Stockings

A little over a year ago, I felt it was my responsibility as the wife to put together some Christmas stockings. Mark and I both grew up with "special" stockings, but I felt we needed our own. Thus began probably the longest project ever....

I borrowed a pattern and extra material from my younger sister Cheriss. I figured since she has as much sewing experience as I do, it can't be that hard since hers turned out way cute...sometimes I forget that sewing is probably the lowest rated talents I have.

So as a diligent wife, I set down one afternoon, pulled out the pattern and tried hopelessly to pin it. No one told me pining the pattern to the BACK of the material where it was less "slippery" would make it much easier. Feeling like I was about to ruin Christmas, marriage and life, I called my mom ready to burst into tears. We arranged for a Saturday to go out to their house and get help. Due to time constraints, I got as far as cutting out the 4 pieces and trimming the fur around the edges for the seam area. I ended up taking my old stocking to California for Christmas.

11 1/2 months later.......
I was once again determined to finish this project. Away to work I (well...we, with my mom's HUGE  assistance) went. The white trimming on the first one was easy after my mom pinned it. Finishing my first stocking I guess I became a little overconfident and decided I didn't need to double check the pinning job with my mom. Thank goodness for seam rippers. She managed to save (well unstitch and resew) the trimming on the second.They turned into a 50/50 project between my mom and I.

When it comes time to make another stocking, I will be choosing an easier fabric to work with. Otherwise, our children will grow up having Christmas baskets (and probably need therapy). I wonder if I could make a business out of that for parents who don't want store bought stockings, but don't want to sew their own: pre-decorated Christmas baskets.

Christmas Time Is Here

Confession: I love A Charlie Brown Christmas so much that I will watch it repetitively through the season. We traditionally watch it Thanksgiving night after dessert. Less than 2 weeks later, I made Mark sit with me so I could watch it again Monday night. It's just such a feel-good classic that only takes 25 minutes to indulge in.......

There is no snow on the ground, but it is December 8th and today's high was 32 degrees. It is definitely Christmas time, but there is a serious lack of snow on the ground. On Monday night, Mark and I decorated as our "family home evening" activity. However, as seen below, these decorations took longer to pull out from the closet than to put up and decorate. Our little tree stands 3 feet tall and comes pre-lit. Although the bottom ornaments are a little big, they are "must haves" no matter how small our tree is. Housing does not allow live Christmas trees. So for as long as we have this job, this little one will have to do. (And one day, I will find a respectable star. But since they would all be too big, the bendable snowman serves as a happy greeter when you walk into our home.)

 I just finished this latch hook today. I had fun doing it. Sure it's not as "crafty" as a cross-stitch or sewing stockings (last year's project that will HOPEFULLY get finished this weekend), but it was a cheap way to have one more Christmas decoration with the satisfaction of my own work put into it.

 This is as close to getting a nativity as I've gotten this year. I may splurge if the bookstore still has the one I liked left. But we don't have a lot of places to put decorations anyways so I'm trying not to get carried away. The nice thing about having a "red" kitchen is it definitely helps look more Christmas-y. My grandma also made Christmas coasters that go nicely with our place mats. Thanks to my mother-in-law for buying this for me!

We are getting so excited to celebrate Christmas with "just us" this year. We will be of course joining my parents and family later for Christmas dinner (and Christmas Eve dinner at In N Out), but we're excited for our first Christmas where we can start our own traditions. And with our new TV, how can the day not be great with plenty of sappy Christmas shows to pick from? We just hope we get some snow before then to add to the "magic" of Christmas. The next week doesn't look too promising. Ironically, a year ago we were getting pelted with snow and weren't sure if we would get to California for Christmas in time!

October in Summary

I cannot believe today is November 1st. It seems like time goes much faster when you're not drudging school every day. Since graduating 6 months ago, time has flown by!

