A Weekend of Adventures

A group of our really good friends came to visit us in Durham back in March.  It was a great weekend, and it was so nice for us all to get to spend some quality time together.  They came from Chicago and Birmingham. We had so much fun showing them all of our favorite places in Durham, and I'd venture to say that they enjoyed exploring Durham with us!  Instead of doing a boring, long post about it... I'm just going to do pictures and captions.  We can't wait to see everyone again at Lauren and Charlie's wedding in September! 

We had apps and happy hour drinks at City Beverage

"I can't wait to get apps with you cats"

We gathered around and partook of the Beer Tower of Power at BCBB

We visited Mystery Brewing and played a serious game of Cards Against Humanity

There were multiple intense games of Battle of the Sexes

We visited Fullsteam Brewery and shit got real during Jenga

Greg was too busy with darts to get involved in our fierce game of Jenga

I snuck over to the Pit with my best girl friend, Scott

We devoured apps from The Pit

There were many man snuggles

The boys took the pizza menu seriously when we were ordering dinner

We had delicious brunch at Top of the Hill Brewery

Lastly, we had "brewtails" and Scott was not pleased

2013

Hello, friends.  I seem to have hit a wall when it comes to blogging.  I have felt less than inspired, but I think down the road I will enjoy looking back at the blog, so I am going to give it a go again.  2013 was a year full of ups (sometimes very temporary ups) and our large share of downs.  Frankly, she was a bitch and we were very glad to see her go.  Greg and I are very much looking forward to what 2014 has in store for us.

We did a good amount of traveling in 2013:

We spent a long weekend in Washington DC.  We stayed with one of my very best friends, we went to 2 Braves v. Nationals baseball games, we saw several of the monuments and went to several museums. It was Greg's first time to visit DC, so we crammed in as much as we could in the short weekend visit.  We are actually looking forward to going back this summer to visit my friend, and some of our other friends will be there for the summer.

Our biggest vacation of the year was our trip to Chicago to visit Scott and Kathleen.  We did a longer visit there than the one in DC.  We had such a great time seeing our friends!  We went to a Cubs game, we ate amazing food, we did some sightseeing, and most of all we just enjoyed the time with Scott and Kathleen.  They are coming to see us in a month, so we are really excited about their visit!!

We had a lot happen with our jobs in 2013: 

In January, Greg got a job offer from a State Farm agent.  That job ended up not working out at all.  The agent was unprepared when it came to how to effectively run an agency, and he ended up having to let Greg go because he hadn't budgeted his money well and he couldn't afford to keep Greg on.  Even though that was a very crappy situation, there is a positive.  That agent paid for Greg to take all of his insurance exams, which prepared him to look for another job in the insurance industry.

Within a week of being let go from State Farm, Greg interviewed and was offered another job.  This time he was hired by an Allstate agent that has been in the business for a long time.  He clearly knew how to run an agency, and so we felt good about Greg taking that position.  This job has turned out to be a really great situation for Greg.  His co-workers are amazing, and it seems like this is something that Greg feels comfortable doing long-term.  I am so happy that Greg ended up with this agency, it has been such a blessing for us.

Greg isn't the only one that had changes this year as far as his job.  Luckily, I didn't have the stress of having to find a new job like he did... But, another little guy was born into the family that I nanny for!  So, my job has gone from looking like the top picture to the bottom picture.  The transition has gone REALLY well.  Both of these boys are wonderful, and I feel so lucky to be a part of their little lives. 

We had a few visitors come in 2013: 

Greg's family came for about 5 days in March.  It was a really nice visit.  We took them out to eat at a couple of our favorite restaurants, we went to a Carolina Hurricanes game, and I took them over to Nasher (the art museum in Durham).

In May, my parents came for a visit.  We had a lot of fun when they were here.  We took them to a brewery tour, Duke gardens, we took them to some of our favorite restaurants, and we grilled an amazing meal at home.  

We began to explore, and fall more in love with Durham in 2013:

Back in the spring, Greg and I made the decision to start exploring all the local jewels that Durham has to offer.  We've been trying new restaurants, new local breweries, and a lot of of other things that in Durham.  It has been SO much fun.  We have found amazing local food, delicious local beers, and tons of local events that we love being apart of.  It seems like our love affair with Durham is going strong.

