2013... Already an exciting year!

Hello!  Luckily for me, updating the blog on a regular basis was not one of my New Year's Resolutions, so I don't feel guilty at all for not updating for almost 2 months.  I think one of the main reasons that I haven't updated is because we have had so much going on!

As many of you know, Greg and I haven't had the easiest road when it comes to jobs.  We have moved several times since before we got married, and each place we have been has been a different experience when it comes to employment.  It was very hard to find a job when we moved to Savannah, GA while Greg was doing graduate school.  I thought that it would be super easy to find a teaching job, then I thought I was going to get a job at a church to be a youth minister (and that didn't work out), and then I was so desperate for a job that I just took the first offer I got with a Montessori school.  While we were in Savannah, Greg worked the pre-load shift at UPS (4:00am- 9:00am).  When we had to move to Charleston for Greg's unpaid internship... I knew that I had to find a job fast, so I just applied to daycares since that is what I had experience with.  Luckily, I got a job the first week we were in Charleston.  After Greg's internship ended, he got a seasonal job offer from the Durham Bulls, so we moved up here.  It took me about a month to find a job because I couldn't quite decide what I wanted.  I knew that I could probably find a daycare job pretty easily, but I wasn't sure that is what I wanted to do.  I interviewed with a family to be their nanny, and I just had a really good feeling about it.  So, I made the switch from daycare to nannying which has been phenomenal.  Unfortunately, the family I was working for had to move up to Philadelphia after I had been with them for 5 months.  BUT they introduced me to the family that I currently work for, and I am so glad that they did!  I have been with the same family for almost a year and a half, and I absolutely love it.  After the Bulls season ended, so did Greg's seasonal job with them.  He spent several months trying to find a permanent job within the sport's market up here, but it was tough.  He ended up taking a part-time job with Eddie Bauer, and in December we decided that he should crank up the job search again for a permanent, full time position somewhere.

It was hard.  He had several interviews that he felt really good about, but they didn't pan out.  We had many discussions about whether he should branch out from the sport's market, or should we start looking for jobs outside of Durham.  It's tough.  I love my job and we love Durham, so in the end, the thought of having to leave was something that we weren't ready to do.

All that to say, I am so excited to share with everyone that Greg has accepted a full time job with a State Farm agent.  He has been studying for the past couple of weeks, and he took the first two insurance exams last Thursday and passed!  He is studying this week for the next 2 exams, which he will take on Friday.  After he passes, he will begin training with the agent that he is going to be working with.  The agent is opening a new store location, and they will officially open on April 1.

On top of the wonderful news of Greg's full time job... My duties at work will be increasing in late June when the family that I work for will welcome baby #2.  It will be an fun and exciting year all around!

I want to thank everyone that has supported us throughout our journey.  It hasn't been easy at some points, but I would not change a thing.  I think that the past 3.5 years have made us so much stronger than I could have ever imagined.  I think that struggling together is one of the best experiences that a young married couple can have together.  I don't think that this will be the end of struggles that we face, but I know that we'll be fine.  So, thank you for all the thoughts, prayers, encouraging emails, texts, and calls.

Here's to a wonderful 2013!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Weeks 3 and 4

Hi!  Sorry for the delay!  Better late than never!  Here's the last half of my November thankfuls...

15.  Greg and I were able to get a new Christmas tree this year, and that has been exciting! One day, we'd like to do a real tree, but we just need more space.  We found the perfect tree at Target.

16.  I am thankful for an unexpected day off!  One of B's grandmothers came to town, and I was able to take the day off.  A bonus on this day is that Greg also had the day off, so we were able to spend a lot of time together.

17.  I'm so glad that we started our Christmas shopping already!  We are hoping to get it done early.

18.  I spent the afternoon with a new friend.  We went to see Argo in the theater and then we spent the afternoon chatting.  I'm thankful for new friendships.

19.  I'm thankful for cold days spent cuddling with the dogs.

20.  Call me crazy, but I'm thankful for the struggles that Greg and I face.  I think that they bring us closer together and make our relationship stronger.

21.  I had a long phone conversation with a friend on the phone.  It had been way too long since I talked with her.  I am so glad that we were able to chat and catch up!

22.  I am thankful for mine and Greg's low key Thanksgiving together!  Don't get me wrong, we love being with our family on holidays, but it's nice to not have the stress of cooking for a large group!

23.  Greg and I were able to get out to the movie theater to see Skyfall after he napped to recover from working black Friday.
 
24.  I went to the mall, and it made me realize how thankful I am that we are almost done with our Christmas shopping!  Bonus: since Greg works at the mall, when we think of something we need to get for someone... Greg can just grab it when he's on break.

25.  I'm thankful for a long Skype date with one of my best friends.
 
26.  I am glad to have play-dates with friends and their children.  B really enjoys playing with his sweet friend.

27.   I love wrapping presents.  My mom always made wrapping presents an art, and I guess I got it from her.  I think that it's refreshing and exciting to sit down and make presents look beautiful.