The first weekend in October we spent watching general conference. Saturday we stayed at home and watched on the computer. During the Priesthood session, I went out for "girls night" with my mom and younger sister. In N Out, followed by Kohls, and then Farr's ice cream. It was fun to get some "mommy" time. And even though Mark had been home for a while before I arrived home, he didn't seem to mind. What a great guy! Sunday the 2nd, we went out to my parents' house for some conference cinnamon rolls (family tradition) and visiting with other family members.

Oct.8th: I participated in my first triathlon. I had been training since August for it. The weather preceding the weekend had been rainy and cold. Thankfully, just before the swim started, the storm broke and clouds parted. It warmed up enough that I hopped on my bike in a long sleeve shirt and pants. The bike ride was harder than anyone anticipated. Uphill both ways would be a good description of the course. A few times, despite the advisory of my triathlete sister, I got off my bike to walk some. At the end of the  bike course, I was surprised to see not only Mark and my sister who saw me off, but my parents who had joined them. Their cheers made me a little emotional but also gave me the encouragement to keep going even though the majority of the athletes were done. I managed to finish the 5K run in my normal time. As they called out my number at the olympic oval track, I couldn't help but put my hands up in the air, celebrating that I had finally finished and completed my first triathlon. Afterwards we celebrated by eating some In N Out which I felt totally deserving of after only drinking mango electrolyte water all morning.

October 14th: We piled into our little Rav4 and made the trip down to California for Mark's uncle's wedding. It was a long blur of a trip leaving mid-day Friday and arriving back home Sunday evening. Regardless, it was great to be there to help celebrate his uncle's special day with his new bride. It was also great to see a lot of the Martin family (Mark's mom's side).

Oct. 21st: Friday night, around 10pm, we met my Dad who was just coming back into town from a trip for late night McRibs. McRibs were tasty as usual and the company was great. I will admit it's not fine dining, but my dad and I seem to have a bond with McDonalds, especially around McRib time.

This past weekend was quite a busy one as well. We went to the temple Saturday morning, and then later in the afternoon hiked out to the hot springs with some friends of  ours. We were hesitant what "tricks" we could encounter the weekend of Halloween but thankfully anyone we ran into had clothes on. The hot springs are a fun adventure, but boy do you smell afterwards! It took 2 washes with fabric softener to get the stench out of our clothes!
Sunday evening we headed out to my parents to visit (and maybe eat some free food). My mom was still on her way home from a trip to Vernal so we got to visit with just dad for a bit. We brainstormed some ideas for this year's snow ramp, trying to make improvements on the construction of last years made by my dad and Mark.

Halloween came and went for us almost like we were old people. Mark and I are not really into Halloween. We didn't even buy a pumpkin. This pumpkin was given to us last night by Mark's sister because she was outraged we didn't use our cool potato head pieces to decorate one with. I also got "fancy" and made cupcakes for ourselves and my RAs. It was thankfully fairly quiet here in the dorms too. I put out candy during my office hours that afternoon but because we're at the end of the hallway, only 2 or 3 kids took a candy bar. Shucks, now we're stuck with fun-size Milky Ways!

I highly suggest this for little kids. My sister lets her little ones paint their pumpkins until they're 8 but that still is a little too messy for my perfectionist, obsessively clean self to handle. Pick a potato head and they get to stick the pieces in-- that's my kind of craft! (Just kidding....one day, I may be able to allow my children to make a mess...but don't count on it!)

These are cool Halloween cupcakes....Yeah, that's about where my creativity lies: make some cupcakes, use store brand frosting and put some candy corn on it. Pretend they're Dracula teeth or something and fake being impressed...

Here's to November! Where has 2011 gone?!

