with their stuff.  If you have too much or too little, sometimes it's hard for they buyer to get a feel for the size of the home.  *Side note: we have walked into homes that people clearly need to be nominated for the hoarders show. 
5. Information.  Realtors that leave disclosures, maps and neighborhood information for the potential buyers have a much better chance selling the home.  All of that information is helpful to the buyer, especially if they are new to the neighborhood.  Plus it shows that the seller is up front and honest about the condition of the home.

Clearly I am no expert, but I find these small things helpful.

Summer Reading

I always dreaded the summer reading assignments when I was in school. I was never a very strong reader and the books they chose were boring. Since I have graduated college though, I enjoy reading a lot more! I have been reading a lot this summer so I thought I would share some of the books I chose!

I started with Kisses from Katie.  I could hardly put the book down.  I think I finished it in just a few days.  Katie's heart for God and the children/people of Uganda is awe inspiring.  She says yes.  She says yes to some of the most devastating circumstances and God always provides.  It’s truly an amazing testament of God’s faithfulness and the power of love.  I strongly recommend this book.  You can read more about her journey on her blog.

The next book I started on was One Thousand Gifts.  I started this book but found it hard to finish.  I actually have not finished the book.  At first I really enjoyed her message and story, however I felt the book became repetitive.  I truly think I took some great insight into finding joy in the midst of chaos. 

Lastly, I've had a hard time finding things to read so I've resorted back to some books I have read previously.  I started cleaning out our guest bedroom, because I thought we would be moving soon and because the room is just full of junk, and found my collection of Stephanie Plum books.  It's been awhile since I read most of them and they are laugh out loud funny.  I am now on book six and get some funny looks when out at lunch reading because I can't stop laughing.  Stephanie is a bounty hunter and isn't very good at her job which winds up in some ridiculous situations.  It's a great, easy summer read! By the way, since I was reading the books again, I tried watching the movie, I had to turn it off.  It was terrible!


If you are looking for a great devotional everyday, you should follow along the She Reads Truth. 

On the go...

May and June have been somewhat of a whirlwind. Every month I have plans to blog more, to craft more, cook more and the list could go on and on. May and June every year seem to be our busiest months. Between both of our families we have seven birthdays, mother’s day, father’s day and then of course memorial day. Not to mention we are shopping for a house in our spare time, which isn’t going so well but that’s another story for another day. While all of these celebrations have been wonderful and time with family has been great it’s left little for anything else. I feel like I’m swimming in things I need to get done. But this past week has reminded me that none of those things are important.

Lainey and Wade were baptized on Father's Day.  It was a very special morning. My mom made Lainey's baptism dress and blanket, she looked like an angel! Later that night we received a call about my grandmother. 

My grandmother was admitted to the ICU Sunday afternoon with little to no chance of survival. She has a DNR and the doctors had done everything they could but because of the DNR they couldn’t do any more. Since it was 7pm on a Sunday night and there were no flights available our only option was to drive. We didn’t want to wait around for a flight the next day because we probably wouldn’t make it either way but at least we weren’t sitting around waiting. I truly believe us starting to drive is what helped my grandmother. She had not met my niece and told my aunt she wasn’t going anywhere until she met the baby. That truly gave us comfort to know that there was a small chance we could make it in time to say goodbye. Thankfully we got that chance, and thankfully we didn’t have to say our final goodbyes. She was able to meet Lainey and was able to go home. I thank God that we were able to have that moment with her, I know it’s a moment my family will treasure forever.

While it was very stressful being in Chicago away from work, away from home, worrying about my grandmother, it was also a breath of fresh air. I didn’t have deadlines to meet, I didn’t have to worry about whether the laundry was done, or the bathroom was clean or the list could go on and on. The only thing that mattered was being with family, enjoying each other. And it’s those moments that I treasure.

A Dream Home Wish List

With Ryan switching jobs, we had to put our house hunt on hold. I feel like every time we start looking for a house, there is always a reason we have to put it on hold. Hopefully now that Ryan is settled into a new job that we can see him being at for a while, we can really start our house hunt and have a house at the end of it.


Ryan’s new saying is “we are going to miss this” and I can honestly say I don’t think I will miss apartment living. I have been living in an apartment/dorm room for the last ten years and I'm ready to have a home!  I’ve started a mental checklist of a few of the things I would love to have.

