Afghan

Woop woop!  I finished my afghan.  Let's take a look at the progress.  About 2 1/2 months ago my friend and co-worker Mary Beth convinced me to make an afghan.  I've done plenty of scarves and hats but had never taken on a project so large.  She's done quite a few boosted my confidence.  She also kept me accountable so I didn't take any huge breaks from it.  I'm not going to bother giving you a tutorial because I'm not an expert, and I learned from MB and a youtube video, so you can do the same. :)

Balling up some more yarn while on our girls' trip in Minnesota

Mapping out the layout to see how many more I need to make

Sewing together all of the granny squares

Unfinished afghan as a makeshift tree skirt

December 23- Finally enjoying the finished product

Graduation

Robert graduated on Friday, December 12.  Way to go, Robert!  Robert is the bomb, but we give God the glory for leading us and guiding us throughout this whole journey.  Robert completed a 90+ hour Masters of Divinity with Advanced Standing in 2.5 years.  We've actually only had two friends graduate while we were here, and both of them started before Robert.  It's a rigorous program that puts my 30 hours MA to shame.

We were fortunate to have lots of family come for the event of the year.  Robert's dad, his dad's wife, and his dad's sister arrive on Thursday afternoon.  His mom and her husband arrived that evening, and my parents and Memaw arrived late that night.  We were able to spend some time with everyone together as well as smaller groups.  On Thursday we went out to Red Robin with R's dad and company.  Then he and I headed to the hotel to see Serina and Mark.  My parents and Memaw got to RDU around 11:30pm.  I was a zombie but still excited to see them.  All of our family stayed at the same hotel which was convenient.

Robert had to be up at the chapel at 8:00am on Friday, so I went over to the hotel to do my makeup with Memaw and Mom.  Robert doesn't understand, but it's just more fun to get ready with other girls.  We all headed to the chapel and got some good seats.  Since it was a small graduation they combined the college students with the seminary grads.  In the spring they have separate services.  Our friends Anna, Forrest, and Andrea were able to come as well; such a sweet treat!  It was a good service: President Akin was the speaker, we sang Christmas carols, and Robert didn't trip.

After the service we took pictures and headed to Over the Falls.  Lunch was delish!  After that, Serina and I picked up R's graduation cake from Sweet Traditions.  It came recommended by a co-worker, and it didn't disappoint.  I went with red velvet with cream cheese frosting.  We all went to our apartment to eat cake and chat.  The rest of the day was pretty chill - naps and takeout for dinner.  We wrapped up the day with some Christmas lights

Everyone but my family left early on Sunday.  My family was able to go to church, and we all ate lunch together.  Then it was time to take them to the airport again.  It was such a fun time of celebrating!  

Grandparents

God has blessed me with four wonderful grandparents who have created a lasting legacy for their family.  My family has a phrase for when we’re just thinking about somebody and how much we love him or her.  It’s called a “love bubble.”  Today, I had a love bubble for my grandparents, and I wanted to take a minute to type out some things that I like about them. 

Grandma

Grandma is a world-class cook and baker.  When you walk into her home you are guaranteed to be welcomed by some beautiful, delicious smelling food.  I think it’s just a tangible way to show she cares.  She’s willing to put time and energy into making an incredible meal that you won’t forget, and while you’re eating at her dinner table you’re bound to hear some great stories and share many laughs. Grandma can’t be beat when it comes to Scrabble.  When I was little she and I would team up together.  I’m afraid I’m too old for that now, and I’m also afraid I’ve never won in a game at their house since then.  Grandma helped nurture my love for reading.  The summer of 2009 I stayed a few extra weeks in Pennsylvania after my parents and brother left, and she introduced me to a series that she enjoyed.  I have such good memories of sitting out on their wraparound porch and reading those books in the evening.  Grandma is a faithful servant of the Lord.  She is long-suffering, doesn’t complain, and believes the Lord has always been faithful.  She is a prayer warrior and always speaks words of love and encouragement when we have phone calls together.  That being said, she also knows how to put Grandpa in his place!

Grandpa

Grandpa knows how to make anyone laugh.  Whether it’s with a backhanded comment, some funny saying, a sound effect or whistle, or just with a dramatic action, you’ll be laughing within about 30 seconds of being with him.  In my opinion, that’s always a good quality. Grandpa is one of the hardest workers I know whether it’s shoveling snow for the church, helping out a neighbor, keeping his house in tip top shape, or serving our country – when there’s a job to be done he does it.  Grandpa is another faithful servant of the Lord.  For decades Grandma and he have driven more than half an hour to get to church every week.  He has taught Sunday School, been a deacon, and served in many capacities for years.  When he walks into church you can tell everyone knows him and is glad he’s there. He is an excellent example of Christ’s love, and you can see it in the way that he has taken care of and loved Grandma faithfully for over 50 years. 