Nativity

Growing up, I have 2 distinct memories of Nativities. First was my grandmother's wooden set. It took up her entire coffee table at Christmas. The figurines were roughly 6-8 inches tall and came with camels, wisemen, Mary, Joseph, Jesus, the stable, and a few other animals I believe. I loved the wood design and how intricate the detail was.
The other Nativity I remember having is my mother's. It is a glass/porcelain/ceramic figurines of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus in the manger. Most Nativity scenes have figurines separate. What is unique about my mom's is that Mary and Joseph are designed specifically for Mary's hand to be holding Joseph's as it rests on her shoulder, as they gaze down at their newborn. (A definitely great example of how to continue in faith even when the Lord decides to intervene in life with His own plan!)
Now, don't get me wrong, I realize that it is the first week of October and that most people are looking online for Halloween decorations. But I am a planner, and always have been. And since a Nativity is the one thing I want to complete my holiday decorations for our home, I really want to find one this year. (I also still need a star for our tree, but that is a much more difficult endeavor.)

In my search for Nativity sets, I found the following. From unique to elegant, here are some of my favorites:

While this is child-friendly, I'm not concerned about that at the present time. Aside from who is holding the gifts,  I'm not sure you could really tell who is who in the set....

Do they all stack inside of each other? Not to be irreverent, but Jesus sort of looks like he's in a barrel rather than a manger. 

In case you don't want your children to really use their own imagination for what the Nativity looked like....

On a more serious note, I love precious moments, and this one, at $38 is actually affordable and simple. 

This one is actually almost identical to my Grandmother's. I really like it but I'm not sure where/how I would fit the whole set in our apartment. 

Did you have a favorite Nativity growing up? What was it? What other holiday decorations have you kept tradition in your own home? 

What I Wish I Had Known When I Became a Wife

Although we've only been married for a mere 15 months now, I feel like I have gained a new perspective than I did as a new bride. When we got back to Utah after the wedding/honeymoon, we had to make a lot of decisions on what to buy and what we really needed/wanted. Nearing 18 months, I look back on some of the things we bought and have regrets about some and can still smile about others.

Things Loved
1. Kitchen Aid. Okay we bought this with our own money a month before we got married. It's the classic white model but we love it....especially since it makes ice cream with our attachment!

2. Red decor- In our last apartment, we thought red was a pretty good look. It must be the cinder block or something but the red clock, place settings, towels, tea kettle and seat cushions (a Christmas present) look pretty awesome in our kitchen. Oh and a red fire extinguisher always adds a "cool" touch to the kitchen as well!

3. Corell dishware- Ceramic is kind of today's style. But it also chips pretty easily and is not always microwaveable. I wanted red dishware but not anything "red" that I saw. So we bought the same brand of dishware I grew up with. It has a thin red trim around the edge of the plates and bowls. So far, we have not lost a single dish yet!

Things Regretted
1. Silverware- Our first set of silverware (from Bed Bath and Beyond) was probably lower quality but we did not expect for it t start BENDING a week into owning it. After two weeks, we went back and spent more money on a much nicer set. Although it tends to scratch easily, it is MUCH higher quality. Who knew what an extra $15-$20 would do?

2. Bake ware- Let me just say almost all of which has been replaced or will be soon. I'm not sure what I was thinking with some of these items

• I bought a cooling rack that expands to be about 3 feet long--but it DOESN'T separate. I'm not sure if I believed it would when I bought it. But it is such a pain to clean, and so dang bulky that I hardly use it. And because it's impossible to dry, it already has rust on the hinges. Sure this will be great when I'm a mother and bake copious amounts of cookies for bake sales, lunches etc. But for just the two of us, Using 2 or 3 dinner plates works just fine to take the cookies off until I break and buy a more realistically sized one. 
• DARK cookie sheet- this one was probably my dumbest. It looked high quality so I didn't think it would affect the baking. 8 months later, I was going crazy and looking into better pans. I LOVE LOVE LOVE my air bake pans!
• Cake pans...well lets just say they weren't that high quality to begin with. They worked pretty well for a while. But too many soaks caused both to start rusting. We just purchased a Farberware one that is a tan color and so far, it's been great!

There have been a few other things that over time have lost their "fabulousness". My spice rack for example did not come with very many "helpful" spices. I've used more of the farmers market spices my sister Krystal bought for me than the ones that came in the spice rack. I mean if someone could tell me what coriander mustard seed and savory go on, that'd be helpful I guess. My canisters have also become useless. They worked great but the tabs to open and close them soon started to break. I think I just prefer to pull the 5 pound bag of flour/sugar from the cupboard each time. I've seen some red canisters that could replace what I have, but I always hesitate knowing I don't use what I have now....