28.  I'm thankful for a GREAT day with B.

29.  We had a wonderful meal tonight for dinner!  It's quickly becoming one of my favorites!  Homemade salmon fish sticks and pearled couscous.  SO good!

30.  I'm thankful for an afternoon off!  Greg and I were able to finish the rest of our Christmas shopping today!

I feel like I should clarify that I'm thankful for so much more than the 30 things that I have listed this month.  I just don't always take time to think about what I am thankful for on a daily basis. I feel like it was a really good thing for me to do this year.  Greg and I have had our fair share of struggles over the past year, but it's still been a good year with so much to be thankful for.  I hope that you were all able to think about all the things that you are thankful for during the past 4 weeks.  Now, we are moving forward to the craziness of the holidays.  I cannot wait!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Week 2

Hi!  I hope that everyone has had a great week!  I am excited that I have inspired some other people to post their weekly thankfuls.  I look forward to reading them all week!  Here we go with week 2 of November thankfulness.

8.  I am thankful for my wonderful in-laws.  I often talk with people who struggle with their relationship with the in-laws.  I seriously won the lottery when it comes to my in-laws.  They are wonderful to Greg and I, and we are so happy that they are such an important part of our lives.  They support us, and love us no matter what is going on, and we are thankful for that every single day.

9.  I am thankful for extra money that Greg and I had to use for a nice dinner out.  We don't go out to eat often at all because we don't always have money to spend on a fancy meal out.  This night was a rare treat for us, and we went to eat at PF Changs.  It was a delicious treat!

10.  I am thankful for new friends that we are making in Durham.  We have been getting to know several new people, and I am looking forward to seeing where our friendship takes us!

11.  I am thankful for veterans.  Greg and I have several veterans in our families.  We are especially thankful for those in our family that have served our country.  

12.  I am thankful for friends that call, text, and message when I'm having a bad day.  Those thoughts and messages really help when you are just having a crappy day.  It makes me think of how I can easily send those types of messages when I know a friend that's have a hard day.

13.  I am thankful for fuzzy socks.  I don't think I really have an explanation for this.  I just love them.  I am thankful to own several pairs that I wear all the time when the weather is cold.

14.  I am thankful for our sweet babies, Hershee and Penni.  It's amazing how they love us unconditionally.  I am so thankful that they are there to snuggle with me on cold nights.  I seriously cannot imagine our life without them.  I'm going to go love on them right now!

30 Days of Thankfulness: Week 1

I love November.  It's the month that I was born, it's the beginning of the holidays, it's a great month for college football, it's the month when cooler weather moves in, and it's the month when I like to think about all the things I am thankful for.  Last year I did one post where I talked about all the things I was thankful for, but I think this year I am going to try and do a weekly post.  I think it will give me time to really reflect on the past year, and I'll spend time each day thinking about what I am thankful for.

1.  I am thankful for Greg.  I know that I say it every year, and I will continue to list him every year.  There is really no one that I would rather face the challenges of life with.  I am thankful every single day that Greg is my partner in life.  I love him every day more than the last.

2.  I am thankful for time spent with family.  We were in Gatlinburg, TN last week with my parents, my brother, sister in law, and my sweet nephew.  I am so glad that we got to go there together and spend time together laughing and joking.  We missed that my other brother was not able to make it.  But, I am looking forward to all of us being together again at Christmas.

3.  I am thankful for my parents.  I am especially thankful for the time we were able to spend with them last weekend.  I am glad that we have the technology that we have, so that I can see them on FaceTime whenever I need/want to.  I am glad that Greg and I have their love and support throughout our journey.

4.  I am thankful that I got so spend time with my college roommate, Allison, last week.  I hadn't seen Allison since her wedding!  It had been way too long.  I am so glad that Greg and I decided to detour over to Cherokee, NC before heading to Gatlinburg last weekend.  I loved seeing her and Danny, and I really loved putting my hands on her belly trying to feel the baby move.  I can't wait for their little one to arrive!

5.  I am thankful that Durham is really starting to feel like home to us.  We have signed our lease for another year, and I am looking forward to staying.  We haven't lived anywhere long enough to feel the "home" feeling that we are starting to have here.  I'm excited about friendships that are being formed with people that we have met and been spending more time with in Durham.

6.  I am thankful for the holiday season.  For some reason, I am really ready to get all my Christmas decorations out!  I am sure that Greg would tell you how shocking this is because he thinks that I don't have a ton of holiday spirit, but he only thinks that because I don't love watching all those terribly corny Hallmark channel/ ABC Family holiday movies.  ugh.  They are awful.  But, I am looking forward to the long trip home at Christmas to see our families, and just general holiday cheer.

7.  I am thankful for Lauren, Bryson, and B.  I have been taking care of B for 14 months now.  I cannot believe how big he is getting!  I am so glad that I have a job to go to everyday that I love so much.  Every single day with B is an adventure, and I wouldn't trade spending that time with him for anything.  I am so happy to be a part of their family, and I look forward to watching B grow over the next year.

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!