Memaw

Memaw is another world-class cook and baker.  I have great memories of putting on an apron and  baking bread together, watching it rise, and always making my own miniature loaf.  Memaw and I share a love for writing.  Memaw taught me how to garden.  I’m sure I probably slowed her down at times, but she always had my own garden shoes, gloves, and spade waiting for me.  I was her faithful weed puller, bird bath cleaner, bird feeder, and gumball picker upper.  And who can forget our various sewing adventures?  Memaw and I are both altos and enjoy harmonizing.  She also helped me know the importance of keeping a tidy home and how to be a good hostess.  She has the best toys, too – ballroom gloves, Mardi Gras beads, ace bandages (ha!), old board games, and even a wig.  How many grandmas would let you hop on her lap and “drive” home.  I’m guessing that’s illegal, but how could you pull over an innocent grandma and grandkid?  Memaw is another child in God’s hall of fame.  Memaw is quick to share an applicable Scripture, pray for me and follow up on my prayer requests.  She also enjoys using her time to write for Christian magazines and has done plenty of speaking engagements and served in various ministries.  I know she desires to make an impact on others’ lives.

Pepaw

Pepaw is a creator.  I spent countless hours cleaning his workshop, building things together (a dog house for Lucky was one of my favorites), and checking out the progress on his airplanes.  Speaking of airplanes, it’s always fun to go up on a flight with him, and he’d make sure to let me fly for a bit.  We even had a booster seat made of phone books for me to use when I was too short to see out the window.   I was always so excited to run out to the shop and have Pepaw measure me to see how much I’d grown – Wow!  A whole ¼”! When Robert and I got married Pepaw and Dad built us a kitchen table and chairs, and I will always appreciate the time and love that went into that project.  Speaking of our wedding, we even have the special memory of him officiating our ceremony.  Pepaw has built countless other things for me like a Barbie house, tv cabinet, and even an elephant and giraffe for the Homecoming parade.  I will always treasure our time spent in front of the fireplace.  That seems to be a good place to reminisce and hear stories about his childhood.  Pepaw enjoys learning new things which I appreciate about him.  He has dedicated his life to learning more about God and his Word and sharing that information with others through preaching, teaching, and leading Sunday School.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen Pepaw worry, and he is a great reminder that it’ll all work out according to God’s plan.

Wow!  That was fun!  I have wonderful grandparents!

Staycation

Robert had a nice, long Thanksgiving break of 13 days.  My break wasn’t as long at 4 days, but it was still so nice.  We didn’t go anywhere for the holiday, and Robert and I noted that this was the longest we had ever spent at home with each other.  We’ve spent week-long holidays together going out of town or hosting people, but we had never spent this much time together without either of us having to work or school.  We definitely enjoyed the time together and tried to soak up every minute.

I got off work at my normal time on Wednesday.  We ate a quick dinner and headed to church for a Thanksgiving Eve service.  I had never had one before, but it seemed fitting to have a service to show God our gratitude for saving our souls and blessing our lives.  After songs, a sermon, and communion  Anna, Forrest, Robert, and I decided to head to Dairy Queen.  It was very to catch up with them.  An evening with them is a guarantee for laughs and lots of talk about football between the two men.

Every day of break started out with about an hour of reading and journaling while eating breakfast and sipping coffee.  I could get used to that!  Too bad doing that would mean waking up at 6:00am.  I’ll become a morning person one day, right?  Robert and I go for a 30 minute walk every evening after work, but while we were on break we bumped it up to an hour a day and went during daylight to soak up some sunshine.  Surprisingly enough, our area of NC is very grey and dreary.  I would say it’s grey about 80% of the time, so when we can get some sun it’s nice to be able to take advantage of it.  We also watched lots of How I Met Your Mother and napped just about every day – always good in my book.  I always made a lot of progress on my afghan.  All of my granny squares are complete, and I’ve started sewing them together!

On Thursday, our walk was a hike through a trail and a walk at a local park.  We only saw three other people the whole time.  Apparently everyone else was busy cooking already.  We came home and whipped up our contributions to the Thanksgiving feast: mashed potatoes, dressing, and creamed corn.   We ate dinner with five friends from Sunday School and really enjoyed it.  Good food and good friends.