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful we had thoughtful friends and family, and grateful that we've had the money to replace things as needed. But I have definitely learned that some "staple" kitchen gadgets and items are sometimes not all that necessary and eventually, just sit and collect dust.  (Yes dear, I admit the $25 tea kettle I said we "had to have" falls into this category...)

Happy Birthday Mark!

After 4 months of waiting, Mark and I are finally the same age again. Ironically, when I was first "investigating him" back in the day, I figured he was a year older than me. He just looked so grown up and mature...or maybe it was because it's hard to figure out that kind of thing at 6am.

I think Mark's birthday is my favorite time of the year. I get to spoil him without worrying about being "outdone" on gifts (like Christmas). I had a hard time shopping for him because there were a lot of things I knew he would like. New clothes, a new razor, a new blender, or the bedspread seen below. But when it came time to buy, I couldn't bring myself to buy him something that I wanted just as bad. So I bought him a new electric razor, some cool legos, and the "Love You Forever" book. (I've started a tradition that each year for his birthday I buy him a book from his childhood. This year, it worked well because I also LOVE the book as well.)

Even though I had happily purchased Mark his presents, my heart still yearned for a beautiful bedspread that was on sale at Kohls. After telling him we could pay for it using the paycheck I would get that week, he agreed and off we went. The set matches perfectly with the sheets we currently have. And the bedskirt hides the fact that all we have is a bed frame for the time being. Although the comforter has spent every night on the floor due to the heat, it will be lovely in the winter.
Mark's birthday was unfortunately the first day of check-ins for fall semester. So while I made him dinner and he got to unwrap his presents, we waited until Saturday to do cake and ice cream with some family and friends. Thanks to all who came despite our small living space!
Almost 4 months ago, I discovered this "Lego Cake" from Betty Crocker. Knowing how much Mark loves legos, I decided it would be a fun project. How could you go wrong with a 9x13 cake cut into shapes, topped and frosted with marshmallows? I managed to keep it a secret up until the night before when I finally broke and gave him an obvious hint.

I think my only regret was that I used normal food coloring rather than gel. Reviews said gel coloring helps the legos be more vibrant. As you can see, I couldn't quite get the blue, and the red looked a little more pastel than I would have preferred.
And one day...one day I will be able to make a cake that is perfectly smooth across the top. I suppose the sooner I take that cake decorating class, the sooner I could learn the tricks. I did break out the kit my mother-in-law gave me and used the frosting knife. It may have been purely psychological but I felt more confident using it.

School is now in full swing and Mark has his first class tonight. We are hopeful that this will be a 3 year adventure...yet using adventure to describe school somehow gives me the feeling it may be more....who knows! Maybe he'll fall in love with school and want to get a masters. (Heaven help us!)

Camping and More Slumber Parties

After a year of marriage, and one previous attempt, we finally went camping with some good friends of ours. We camped about an hour south of here, just past Mona. We were supposed to go with a 3rd couple but they cancelled last minute. It ended up being a good thing as you can see, there was not a lot of room for us. This campsite somehow fits 8 people? Not really with the sloped ground.

Our two manly, extremely hot husbands showing off their pyro skills.

Armed and dangerous....thanks again Martins for the outdoor utensils! We finally got to use our skewers and barbeque stuff!

Breanne on the other side of the fence. She may be pondering, or looking for a good place to use the facilities. She's definitely not looking for loose wood for our quickly dying fire...

The happy couple. Such youngin's! Married a whole 2 weeks less than us!

Our foil dinners turned out rather well for two girls making them for the first time without a mom or young women's leader around. Next time: more foil.

