Cute

I have a very cute husband.  I would even venture to say the cutest. Ever.  I'm sure most women think that about their husbands, but it's really true in my case.  He's adorable.  And the best part is, he has no idea.

I took this picture of him last May.  We were having lunch at a cafe on Vashon Island.  We'd stayed overnight at an Inn on the island.  It's my favorite picture of him. 

He has a hard time actually looking happy in pictures (his smile doesn't reach his eyes for some reason), so in order to not look like a psycho in photos, he fake laughs.  Every single time. He discovered this trick sometime over the last year, but really put it into effect during our engagement photo session.  

He kept telling me I was giggly...  how could I not be with him forcefully going,  "HA...HA...HAHAHAHAHA!" in my ear every 5 seconds?

Pumkin Bread

I find myself strangely drawn to homemaking tasks during the weekends.

Last weekend, I spent Sunday afternoon baking chocolate chip pumpkin bread.  At first, the combination of chocolate and pumpkin didn't sound very appetizing. But after a massive trip to the grocery store Sunday morning, I decided to give the chocolate-pumpkin a go. 

It is so delicious!  I've had a piece every morning for breakfast.  Pair it with coffee and it's the perfect before (or at) work way to start the day!

The recipe I had made 3 loaves, so even though we finished one off this morning, there are still two more loaves waiting in the freezer.

I think next weekend, I'll make a trip to the craft store for yarn and a new crochet hook (i lost my old one).  I've got a pattern for a cowl neck that I've been wanting to try!

View

I just wanted to share my awesome new workspace.

I'm kind of loving it.

Sidenote:  new jobs are exhausting.  I am so read for the weekend!

Surprise!

Last Friday,  Brad was working from home during the day.  While I was at work, he got his day's worth of work done, cleaned the house, and did laundry.  I'd asked him to come have lunch with me, but he said he had too much work to get done before 4pm, and he didn't think he'd make it if he took a break.

When I got home, I went to put my (old, rusty, too small) bike in the garage, and found this:

During lunch time, instead of coming to eat with me, he'd gone out and purchased a new bike. Complete with all the accessories:  basket, bell, U-Lock, and head & tail lights.

I came home to a clean house, and a fancy new bicycle, all compliments of my cute husband.

I think I'll keep him.

Free

It is amazing how a positive work life can impact everything else.

For the last year of my life, I was spending my days in a job where I was tense, and concerned over my job security. I would commute 1 and 1/2 hours each way, and when I would get home at night, I would be exhausted.  All I felt like doing was collapsing on the couch.  I didn't realize until being out of that situation, that I was depressed.  I lived for the weekend, and they always went by too fast.

After starting my new job last week, I feel much more relaxed and positive during the day.  And when I get home at night, I have a ton of energy. The people here are more positive and relaxed and secure, and it makes all of the difference in the world. I'm now ready to take on new challenges, and am contemplating taking a few classes (a FREE perk of working on a college campus!!).

Also, since I've started commuting by bicycle, I'm remembering how much I used to love riding as a kid.  Last weekend I made Brad take a bike ride with me, and I wanted to ride on Sunday, too.  We've been having gorgeous Fall weather around here, and I love that I get to get out everyday and see the leaves turning colors.

Brad made a comment yesterday how it's nice to see me happy again.  I didn't realize how much a toll that awful job had taken.  I really feel like a huge weight has been lifted off of me, and it's nice to be smiling again.

Since I've Been Gone

A lot has happened over the last 6 months, as you can imagine.

Brad and I are married now, and our wedding turned out beautifully.  It was a wonderful day.  The weather was gorgeous and warm (!!!) and there were no major mishaps.

We've spent the almost 3 months since our wedding day enjoying newly wedded bliss.  Everyone keeps asking me how marriage is, and I tell them it's the greatest thing ever, and I highly recommend it.

Also in the last month, I've started a  new job!  I hated my last one.  I'm not sure if I ever mentioned that here, but it was unbearable.  I am not cut out to be an Administrative Assistant. And the company I was working for did not treat their support staff with any trust or respect. It was the first and only job where I've ever received a negative review, and no matter what I did or how hard I tried, I couldn't change it.  Someone was always saying something negative (and I wasn't the only one it was happening to). Needless to say, I am so glad to be out of there!