On Friday, Robert and I went over to see dear friend Andrea and her sweet girls.  Hanging with them is always a treat.  Robert became good friends with their dog, Honey.  Quote from the day, “It’s a law that you can’t chew gum until you’re 5.  It’s another law that you can’t get your ears pierced until you’re 8.”  Classic.  We went back over there again that evening to watch a movie with Andrea, Jason, Anna, and Forrest.  We knew we wanted a Christmas movie, so Robert and I suggested Snowball Express.  It’s a classic that nobody has ever seen. Somehow it became a traditional movie in my family, and Robert has grown to love it as well.  It’s definitely not going to win any awards, but everybody laughed throughout it, so I’d say it’s a winner.

On Saturday, Robert’s boss took us out to eat at Shuckers to thank Robert for his hard work and to celebrate his graduation.  Robert enjoyed his salmon, and my steak was very good.  It was nice to get to know Kevin since Robert has spent so much time with him.  After dinner we headed over to Anna and Forrest’s apartment to watch The Iron Bowl.  Anna and I were thankful to have each other to talk to and to work on our craft projects together.  Forrest and Robert were thankful to have someone to talk statistics and sports facts.  We ended up leaving after the third quarter.  Anna and I both fell asleep, but the guys made it through and ended the game with a “Roll Tide” text.

With Anna and Forrest's guinea pig, Einstein

Sunday was church, of course.  Robert is teaching Sunday School next week which will be fun.  Sunday evening we went over to Desiree and Stephen’s house to watch The Hobbit with Anna and Forrest.  Are you noticing a pattern here?  That’s right; we managed to spend a part of every day with Anna and Forrest during a break.  Sweet!  The movie was good, and I made more progress on my afghan during it.

The Car

About 6 weeks ago we had the unfortunate of getting rear-ended on the highway that leads from Wake Forest to Raleigh.  The whole time we’ve lived here I’ve said it’s a miracle we haven’t gotten on a wreck on that road.  When I traveled it twice a day for my previous job I would see at least a dozen wrecks a week.  It’s too congested, and the state really needs to do something about it.  

Robert was taking me to the doctor, and the city bus in front of us stopped for a pick up.  We had to stop, and the guy behind us wasn’t paying attention (texting and drinking) and didn’t stop in time.  We all pulled over, and what do you know - this was his third wreck in a matter of days.  What do you say, maybe it’s time for him to re-evaluate his driving habits.

So we made the claim against his insurance and they contacted him, except him didn’t respond, so they contacted him again and he didn’t response.  This went on 9 times (phone call and voicemail, email, text, letter).  They finally approved the claim two weeks later.  Then we had to go to the estimator and make an appointment for the repair.  Once we got an appointment we made the rental car reservation.

Monday morning we dropped off the car at Ford at 7:30 - not the Ford near us of course because they don’t do repairs.  We went to the Ford 30 minutes away.  

I had arranged for Enterprise to pick me up from work on my lunch break and take me to the rental location to get a car.  I waited for 45 minutes and nobody ever came.  Robert finally just came and got me.  They didn’t have an cars, only SUVs.  It was fun to drive a Jeep Compass for the week, but I definitely missed the good gas mileage of my Ford Fiesta.  Allstate was supposed to pay for the car insurance on the rental, but when we got there the rep said she hasn’t received paperwork.  I told her to contact Allstate if needed because I had already talked to them and it was approved.

All was well for a few days.  My car was ready on Wednesday, so I decided to pick it up over my lunch break.  I dropped off my car at Enterprise and asked for a ride to Ford.  The driver got lost and admitted to that being her fourth time to get lost going to Ford that day.  I got to Ford and was told that it would be $397.99.  I immediately started sweating and was at a loss for words.  She told me Allstate hadn’t approved the work.  Then she told me Allstate had mailed me a check and that I needed to pay Ford directly.  I told her Allstate hadn’t sent me a check and had never told me they would send a check.  They had said they’d pay the bill to Ford for me.  The worker pretty much just stood there looking at me like “Well…”  She told me I could just pay and try to get Allstate to pay me back.  Sorry, not happening.  So I called Allstate and was on hold for 13 minutes.  I reached a rep and she told me our claim had been denied.  How could this be?  I had spoken to at 3 people who had told me it was approved.  Then she said nevermind, it is approved and we mailed you a check.  No.  So she asked where I was getting the car fixed.  I told her and she said that wasn’t an approved site.  I asked her why a rep and told us to go to this location then.  Then she said to just go somewhere else.  Can’t.  Already got the work done. Ooo...so she talked to the front desk lady at Ford and said they’d mail a check and would send proof of payment immediately via fax.  The front desk lady had to leave for lunch so a guy came to watch the fax machine.  It took 15 minutes for the fax to come in.  It finally came in and I left.  Got to work 20 minutes late.