Mark: In his natural environment-nature. Me: In my natural environment- with my husband.
We roasted s'mores, and then played poker and blackjack. (no gambling of course). Having never played before, I learned that 1) I'm horrible and 2) People risk a lot of money at that game. I prefer quarter slots myself. We slept fitfully through the night, both thinking we were too tough for an air mattress. Needless to say, we went out and bought one the next week. Perhaps for the first time ever, I may actually sleep decently while camping.

The next week, we had my nieces Kaylie and Brandy over for a slumber party before they went back to Virginia. (Their dad has been deployed for 6 months with air force so they decided an extended trip to Grandma and Grandpa's would help the time go by faster.)

On July 4th, I got brave and finally started giving Kaylie some of her shots (she's a diabetic). After giving her those a few times, learning how to count carbs, and even give her the night-time shot, we were ready for a slumber party. We had fun with the girls and they were great. Kaylie and Brandy are some of the most creative kids you'll meet. Confession: I never got a picture of Kaylie to put on here, but this picture of Brandy and her creation was too cute to pass up!

I'm going to miss this little face, her "attitude" and all her little sayings!

Part of the evening was spent playing with Uncle Mark's nerf gun, using their "Webkinz" (the TY overpriced toy line of their generation) as target practice. No animals were harmed in the entertainment of these 8 and 5 year olds.

Come back soon Farfans! 6 months went by way too fast!

A Trip to Vernal

Back in July, we had the chance to take a quick overnight trip to Vernal. My niece Ella was coming out this way to a 3-day girl scout camp. I though it would be a great chance for some one-on-one time with this fabulous little girl, so I picked her up Wednesday and we drove back to Vernal on Friday. Ella has been a fun ball of energy since the day I remember meeting her many years ago. She was so excited that so many people were over, she just spun in circles, fell down, laughed and did it all over again. She's a LITTLE more mellow now that she's almost 8, but she still is quite a different dynamic than other nieces and nephews. Her sleeping position isn't even a glimpse of how crazy she can get! =)
We brought the kids to our hotel in Vernal and went swimming Friday evening and enjoyed some Cafe Rio. (Thanks Jenae and Chad!). The next morning we drove out about 30 minutes to Roosevelt where there was a car show. Having never been to one of these before, it was pretty cool. I think this was my favorite car there:
I love old fashioned cars. As much as I love my 21st century luxuries, I always imagine how cool it would have been to have rode in one of these wearing a fancy hat and gloves.
Brock and Miri were content to be there...only as long as their fruit snacks lasted though. They were a lot of fun to play with at the house.
I love capturing moments like this........Brock refused to hold anyone's hand but Marks.
We left after a delicious barbecue at Jenae and Chads and headed home. I am a very bad co-pilot for road trips and unless I'm driving, I can do a substantial amount of sleeping. Thankfully Mark stays wide awake....having bugs splatter on your windshield going at 70 miles an hour helps too.

Caught a glimpse of Bridal Veil falls on the way back. This is a straight run-off from melted snow so the water temperature is pretty much freezing. One summer when we were younger all 6 of my sisters and I actually climbed into the river and onto this rock (which now no longer exists after an avalanche). Now we have more common sense and maybe dip our toes in, but it still holds fond memories. It was a short trip, but a great getaway from life, and fun as always to see some of my family.

Random Happenings

The last month has gone by way fast....not a lot of exciting events, but random things here and there:

This has become a constant battle most nights....it's thankfully died down to only one random stuffed animal. There's short-sheeting the bed, and then there's bear-sheeting the bed (also horse or buffal0). I'm not sure how it started but I think Mark just gets bored when he's already in bed and I'm still brushing my teeth or taking out my contacts for the night. One night, he put in a Mrs Potato Head. Rediculous? Perhaps. But we still have fun doing it and trying not to get caught by eachother.