Geer Street is one of our favorite local restaurants downtown

FullSteam is a great brewery downtown

We love Durham Central Park.  From the Farmers Market to movies on summer nights to food truck rodeos... We love lots of stuff that they have going on down there.

We've been going to the Farmer's Market weekly

This is from the Cajun beer and bourbon festival last spring

Triangle Brewing is one of Greg's favorite local brews.  This is a picture from the brewery tour that we did when Mom and dad came to visit.  They've actually opened a bar/restaurant/pub downtown that is great.

Infront of the Lucky Strike tower at Christmas

This is Greg's favorite new local restaurant

Greg surprised me with season tickets to the Broadway series at DPAC and it has been one of my favorite things that we have done all year.  It's been a special thing for us to do together every month

Here's us at the DPAC for our first show, Beauty and the Beast

I couldn't possibly give you a run down of the entire year in a blog post, and I wouldn't want to.  This is a good highlight from 2013, and we are so excited to see what 2014 has in store for us.  

"If you can't fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can't walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward."

- Martin Luther King Jr. 

The Windy City

Greg's best friend and his wife moved to Chicago last summer.  We love Scott and Kathleen, and we knew that we had to make a trip out to visit them!  We had a wonderful time!  We had Chicago-style pizza (twice!), we had cocktails at The Signature Room, we visited the Lincoln Park Zoo, we walked through some adorable neighborhoods, we went to a Cubs game, we had drinks at the Cubby Bear by Wrigley, we went on an architectural tour of Chicago by boat, we had some delicious caramel corn, we walked by the lake, we saw Northwestern's law school, went shopping on Michigan Avenue, and we ate many delicious meals!  It was so nice spending time with Scott and Kathleen, and we are already looking forward to their visit to Durham next spring!

Chicago-style pizza.  YUM! 

This place had the most beautiful views of the city!  

Kathleen and I in Lincoln Park

The whole crew!

Wrigley Field

Infront of Wrigley

Downtown before the architectural tour

Walking around the lake

At brunch on Sunday

At brunch on Sunday

Updates!

I've decided that I'm just not very good a keeping up with the blog.  I check in and read other blogs daily. Maybe I'll start doing some weekly theme posts.  We'll see... I'm not going to make any promises.

It's been about 2 months since I posted last.  We have had a good bit going on.

Greg got a part-time job working at Eddie Bauer.  It's not the perfect situation for us right now, but it's so much better than him not having a job while he continues to look for something full-time.  He's really enjoying it, and he is learning a lot about the brand and the great quality of stuff that they have there.  I'm so happy that he has something to keep him a little busy.

My in-laws came to visit in March.  It was really wonderful to see them.  They made most of the drive up after Linda got out of school on Friday for spring break.  The stopped and spent the night right outside of Charlotte, NC.  They arrived Saturday afternoon.  We love having visitors, but especially family.  We mainly concentrated on just spending time with them since we don't get to see them as often as we would like.  We went out to eat, saw The Hunger Games, Greg and his mom went shopping, Greg and his dad went golfing, I met Linda for lunch one day while the boys were golfing.  It was a really nice visit.  They headed home on Wednesday morning.

We also got news from the DS that Ralph would be moving this year to take a new appointment.  We were nervous and excited to see what was going to happen when appointments came out.  They'll be moving in June to Roanoke First United Methodist Church.  We are very happy for Ralph and Linda and their new appointment.  I'm looking forward to helping them move (it's the first time they have moved churches since Greg and I started dating).  Greg will be heading down with the dogs the week of the move, and I'll fly down on Tuesday night.  We'll all be busy moving on Wednesday and then helping them unpack and get settled the rest of the time we are there.  Of course, we will be there for the first Sunday services.  I do hate moving, but I'm glad that we are going to be able to be in AL and help them with everything.