I thought it was finally over until the Enterprise lady called me back 2 days later and said Allstate didn’t pay for the insurance on the rental so she needed to call my insurance to make me pay for the insurance. NOOOOOOO!!!!  I told her to just call Allstate and figure it out.  She said in her 3 years of working at Enterprise Allstate had NEVER approved payment of rental insurance.  Well, she never called me back.  

Fingers crossed for this whole ordeal finally being over.  And if you’ve ever been in an accident, you have my complete empathy.  This wasn’t even a serious accident with injuries, and it still took 6 weeks to remedy.  However, I do finally have a new bumper.  Here’s hoping nothing like this happens again for a very long time.

Thanksgiving 2014

Happy Thanksgiving, friends and family!  This year we are thankful to celebrate this holiday with several friends from church.  Robert and I will be contributing mashed potatoes, creamed corn, and stuffing - gotta make sure you have enough carbs present.  We really enjoy cooking, and it’s fun using family recipes.  The stuffing recipe comes courtesy of Memaw, creamed corn comes from Robert’s Aunt Barb, and the mashed potatoes come from Robert’s mom.  Yum!  

Let's reflect on Thanksgivings past:

Thanksgiving 2011

Our first Thanksgiving in Wake Forest - Apparently I didn't feel the need to blog about this one, but I remember feeling sad about spending our first major holiday away from family.

Last Thanksgiving in Alabama

Growing up, my family seemed to vary on what we did for Thanksgiving.  I remember Thanksgivings celebrated at home, in Jefferson City, and even in Dallas.  The least fun Thanksgiving was the year I had my wisdom teeth taken out.  You can’t exactly eat turkey like that.  I remember loading up on mashed potatoes and jello though.

I wanted to take a minute to list a few things for which I’m thankful:

Robert will be graduating in two short works

I’ve gained a sister, and my brother has gained a wonderful wife since last Thanksgiving

Robert and I both have jobs that we really feel blessed to have

We have a church family that truly has become family

Mittens...duh

The King of kings who abundantly provides for us in ways that we don’t expect

What are you thankful for?

Life Lately, 11.24.14

The semester (and school in general) is wrapping up.  Robert turned in a paper last week, and now he has two papers, a sermon, and one final exam left.  He’s excited to graduated, but I can proudly say that he’s finishing strong and not cashing in early.  He’s had a very successful semester.

Work has been going well for me.  I got a new supervisor in July, and she’s taught me many new things.  Robert and I were just talking earlier today about how many things I’ve learned that I never knew existed or never thought I’d learn how to do.  Hopefully they are skills that will be beneficial in the future: accounts receivable and collections, sales and upselling, shipping, invoicing, ordering business supplies, editing the website, pricing and costing.  Warehouse and safety supplies might not be the most interesting topic in the world, but I truly am blessed to have a stable job and to have incredible co-workers that have become friends.  I know not everybody has that, and I don’t take it for granted.

It has started to get colder.  We’ve had a couple of frosts.  I still enjoy hearing southerners referring to frost as ice.  I saw about 10 snowflakes on the way to work one day, but other than that it’s mostly just grey and dreary.  Moving to a place that gets some snow would definitely get the location some bonus points in my opinion.

Robert and I had the honor of being the go to kid watchers when our friend Desiree went into labor.  This was the second time we’ve gotten to be a part of the go team for a family in town.  We really do feel like it’s an honor to be trusted to be at the ready to and watch someones child in their time of need.  Our first time around was for our friends Adam and Amy.  Amy went into labor around 2am.  We thought surely that wouldn’t happen again with Des, but sure enough we got a call at 12am.  It makes it more exciting. :)  I have to be honest, Robert got the call and sprung into action while I hesitated and was left behind.  Robert went and stayed with Seth.  Des was a rockstar and delivered sweet Cadence Joy 15 minutes after arriving at the hospital.  When Seth woke up the next morning he hollered for his dad.  Robert went into his room, and Seth was mildly terrified for a moment until Robert explained that his parents were gone because baby sister had arrived.  Seth was all good once Robert said they could make pancakes together.  He said Seth asked where I was. :)  They watched some Curious George together.  Robert said it was much less annoying than most children’s shows. haha  We went up to the hospital after work, and Cadence truly is beautiful, and I know she’ll be a wonderful addition to their family.

I wrapped up my volunteering the the church nursery on Wednesday night.  I worked with the 3 year olds this semester.  What a fun age!  We went out on a bank with one twin brother peeing on the floor and his other brother peeing on the wall.  Never a dull moment.