In July I FINALLY got to go with some of my family to see Brad Paisley live at Stadium of Fire. I was driving to work one morning in March when they announced tickets were going on sale that week. Not only was Brad Paisley coming, but David Archuletta. So I begged my husband and he sacrificed an evening of gaming with one of my brother-in-laws so I could go enjoy it. Both were amazing and I'm sure my parents ears were tired after hearing 4 of their daughters scream their heads off. The overall experience was awesome. The entertainment was awesome. I would definitely go again. Oh..I also drove right behind one of these trucks about 2 days before....just seeing Brad's giant, larger-than-life face I admit, got me EXTREMELY excited for the upcoming show.
I came to the realization I had not seen a fireworks show since 2006. I don't know if any other show could compare....sure I felt a little nostolgia thinking of the years we spent in the Sears parking lot in Thousand Oaks with the same songs used every year, but this was SO incredible!
On the actual 4th of July, we went over to Mark's sister's house for some celebrating. My sister Krystal and her 2 girls came into Provo that day so while I played with them, Mark took charge of the pasta salad and funfetti cupcakes. I gave him directions and he followed them exactly...which was unfortunate as I told him wrong. I usually pour about 1/4 c batter into each cup. Instead I told him 1/3. So as you can see, they definitely qualify for the term "muffin top". But if you ever want great cupcakes, Mark is the one you want making them for sure!
We are pretty settled into our new lifestyle. Some days can be dull, but as tiring as they are, my favorite days of work are Mondays. Check ins, dealing with parents, young kids: there is always a fun story to tell. I also learn to laugh at my attempts at humor. Saying the same thing over and over gets old so sometimes I make a joke or two....but I'm having a hard time getting laughs instead of blank stares. For example, a repeat camper who was here the week before didn't need directions or the info sheet so I said "Great. Go! Be Free! Get your key!" He turned back and gave me that "uhh...okay" look. Or when I say "you'll hit the stoplight at 9th east...well don't really hit it"....no one gets it. Either way, I learn to laugh at myself, or laugh with my co-workers as it is sometimes the only way to keep your sanity. We only have 4 more weeks of camps. Then it's onto fall training and finally having students here!

We are looking forward to the rest of July. This week we have my niece Ella coming to stay with us for a few days, then a short trip out to Vernal to take her back. Then we will be camping with some friends of ours at the end of July. We bought a tent, and still need some other supplies, but we are definitely excited for our first camping trip this summer.

Anniversary Trip

Last weekend, Mark went on a short getaway trip. I work the weekend (and day of) our actual anniversary so we decided to go a week early rather than ending up going 2 or 3 weeks late with my work schedule. Only having a day and a half, our original Park City idea was out for this year. So Salt Lake City it was!

I've always wanted to go on the carriage rides they have in downtown Salt Lake. So Mark "surprised me" and we went for a ride Friday evening. The horse pulling the carriage was funny. At one point we passed a park with bagpipe players. He started to slow down and look over towards the park area. I guess he wanted to stop and join the party! Definitely had flashbacks of my Scottish high school heritage hearing the music! *cringes*
We booked a hotel room at the Little America Hotel. It's right across the street from the Grand America (grand=more $$$). Even though we chose the "lesser" hotel of the two, we were not disappointed at all. We checked into our room and then went out for our carriage ride, dinner and other sight-seeing.

When we got back, the radio was playing. I went and turned it off, figuring someone had left the alarm on, and then realized they had come in to do their "turn down" service. There were even 2 chocolate mints on the pillow and a robe laid across the bed. The sitting room just off to the left of the bed had old fashioned couches and chairs that added to the classy look. We haven't been so spoiled since our trip to Agate Cove Inn for our honeymoon last year.

In walking around temple square, I was on a hunt for a specific statue. Growing up my mom had a portrait of this statue in our living room with the caption:

"Look back. Someone follows behind receiving all your frowns and smiles as patterns for her days and step stones for her miles."

I've always loved this statue, and the quotation just adds to it. I feel it is the perfect description and reminder for motherhood. Our children watch and learn from us, not just by our words, but our actions as well.