So for my dream home wish list (in no particular order):

• A large sink. Our apartment was built in 1986 and has not been upgraded. So to wash a pan, a pot, a Crockpot, anything that is oddly shaped is near impossible. I usually end up spilling water all over the place because it doesn’t fit in the sink and is hard to rinse. There has been a time where I washed a dish in the bathtub (don’t judge).
• Cabinet space. We have very little cabinet space. Our dishes are too large to fit in the cabinet so they have to be put away at an angle, which means most of my dishes are in storage. 
• Counter top space. Are you sensing a theme? We need a bigger kitchen! There is very little to any countertop space and when you have nowhere to put a microwave but on top of the counter, well that means your space to cook is very limited.
• A working refrigerator. A few months ago our refrigerator quit working. It took the apartment complex two days to fix it, so I ended up throwing out about $100 worth of food. Since then our refrigerator has constantly dripped. We have called several times with no fix. The bottom drawer fills with water which means I have to throw out the food that sits in that drawer. We have cups inside the fridge to catch the water but it doesn’t always do the trick. 
• Neighbors that don’t smoke pot. If you follow me on twitter, you know that we come home to a very smelly apartment several times a week, especially on Fridays. It would be nice to have neighbors that don’t smoke pot, but if they do, a place where we won’t have to smell it.
• A basement! I have lovely Auburn pictures that my husband bought me for Christmas two years ago. We don’t currently have a place to hang them, so they are still sitting wrapped in the original brown paper until we can find a place for them. It would be nice to have a basement to have a sports themed room or a place for our future children to play in.
• More than two bedrooms or at least a place for an office/craft room. Right now our guest bedroom is a catch all. The dishes that I mentioned are stored in the closet, the crafts are stored in a bin in the corner. The dresser and chest of drawers (or as my husband calls it chester drawers) is filled with odds and ends. As much as I try to declutter, the stuff just accumulates. It would be nice to have a desk to sit at with the computer and or a room to organize craft supplies. 
• A fenced in yard. This one is huge. Our poor puppy sits in a kennel while we are at work. It would be nice for him to have a place to run around in after we get home. Right now he has to settle for a quick walk around the block and hanging out on our patio. Not to mention I could build my garden!
• Windows! Right now our apartment has two windows which are covered by thick curtains to keep the sun out. Unfortunately our apartment does not circulate air very well so if we leave the windows open the apartment heats up like a sauna, which means we live in a dungeon. My husband has so lovingly called me a vampire on more than one occasion. 
• A deck. I love to eat outside on patios but that can get a little expensive. I would love to have a deck or patio area that we can grill out, have a fire pit and hang out at night. A few of the homes we liked had a screened in porch as well as a deck. In a dream world I would love to have both!

I’m sure if I gave it a little more thought I could come up with several more items but alas I am out of time. I know these items don’t make a house a home, we can be happy anywhere, but they sure would be comfortable!

So What Wednesday

So I decided to once again link of with Life After I Dew for So What Wednesday. This week I am saying so what if:

• I have worn my hair “curly” this week because I’m too lazy to blow dry my hair. And when I say “curly” it’s more of a wavy, fluffy mess.

• We have had McDonalds and frozen pizza for dinner this week. We’ve been on the go and we probably will be eating something quick again tonight.

• I’m sad that all of the season finales are this week. I am slightly too invested in Hart of Dixie.

• My husband and I are slightly obsessed with Costco, we mention the deals we get in everyday conversation. My parents think we are ridiculous.

• I'm slighty obsessed with my niece.  The amount of pictures I take of her are out of control.  She is just so dang cute!

• I finally folded the clean laundry that has been sitting on the guest bed for the last two weeks.  At least it was clean, right!?

Same old...

Song and Dance.  Have you heard of that saying, maybe it's a song?  I feel like everyday is the same old song and dance.  Don't get me wrong, the last few weeks have been very exciting!  Welcoming a new niece, celebrating birthday's and enjoying time with family and friends.  But do you ever feel like your life is on repeat?  I feel like I say the same things, do the same things and nothing ever changes.  In church several weeks ago during the sermon the pastor said something that really stuck with me.  Do you ever feel like you wake up in the same old bed, get in the same old shower, get dressed in the same old routine, go to the same old job, eat the same old lunch, come home from work at the same old time, eat the same old dinner, watch the same old tv and then go back to the same old bed and repeat the same old routine again the next day.  I would say that's me. 