Life Lately, 11.8.14

We're in the graduation countdown!  Robert graduates in just over a month (December 12).  There's a lot in flux right now as we don't know where we'll be headed after he graduates.  It's a very popular topic to discuss.  "So, what will you do after Robert graduates?"  "Where will you move after Robert graduates?"  I guess the short answer is we have no idea.  He's applied for some positions, and he's had some good leads, but church work can have the tendency to move rather slowly when it comes to hiring a minister.  We know he desires to lead youth and/or music, but for now it's a waiting  game.  Like many people, that doesn't come easily to me, but we're trying to focus on the fact that God has always provided for us before, and he won't stop.  We came to NC not knowing anyone, not having friends, and not have a church, but God has met all of those needs and brought us closer to Him and each other in the process.

Did I tell you I've started an afghan?  It's going really well.  I'm crocheting about a million granny squares, and then I'll crochet them all together like an afghan.  It's a fun project, and it keeps my mind occupied during tv shows, traveling, or while R studies.

This was one of my practice squares.  I made it with fluffy yarn, but for the actual afghan I'm using plain Red Heart yarn, and you can see the stitches a lot better.

We were able to go to the state fair at the end of the month, and our friends Hunter and Emily joined us.  Highlights included beautiful flowers in the gardens, a ride down a huge slide, and our first experience eating elephant ears.

Next I managed to get a nasty cold and stomach bug.  No details will be shared.

It's finally started to cool down a bit here.  It's still nowhere near freezing, but we did turn our heater on one evening when it got down to 64 inside our apartment.  We haven't needed it since then though.  We brought our little ponytail palm tree in for the winter.  It's doing quite well!

Oh, did I tell you we got rear-ended?  That's been a real treat.  We're both completely fine, but we're going on five weeks of trying to get it fixed and dealing with insurance.

And now it's time for some Mittens pictures.  I know you want to see them.

Magnets

I wouldn't say I'm a collector of magnets by any means, but it seems I've acquired a variety of magnets over the last few years, and I wanted to take a minute to think about the stories that they tell.  There are several other magnets that I love that are on the refrigerator at my parents' house: a magnet that looks like a slice of bread (it's life size), Extra gum magnet, and a JESUS cross stitch magnet. 

This magnet came with the cookbook that my mom made for me.  It has all my favorite recipes from Memaw, Grandma, and my mom.

We got this one when we first moved to SEBTS.  The women's department hosted a few activities throughout the year to provide opportunities to get to know each other.  It reminds me of how alone I felt when we first moved here and how God has provided so many good friends here at school.

My parents got me this one on their most recent trip to El Salvador.  Although I didn't go on that particular trip with them, I've been to El Salvador three times, and it reminds me to pray for our friends and fellow Christians there.  It also reminds me of good memories of going on mission trips with my parents.

Have you ever seen a cuter magnet than this one?  Robert made this turtle magnet clip.  It's not every day you see a blue turtle.

One of my residents made this magnet when I was a resident assistant.  It's so simple - painted on a piece of cardboard - but it makes me think of my time as an RA and my time at SBU.  

Windermere holds so many special memories from family vacations throughout all my growing up years.  My family would go there for a week every other summer when Grandma and Grandpa came to town.  Also, after my second year at SBU I had the opportunity to intern there over the summer.  

I made this magnet on our family vacation to Colorado last year.  It was our first family vacation that Robert got to join in on, and we're looking forward to our first family vacation with Taylor in the family!

Okay, I didn't actually go on this trip, but Robert and his dad got to hike Grandfather Mountain over spring break the first year we were at SEBTS, and I know it was a very special trip for them.  Somehow I got left behind to work...

I've been sponsoring Happiness Moyo in Zimbabwe since my freshman year at SBU.  I'm so thankful for the opportunity to be a part of a child's life halfway across the world.  

How could I not end with this one?  My absolute favorite magnet.  Little RCV looking dapper.

Second Annual Girls Weekend

This weekend was the second annual girls trip for the girls of Robert's family.  Last year Serina, Bethany, and I went to San Antonio.  You can refresh your memory here.  This year Grandma June decided to join us on our trip to Minneapolis.  I took a half day on Friday to catch a direct flight from RDU to MPLS.  I had never had a direct flight before.  Obviously it's nice to not fear missing a connecting flight or having a delay, but I missed being able to walk around and stretch a bit.  The flight was supposed to be 3 hours but ended up being 3 1/2 due to extreme wind.  When I finally stood up after we landed my feet were numb and tingly from not moving and having the AC blasting on them for so long.  I sat next to a nice man who was chatty for a bit which was actually kinda nice.  Then I crocheted and listened to a comedian on my iPod the rest of the time.  I was kind of surprised that they didn't play a movie or tv show for a longer flight like that.