After walking around temple square, we headed to the Blue Lemon for dinner. It's a sandwich/pasta shop newer to the Utah area. I didn't find it anything to rave about, but they buy from local farmers so it's hard not to want to support that. Afterwards we retired to our hotel room and ate some Sasualito chocolate chip cookies together that I had bought as a surprise snack. I originally debated between those and Milanos. But I thought we'd buy the Sausalito brand in honor of the city just out of San Francisco last year but found nothing to see but random homes and one tiny store. I guess that's what you get when you just put in a city as the destination on google maps.

Saturday morning, we got up and ate breakfast at their coffee shop. Afterwards, we headed off to the Gateway mall...that lasted about 40 minutes. Then we headed to the Clark Planetarium. We didn't see any shows but just walked around and checked out their free space exhibit stuff. We are not much for sightseeing so who knows what we were thinking when we planned to be in Salt Lake until 4 with only the mall and planetarium....

So what do we do? GO TO IKEA!!! We looked at furniture, gadgets etc but what do we come out with? Peach juice....I know, we're a little random but here's the story: Last year at the B&B linked above, we had this peach flavored drink when we went out to dinner one night. It was amazing and haven't tasted it since. We were super excited to find it so, for 2.99 we splurged and put it away for our anniversary dinner this weekend.

Our trip was cut short (but probably for the better since we were bored by noon) because all 7 of us Wyckhuyse girls and grandchildren were getting together for pictures. 2 of my sisters will be leaving the state this summer so we don't know when we will all be together again. Waiting for my turn, I took a few shots just for fun. It was a bit chaotic trying to get 10 children (all 8& under) to smile and be still. We as sisters had quite a bit of fun doing a few poses as well. I'm looking forward to seeing them in a week or two when our great photographer has the proofs.

Spencer and Brock playing together while the 7 granddaughters were doing pictures.
I was trying to get Grace to smile and be happy, instead happy little Lilly jumped in front. It turned out to be a pretty cute picture.
"Uncle" Mark was a great help. He really took a liking to Miri and explored the ground (rocks mostly)with her. He's going to be a great dad some day!

Our New Home

We are finally moved in and settled into our new abode. I'm entering my 2nd full week of work and first week of camps. Thus far, the EFY chants and 14-year-old screams haven't been too horrible yet. It's good preparation for fall semester.

Despite the elegant cinderblock that makes up our walls, we have made the apartment rather homey. There is a lot of cabinet and storage space both in the kitchen and bedroom, plus another major storage area at the end of the hallway where the bathroom is. The apartment is even a tad bigger than our last, which has allowed us to keep all of our furniture without storing any of it. I do have to say, one of the wierdest parts of the apartment is the "lazy susan" that has about a 6 by 6 inch diameter. (#2 wierd is the public restroom style toilet we have...the kind with the skinny metal handle that works in a wierd way to flush.)

Here are some pictures: (Just for you Mom L!)

This is the kitchen...the utensil holder is a new purchase since we only have 1 drawer for silverware/utensils.
Our living room. My work computer is by the door (with the cool opening to use during my "office hours"). Our brand new couch is making a cameo appearance in the right corner. Because of the narrow hallway that is just outside our door and light fixtures that recede from the ceiling, full size couches do not fit in these apartments. A loveseat is not ideal but we sure were grateful to have a couch after a week of waiting for one!

Our bedroom. I didn't take pictures for a 360 but to the left of the bed in this picture I found a few stray nails in the wall and hung one or two pictures so it doesn't look TOO bare.At the foot of our bed, we have all this cabinet and drawer space. With our dresser the middle cabinets and drawers are pretty much empty...I suppose this means I don't have enough clothes!
There have been some adjustments with the move: slower internet, serious lack of neighbors/socialness, and now having to use coin laundry downstairs. In applying for this job two months ago, I felt fairly confident about my first interview but after the second, I didn't know what to think. We are grateful the Lord provided this opportunity that not only provides financially, but also gives me an opportunity to have a job that I will (hopefully) enjoy. Although I was never a social butterfly in college, I love the energy these freshman come in with. I remember those similar feelings starting college, defining my personal identity as I was living on my own, and learning from roommates, teachers, and others around me. I look forward to being a part of their first-year experience.