Our good friends, Scott and Kathleen, are driving up for a visit in two weeks.  Excited may be an understatement.  We can't wait to see them!  I am going to take lots of pictures because we aren't sure how often we will be seeing them after this since they will be moving to Chicago in the fall.  Of course, we are already saving and planning for a trip to Chicago after they get settled in.

All that to say, I feel like we are in a really good place right now.  We love our jobs.  We love being in Durham.  We are really enjoying the beautiful weather (although we are ready for the pollen to go away).  We hope that you all are doing well, and I hope to keep you updated more often.

Thanksgiving, part 1

Hello everyone!  I spent this month diving deep, and thinking about what I am thankful for this year.  I feel like Greg and I have had a really great year.  We have faced so many changes, I feel like we have found a place that we love living, and we have also been dealing with a lot of challenges. 

Throughout the month I wrote down things that I was thankful for with the intent to blog about it, so here it is:
- I am thankful for my very sweet, caring husband.  I am so happy that I have found someone like him to face the world with, come home to at the end of the day to, laugh with, travel with, and grow old together.  Greg and I balance each other out perfectly, and I am thankful that we met at Camp Sumatanga the summer of 2006.
- I am thankful for my wonderful parents.  They are a constant support to me, and I know that I can always call them if I need to talk.  I am thankful for Skype and FaceTime so that the months in between visits don't feel so long.  I always love having conversations with my Dad on my way home from work some days, and I love being able to call my Mom to talk about anything from a crappy day to how to make a beautiful bow for our door.  I am so lucky to be able to call them my Mom and Dad.
- I am thankful for my fantastic in-laws.  I feel like I won the in-law lottery.  They are so supportive of us!  I love talking to them, and I love when we are able to make a trip to see them.  Although we don't skype with them very often, it is fun when we have the chance to.  I know that they love us, and they set a wonderful example of how to really grow our marriage.
- I am thankful for my big brother Guy, his wife Andrea, and my sweet nephew Justin.  In college, I was super close to Guy and throughout the years we have kind of drifted apart.  I am thankful that this year we have had the opportunity to rekindle our friendship.  I am so happy that Andrea and I have had the chance to spend more time together in person, and we have spent a lot of time texting and chatting.  And of course how could I not be thankful for Justin?  This is the first time I've been able to experience being an aunt of an infant!  It's crazy to me how much I can love such a little human that I've only known for 2 months!
- I am thankful for my big brother, Ben.  We have certainly had our ups and downs throughout the years, but I am so glad that we have recently reconnected.  I rarely get to see Ben because he is usually working when we are home, and because we live so far away.  I am looking forward to seeing him at Christmas!
- I am thankful for my very sweet sister-in-law, Liz.  I know that if I ever have questions when it comes to cooking or baking that I can call her and she will have an answer for me!  She is a brilliant cook, and I'm so glad that I can rely on her in a disastrous situation in the kitchen! I am also thankful for her wonderful kids: Kayleigh and Tanner.  I was just thinking the other day that I can't believe how grown up they are!  I feel like it was just the other day that I was meeting them, Kayleigh was a sweet 6 year old and Tanner was a toddler!  It's crazy how time flies, and I am thankful to have you in my life!
- I am so thankful for my loving pups.  They make coming home at the end of a crazy day so happy.  They are always thrilled to see me when I walk in the door, and they are always willing to give me lots of loving and snuggles!
- I am thankful that Greg and I have found a cute townhome to move into.  This will be the first time that we have lived in something besides an apartment!  I am super excited to have something that feels more like a home!  Although I hate, hate, hate moving... it will all be worth it.
- I am thankful for Mark, Kate, and baby J.  I am so happy that I met Kate, and I am so thankful that they welcomed me into their home to take care of baby J.  Making the transition from a daycare to being a nanny has been fantastic, and none of it would be possible if they had not trusted me to love and take care of their sweet baby.  I wouldn't have the job I have now if it hadn't been for Kate... which leads me to...
- I am thankful for Bryson, Lauren, and baby B.  I am so happy that they trust me to take care of their sweet baby boy everyday.  Hanging out with B is so much fun, and I enjoy getting to know Lauren and Bryson more and more.  I am so looking forward to watching B grow and learn!  I am thankful that they have allowed me to come into their lives!
- I am thankful that cooler air has finally moved into North Carolina!
- I am thankful for days when I come home to a cooked meal!  It doesn't happen that often, but I cherish the evenings when I walk in to a hot dinner!
- I am thankful for college football.  This year has certainly made things interesting!  It's been fun to watch and wonder what will happen throughout the season.  I also love the fact that college football generally means that Greg and I are going to hang out all day and eat yummy comfort food!
- I am thankful for people who list their moving boxes on Craigslist for free!  I am also thankful that they weren't really kidnappers/murderers.  (ha)
- I am thankful that in the midst of a bunch of car break-ins in our apartment complex... that we have unappealing cars to criminals. 
- I am thankful for the opportunity to take an amazing vacation over Thanksgiving break.  We had such a nice, relaxing time!  I will be blogging about our trip later.
- I am thankful for reruns of Grey's Anatomy, Friends, and Will & Grace!  
- I am thankful that we've found our way to Durham, NC.  We absolutely love it here!  I am looking forward to staying here for a while, and hopefully growing some roots in this city!
- I am thankful for the time off that I am going to have at Christmas!  Greg and I are looking forward to make a trip home where we will actually have more than 2 days with our families. 
- I am thankful for Christmas decorations!  They make me so happy.