June, Serina, and Bethany drove from Missouri/Kansas and met me at the airport.  We went directly to the Mall of America to eat dinner at Cantina #1.  Dinner was good.  I even accidentally ate a fish taco. haha  We took a bit of time to orient ourselves at the mall and snagged a few bargains.  I had brought a coupon for a free travel size lotion at Bath and Body works, and I gave a 20% off coupon to Bethany for her to use as well.

I exercised self control and didn't buy these adorable Russian nesting cats

Totally would've gotten Robert this football player shaped cheese if he'd been there.

Lego Land!

We went to the Hampton Inn, and I got unpacked and settled.  The other three ladies had stopped by and checked in before picking me up.  We enjoyed the first of many shows on the Food Network.  Bethany and I don't have cable, so we relished the opportunity to catch some shows.

The view from our hotel

On Saturday morning we went to Bethany's breakfast choice of Mickey's Dining Car.  We would agree with reviews that the food was good, but the service was lacking.  It was kind of hard to find, but still a fun experience.  We ventured to Michael's next.  Bethany and I are both working on afghans and needed more yarn.  Found a 40% coupon and got some $1.49 yarn.  Winning!  Next stop - The Mall of America.

The view from the diner

Time to get to work on some granny squares

Bethany and I split up from Serina and Grandma.  We hit all kinds of stores and spent a good chunk of time at H&M.  I found a skirt and shirt for a good deal.  We both agreed it got super hot in there and we left sweating.  The four of us met up for lunch in the mall, and then shopped around together a bit.  We went back to the hotel for awhile to rest, nap, and watch tv.  Then we got ready again so we could eat dinner at Benihana in the mall.  I had never been to one before, and it was quite the show.  We did a bit more shopping after that and headed back to the hotel.

On Sunday morning we ate breakfast at the hotel, and then went to Ikea.  Grandma and I had never been before, and there was one right by the mall so we figured we should check it out.  It was very impressive!  I had picked Kramarczuk's for lunch, but apparently on Sunday's they only serve a brunch buffet which was rather disappointing.  We found a pub nearby and walked there for a bite instead.  We went to the mall after that.  Bethany and I had success at Old Navy.  I got a shirt and dress, and I even got Robert a shirt.  Didn't want him to think I'd forgotten about him. ;)  We wrapped it up a bit earlier at the mall.  We had officially shopped til we dropped.  We flipped on the tv and ordered pizza to be delivered.  Bethany and I got some crocheting in, and we made sure to do plenty of laughing.

Ikea

This morning we got up, packed, ate breakfast, and headed to the airport so I could catch my flight.  My ticket said to go to the gate for my seat assignment, and lo and behold I got seated on the 5th row - just behind first class.  It gave me lots of leg room.  I got seated next to a lady who wasn't talkative at all, but I did more crocheting and listened to my iPod again.  I landed on time, and our friend Amy and her three kids came to pick me up since Robert was at work.  It was a good trip full of shopping, catching up, tasty food, relaxing, and laughing.  Now I'm enjoying having the afternoon off form work in a quiet apartment and anxiously awaiting Robert's return in 3 hours!

A Trip to the Mountains

This weekend Robert and I went on a long-awaited trip to the Mountains of North Carolina.  Robert's dad's side of the family lives in southern Alabama - Home of the University of South Alabama.  USA has had a Division I football team for about five years, and several months ago Ray found out that they would come to NC to play Appalachian State in October.  This was the weekend of the game, and Friday after work Robert and I loaded up and headed out to the mountains to meet Ray and Terri and Ray's cousin Kathy and her husband Jerry.

We got in a little before 9:00 on Friday and enjoyed catching up for a couple of hours.  Robert and I both noted that this was our first time to do much with Kathy and Jerry outside of a big family holiday, and it was a lot of fun to get to chat with them and be with them for a weekend.

On Saturday morning we enjoyed getting around slowly and eating breakfast together before hitting the road to drive an hour to Boone.  We made a pit stop at a cute boutique and then landed at Mast General Store.  I could have stayed there all day!  They had a cute little bluegrass band playing and so many things to admire.

Picture courtesy of the store's History page

We got some lunch at Come Back Shack, and it was delicious.  I got the California burger which had spinach, avocado, Swiss cheese, tomato, and mayo, and I also had a baked potato.  It was hopping so I think we must have found a favorite for locals. :) Next we headed to App State and found a spot to park and pulled up the Alabama game online.  Those of you who know me know football isn't my favorite sport in the world, but sitting the car was rather comical with a blanket on the windshield to keep out the sunlight, our own Internet hotspot, and gourmet cheese and crackers.  I had brought my crochet project and my current book of choice - Someday, Someday, Maybe - I also managed to get a foot massage from Robert while we waited so that's always a win.  