Every morning I struggle to get out of bed to feed and take the dog out.  Then I struggle with something to wear and that in turn makes me late.  Every morning I feel like I am rushing out the door to go sit at the same old desk, talk to my coworkers about the same old thing, I answer the same old phone calls and then I come home.  Every week I have the same old conversation with myself, this week I'm going to make a weekly menu instead of making something up last minute or eating out.  Every week I say I'm going to go to the grocery store so, again I have things that are healthy instead of resorting to fast food or Mexican.  Every week I say I'm going to find my passion, and instead I get stuck in the same old rut.  And it's frustrating.  I keep going in a vicious cycle and I can't seem to break it.  I use the excuse that I'm busy and while I do have some busy nights, the truth is I'm not that busy, I'm mostly tired.  I'm tired of the same old song and dance.  But the truth is I don't know where to start.  I debate ideas over in my head by my follow though is not that great. 

Don't get me wrong, I have several things that I am truly grateful for.  I have a wonderful family and great friends!  I don't typically get so negative on here, I just really needed an outlet to think through some things.  Our church does a young adult community gathering once a month called Vespers.  Its a renewing time of worship, prayer and communion.  So tonight I'm going to take that time to reflect and start fresh with a new attitude.

Quick Update

The last two weeks feel like a month have gone by! Last week I came down with strep throat and a bad cold. I can't remember the last time I had strep throat and I'm not sure where I could have caught it.  Thankfully no one else caught it.  I was so worried that my sister was going to go into labor and I wouldn't be able to be there to see the baby! 

Speaking of baby, Lainey Danielle has finally arrived!!  My sister went through several hours/days of labor to finally have that sweet baby girl at 12:09am on April 18th.  We are completely smitten!! She is just a doll!  She is so alert and will look at you when you talk to her.  She constantly looks like she is trying to smile. She found her hands and keeps looking at the mittens on them, its the cutest thing! I've posted these pictures to facebook, but thought I would share here too!

Watch My Garden Grow

Living in an apartment is really tough when trying to plant a "garden".  Last year Ryan and I tried our hand at tomatoes, strawberries, red peppers and a handful of herbs.  Unfortunately the only thing that made it was the red peppers and the cilantro.  This year, since we are in a different apartment and have a little more room on our balcony, I sent my sights on bigger and better things!

I found a coupon for a website that guaranteed the plants would grow, because they only ship when the plants are ready and the conditions are correct.  I ordered a lemon tree, a lime tree and an orange tree, all dwarf size, meant to fit on a patio.  Being that they said trees, I was expecting something a little larger when they arrived.  They are all about the size of my hand and look tiny in the big pots we have for them.  I've had them about a week now and so far, they don't seem to be growing all that much. 

Lemon Tree

Lime Tree

Orange Tree

I love the idea of fresh fruit!  One day I hope to have a nice big garden that I can grow a lot of fruits and veggies.  I also one day hope to have a bee hive with fresh honey.  Oh a girl can dream!

So What Wednesday

I found the link up for So What Wednesday and I thought it could be fun!

I'm saying so what if:

• I haven't had a hair cut since before Thanksgiving.  My hair is in desperate need of a hair cut, but I'm too cheap to pay for one.  Plus, for some reason, it takes them two hours to cut my hair and I just don't feel like sitting there for that long.
• I don't floss correctly.  I went to a new dentist and they harassed me about not flossing and that I don't floss correctly.  My old dentist is looking like a saint after today!
• I wrote a review on Kudzu about the experience I had at the dentist.  It wasn't a nice review, people need to know who they are going to see! (No, it wasn't just about the flossing, there were several bad things that happened to me)
• I really want new spring clothes and shoes.  I've been eyeing shoes on eBay because I'm too cheap to buy them anywhere else.
• I don't cook dinner every night.  I have really tried to cook at home more and this week we have resorted to the Mexican restaurant down the street and peanut butter sandwiches.  I just haven't felt like cooking.
• I had a regular coke today! I've been drinking diet coke or water in an effort to cut back calories, but a regular coke just sounded so good!

Bullet Points

Just a few random thoughts:

• My sister is just under three weeks away from her due date.  To say I'm excited! is an understatement, I can not wait to meet that little girl!!  May family is taking bets on the day and weight.  Even my 96 year old grandfather and 94 year old grandmother got in on the bets!
• My sister-in-law found out she is having a boy, so in August we will have a nephew!
• The pollen is killing me.  I have never had seasonal allergies, I have plenty of skin and other allergies, but the pollen normally does not affect me.  This year, maybe due to outrageously high numbers, I feel like I'm suffocating and my lungs just can't handle it.  Praying for rain!
• I've been reading the book Cure for the Common Life.  The question, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" has puzzled me for as long as I can remember.  I know that God gives each of us special talents and gifts to use for His glory.  I have constantly struggled with this and have always been one to compare myself to others.  This book is helping guide me to find those talents and truly find what it is that I would enjoy doing. 
• My husband started his new job Monday!  It has started off well and we hope that it will be a good fit.  It was a much needed change!
• My husband's aunt passed away this weekend from complications following heart surgery.  Because of the new job, we will not be able to go to the funeral in Mississippi. 
• I ordered a lemon tree, lime tree and an orange tree.  They are being harvested right now and will be shipped at the beginning of April.  I would really like to have a garden, but being in an apartment is not conducive to having a garden, but a few trees on the balcony will be nice.
• We joined Costco.  It's been great!  Ryan ventured out to Costco three times in the first week of membership.  I think it will save a lot in the long run.  And I love to save!
• We are supposed to have dinner on Saturday night with a few of my Italy girls and their husbands.  One of the girls has been sick though, so I'm hoping she is still feeling up to coming.  I've really been looking forward to getting together!

That's all for now!

2012 Recap

Well it’s been a while. Life has gotten in the way. I really thought the start of the new year would help me get back into blogging. Well, it’s March and that didn’t seem to happen. So for a quick recap.

To start the year off, Ryan and I celebrated two years of marriage. We didn’t do any major celebrating since at the time we were/are planning on buying a house. We had a gift certificate to Salt, the restaurant up in Roswell that we got engaged at. We had a lovely night out.

On to the baby showers. My mom, my sister’s best friend and I threw a shower for my sister and her little girl on the way.

We quickly started the home search in late January. We were really interested in purchasing a fixer upper, however most of the homes we looked at were way beyond being fixer uppers. We noticed that many of these homes needed a great deal of work but did not have the purchase price attached to it to be able to afford to do all the repairs and upgrades. We quickly changed our focus and found a great home in our price range that we loved.

For a few weeks we went back and forth on whether to put an offer in, submitted an offer and then turned down on our offer. The seller even came back a week later to see if we were still interested. We hesitantly put in another offer to be rejected again. Unfortunately the seller was severely under water in the home and did not have the cash to sell. The seller was a little unrealistic in their expectations and at most only reduced the list price by $5,000, stating that they had done numerous upgrades to the home. I believe they bought the home as a flip, but purchased the home in 2008 just before the market crashed and then they continued to put a lot of money into the home. Unfortunately, some of the upgrades were great and much needed, others were poorly done and the value is not there. So we had to walk away. A first we were devastated, I think Ryan a little more upset than me, but after the final offer, I was at peace. The home was not meant to be. More than likely the home will go into foreclosure and we may be able to get the home at a more reasonable price.

Throughout the whole home buying/not buying process, to make things a little more stressful, Ryan was interviewing for a new job. Thankfully, he accepted the new job and has left Enterprise. I cannot explain how wonderful this is!! Enterprise had been taking advantage of Ryan for the last four to five years and it was a much needed change. He has been at home for the last two weeks and will have one more week at home before he starts. It’s been a nice time for him to slow down and rest from the ridiculous crazy life Enterprise created for him. Even though he hasn’t started yet, it’s already a huge improvement, they offer better hours, better benefits and a more relaxed environment. We are excited for the new direction and are looking forward to see what this job holds for our future.

For my birthday, my husband surprised me. I’m not easy to surprise, I tend to play detective and figure it out. But this year he surprised me. I spent about three hours in the car heading to a destination unknown before he finally spilled the beans that we were about thirty minutes away from Huntsville and we were going to the Jason Aldean concert that night. Because we got to Huntsville a little early I was able to spend a few hours with my Italy girls, Kristi and Ashley. Ashley and Ben just had baby Chloe in January and I was super excited to meet her! As an added bonus Kristi happened to be visiting with her little boy, Trey, who is now two years old, and I have never met. Since one of my most memorable birthday was spent with these girls, it was nice to spend the afternoon with them. The concert was awesome and I think Ryan and I are Jason Aldean fans for life, he puts on a great show!  Unfortunately I forgot my camera, so I have no pictures of the day except for the few I took with my iphone at the concert. I'm hoping Ashley will share the ones with her sweet little girl!!

Which now brings us to March. Last weekend I went to a surprise baby shower for a sweet friend who is having a little girl in May. It was exciting to be a part of the surprise and it was a lovely shower.

I’m hoping that now that I’ve done a little bit of a recap, I can move forward with blogging, but I make no promises.