This is by no means everything in the world that I'm thankful for, but these are the ones that I wrote down throughout the month.  I am overall very thankful for the loving support of our friends and family.  They are the most important thing to me in the world, and I feel like I've been blessed with a great group!

I hope that everyone had a great Thanksgiving break!  I'll be updating soon with pictures from our Thanksgiving trip!

Our Wedding, part 3

Once I finally arrived at the church, Greg and I took all of our pictures together.  I had originally wanted to drive out to the North River Yacht Club (where the reception was being held) to do some pictures because it's right on the river and I thought that we could get some beautiful pictures.  But, since I was 30 minutes late and we had a ton of pictures to take... we decided against driving out there.

After we did all of our pictures, we started with the bridal party and then the families.  Everyone was was right on time (which made for a very happy bride) for pictures, and everyone looked fantastic!

My bridesmaids and matron of honor.  I know everyone thinks that they have the best and most supportive bridesmaids, but I really had the best.  :-)

 I picked this one of Greg and his groomsmen because it just makes me laugh! 

 The whole wedding party: bridesmaids, groomsmen, and ushers

 Fisher family!

 Barrow family!

After we finished pictures, we went our different ways.  Greg and the groomsmen went to their room (where they had a TV, so that they could watch Duke basketball), and we went to the bridal room.  I was starving.  Luckily, we my mom had brought us some snacks.  I think everyone just hung out and relaxed before the ceremony (I know that's what I did, but I can't speak for everyone- ha).  Bob, our wonderful photographer, ran around snapping pictures here and there.  Here are some more pre-ceremony pictures.

I love this picture of Greg and his Dad.

This is dad putting a sixpence in my shoe for good luck.  This is actually the same one that my mom had in her shoe on their wedding day.

When Mary got married (December 2008) she had each bridesmaid carry a bouquet of different flowers, and then her bouquet was made up of all those different flowers.  I loved that idea so much that I stole it (with her permission).  Her mom said something to us the day of her wedding about how each of us carried different flowers because we are all different, and Mary's bouquet combined all of those because we all played different supportive roles in her life (of course it was much more eloquent and I can't exactly remember what was said but it was very special and made most of us cry). 

Here is mom giving me one last smooch on the cheek before the ceremony started.

Don't you worry...  We totally had a dance party before we lined up for the ceremony.  I love love love this picture!

Greg's dad did most of our ceremony.  It was really special for us.  The guys were helping him get his robe on after he had walked Linda down the aisle and lit the unity candle. 

RIGHT before we walked down the aisle.  Actually, the wedding director rang a bell for the chiming of the hour that was right behind us (the organ bell was broken).  It was SO loud.  I kept imagining that scene from Steel Magnolias when she has to nudge her dad when the pastor asked who gave her to be married because he couldn't hear.  ha!