My new job is just a mile and a half from my house in Tacoma, WA.  The week before I was set to start my new position, Brad's car decided it didn't like the transmission it had.  We couldn't afford to put any money into the car, and because a transmission is so expensive we decided to sell his car on craigslist (we were 100% honest with the buyer about the problems with the car, don't worry).  It all worked out perfectly.  With the money we made from the car, we'll be able to stay on top of the bills this month, while we adjust to my new pay schedule. Since my new work is so close, we've decided to make due with 1 car, and I've been riding my bike to work everyday!  I love it!

I've been at my new job for 1 week now, and I am so happy there! I am working at a local University.  The people are so nice. It's also really fun to be back on a college campus everyday.

Brad and I have decided that we need (and want) to be more involved in our community.  We've been attending a local church, and are looking into ways to get more involved.  We've also been talking about volunteering around the city a few times a month.  The Tacoma Salvation Army is just 1 block from our house, so I don't imagine it'd be too hard to get involved with their food bank.

I'm going to try really hard to post more regularly on here.  Now that I'm married I need a few good hobbies to undertake while my husband plays Halo in the evenings (a new addiction of his).

Because it's been so long I do have a lot to say, but I don't want to overwhelm anyone (or myself) with a novel on my first day back.  More to come tomorrow.

One of my favorite wedding pictures:

71

Tomorrow is May.  I'm not sure how it's happened so quickly.  This year is flying past in a blur.  Wasn't it just New Years'?  I've only just gotten used to calling Brad my fiance, and in just 71 days he will be my husband. The day after we will be off on a trip to Mexico (I think I'm more excited about that than the wedding itself. I haven't had a real vacation in years). 

In 3 weeks, I will turn 27.  I can't believe it's been 10 years since I was 17. From the time I was 8, watching Saved by the Bell on TV, 17 was my ideal age.  While I'm aware that I'm no longer 17 (and my brain does not work the same way, thankfully), I don't feel any older than that....except for when I go into a bar.
It also feels weird when I say, "When I was in college."  Especially since it's been 5 years since college graduation, but I could swear I was just there, in my hooded school sweatshirt carrying around my army green messenger bag and designing the layout of the student newspaper.

Lilacs

Since I can remember, I've loved lilacs.  LOVE, not like. So you can imagine my excitement when one of the trees in my front yard began to bud this spring only to reveal those delicious smelling purple flowers.(And I'm sure you can also imagine my anger when Brad made a comment about taking the lilac bush out... He crazy!)

They've only begun to bloom within the last few days.  Yesterday evening, after I'd trudge up the hill from scary downtown Tacoma (another story for another time), I walked into my front yard to be met by pretty little purple flowers and their lovely signature scent.

Of course I had to clip some to take inside.  I love having fresh flowers indoors.

If only I could figure out a way to transport them to work without smooshing, so I could have some for my desk.

Re-do

I've been bad about blogging.

Mainly because I'm not happy with what I'm producing here.  It's not what I had in mind for myself when I decided to start blogging.

I have decided to research the subject.  Did you know there's actual guidelines for bloggers? I didn't.  But apparently, there's standard for doing it "correctly."  So I'm going to do some reading, and some studying.  And with any luck, turn this space into something I'm proud of. 

Trial and error, mostly. We'll get there, don't worry.

In the meantime...  I'm trying to get Brad to go this route with the groomsmen attire. 

 The guys are SO much harder to dress than the girls!

photo credit: www.weddingchicks.com

kitty

This is Kitty.  (Yes, that is her name. She answers to it.)

She is 10 years old this year.  She joined our family when I was a Junior in High School (I think).  Kitty is not her given name. When she was a kitten, we tried to think of creative names for her.  Because she's cute and deserves a cute name. My dad came up with Flatchy...short for flatulence. She had a bit of a gas problem, which she has since grown out of.  Somehow, that became her official name.  But my sister's and I always called her Kitty, because Flatchy is gross. 

When I bought my house last fall, my mom asked if I'd like to have Kitty as my new roommate.  Since I was planning to adopt a cat from the shelter anyway, I said sure, and Kitty moved in the next day. 

She likes...
staring out of the window
trying to call to the birds by clicking at them (she does it to flies too)
sitting in my lap
watching tv
and sucking on earlobes

She dislikes...

Men

fleas

and crunchy food

She's very good at Jeopardy, sneak-attacking on her jingle ball toy, and finding sunny window spots on the carpet to nap on.