We had nice seats at the game, and USA pulled out a big win.  Robert and I knew it would be colder in Boone than where we leave, but holy cow was it cold!  I had brought a jacket and a blanket, but I wasn't prepared for the low 40s and whipping wind that was present for the first two quarters.  The wind died down for the second half which made it seem a bit warmer.  Two hot chocolates didn't hurt either.

We wrapped up our weekend away with a nice breakfast at Cracker Barrel.  I hadn't been to Cracker Barrel in years, and it was delicious.  Also, I wanted to buy everything in the store.  Robert and I enjoyed the ride home jamming out and chatting.  And we made it back it time for the NFL games and a long Sunday afternoon nap.  I'll let you guess who did what.

Life Lately, 9.28

Last week seemed very full.  It was one of those weeks where I can't exactly pinpoint it, but we just didn't seem to have much free time.  It was a good week, but it's been nice to have a slow weekend to recover.  Newsy things to report:

This semester I have started working in the nursery on Wednesday nights.  I volunteer in the 3 year old room with another lady, and we have about 10 kiddos.  I only knew one of the kids going into it - our Sunday School teachers' youngest daughter, Macie.  Macie is so adorable.  She's one of two girls in the class, and she likes to sit on my lap and hold my hand any chance she gets.  Last week it was raining and she came in with pink cat rain boots and a ladybug umbrella.  Could she get any cuter?  The boys are fun, too.  Last week we had a very intense Lego building session.  Everyone built a tower, of course.  One of the sweetest moments so far was when one boy said, "I have a Bible at home, and it says to obey God and to obey my parents."  It's really cool to see kids picking up on Biblical principles at a young age like that.  They are definitely fun and entertaining.

Robert took a weekend intensive this weekend.  It was the 9Marks conference.  He had class Thursday from 5:30-9:30, Friday from 10:00-9:30, and Saturday from 9:00-12:30.  Whew!  He was busy, but now he has another 3 credit hours completed.  He said he really enjoyed the conference.  Each year they cover a different one of Mark Dever's 9Marks, and this year it was membership.

I got my hair trimmed this week.  Nothing dramatic, but it looks healthier.  This was a big deal because I haven't found much success in getting my hair cut here.  I usually just wait until I'm going to Missouri and have Lori cut it, but with no plans to go to MO any time soon, I decided to break down and give it another whirl.  I found a place near my office that stays opens until 7:30.   It's called Body Bliss.  It was awesome!  I found a deal on Groupon for a haircut, wash, and style for $19.  I thought that was a pretty good deal.  They were able to get me in two days after I called so I didn't have to wait long at all.  I got a stylist named Shelby, and she was so easy and fun to talk to.  The shop was cute, clean, and well-decorated, and everyone was friendly.  I really enjoyed my experience, and I wish I would have found it two years ago when we first moved here.

I've picked up crocheting again.  Robert's co-worker asked for two hats recently, and I was reminded of how much I like it.  Hats are easy and take less than a week.  One of my co-workers and friends (Mary Beth) is an avid chrocheter, and she has inspired me to make an afghan.  I know it will probably take a long time, but I've made my first granny square so I'm on my way.  I'll keep ya posted.

Finally, we went to the Youngsville Fall Festival this weekend.  One of the perks of Robert having class this weekend was that he didn't have to work and had Saturday afternoon free.  We enjoyed our lunch at Amigosan food truck.  I got the Texas Sombrero with chicken, and R got it with beef.  We split Amigosan tater tots.  It was delicious, and the service was really good.  We also enjoyed walking around and looking at all the cool cars.  It was a fun start to fall!

How We Save Money

It's no secret that Robert and I are penny pinchers.  I've always enjoyed saving money toward a goal, and this is something that has definitely worn off on Robert throughout our relationship.  I thank my parents for instilling in me a good work ethic and teaching me to be a saver.  I wanted to share with you a few things that Robert and I do to save money.  I'd like to preface this by saying that all of these things are things that I find rather easy and non-torturous.  I know there are plenty more ways to save money, but I think I've compiled a list of ways to save without changing much of your normal routine.  Okay, here we go:

• Receipt app
• I personally use Checkout 51.  All you do is take a picture of your grocery receipt and submit it.  There are deals each week, and their system checks your receipt to see if you purchased any of the deals of the week.  I like this app because it has deals that aren't brand-specific so my generic "bananas" can save me $0.25.  It doesn't have to be a specific brand.  I usually save about $1 a week.  I know this isn't a ton, but once you save $20 they send you a check.  I figure that's about $50 a year, and all I have to do is a take a picture.  They're pretty much giving you the money!
• Turn up AC when gone
• This is obvious so I won't belabor it, but it's so easy to crank the AC up to 78 while you're gone, and then just turn it back down when you get home.  I'd guess this saves us at least $5 a month.  We have a small apartment, and I know it would vary based on house size.  I know some thermostats even have settings where you can pre-program it to change while you're gone.
• Aldi
• If you don't shop at Aldi I just have one thing to say to you, "Why on earth not?"  There's just one brand of each food item so you don't have to stand there trying to calculate the price per ounce to ensure that you get the best rate.  Sure, there are some things they just don't sell, but I'd say you can get at least 80% of your weekly list there.  The prices are kept low due to things such as not providing you bags (which is fine with me since we use our own canvas bags anyway) and having you put up your own cart (who couldn't use a bit more walking?).  And I can honestly say that almost all of the food tastes just as good.  
• Extra job
• This is one that I know isn't for everyone, and it is definitely the most life-altering, but for about 4 months early on in our marriage I worked a part time job about 6 hours a week.  I pretty much hated this and decided it wasn't worth it, but it's doable if you must.
• Coins at car wash
• This is one that obviously not everyone could do and some people might find gross, but we are not above admitting that Robert collects the extra coins and cash that get sucked up in the vacuum at work.  We usually make about $20 a week off of this so that's about $1000 a year.  Sure, it's a lot of pennies and coin rolling, but he's brought home $1 coins and $10 bills before.  This is kinda icky, but it doesn't take him any extra time, and I just roll the coins while watching TV so it doesn't take up any extra time.
• Cash back credit card
• We try not to use our credit card much, but we found one without any annual fees that gives 3% cash back and can usually get about $100 back in the course of a year
• $0.10 debit card transactions
• We also found a debit card without any annual fees, and it gives us $0.10 back each time we swipe our card.  This is by far the easiest way to save money.  If you're not getting cash back every time you swipe, go take care of that right now.
• Wal-Mart gift card for gas
• Our Wal-Mart also has a gas station.  It's the cheapest gas in town, and we make it even cheaper by paying for it with a Wal-Mart gift card.  We save anywhere between $0.03 and $0.10/gallon depending on the time of year.  They do extra savings all summer and around Christmas.  So let's just say for ease that it equals out to be $0.05 off/gallon.  We use about 12 gallons of gas a week so that's $2.40 a month or about $30 a year.  Not a ton, but super easy.
• No cable - antenna instead
• Cable is way too expensive here, but we purchased an antenna called a Mohu Leaf and it is the bomb.com  It cost less than $40, and we get about 15 channels including the majors like NBC, ABC, Fox, and CBS.  We miss TLC, HGTV, and ESPN (guess who misses what!) but not enough to spending approximately $1000 a year on cable.  
• Unplug things when we're gone on vacation
• Duh
• Crockpot
• Less oven, less AC.  I think a lot of people think to use the Crock Pot in the winter, but I enjoy using it in the summer as well so we aren't heating up the whole house with our oven.  Did you know that 1 hour of the oven on 350 uses the same amount of energy as your Crock Pot would use in 10 hours?  I'm part of a freezer meal swap group that makes meals and swaps them each month, and I always cook them in the Crock Pot when I'm ready to eat them.
• Selling things
• Craigslist is always an option, but Robert and I have also had success with a local Facebook Group called Buy/Sell/Trade.  Maybe you have one for your area.  You just post a picture and price, and people can comment on it to arrange a sale.  Super easy and convenient!
• Cut Robert's hair
• We got a pair of electric clippers for $10.  If you think that a guy typically gets his hair cut once a month for $15 then that's $180 a year that we're saving.  Plus, it's kinda fun to do his hair.  I get to shave it into a mohawk first. :)  I grew up with Memaw cutting Pepaw's hair and my mom and I cutting my dad and brother's hair so it just feels normal to do R's hair.
• 1 car
• This is another semi-life altering one, I know.  It's definitely not doable for some people, but Robert and I made it work for about a year and a half, and we are so thankful for the money it saved us.  Minus the whole scooter getting stolen thing...
• Wish list
• This is one of my favorites.  Robert and I keep a running wish list that we add to as we think of something we want.  This helps us to avoid impulse purchases, but it also helps us remember what each other wants for birthdays/Christmas/etc.

There you have it.  I am by no means a financial expert, but I hope I provided at least one fun/easy idea for how you can save some money.  What are some unique ways you save money?

Pumpkin Mousse

It's time for a super simple dessert recipe.  Robert made me a dessert for my birthday, and it included pumpkin puree and whipping cream.  We had some of each left over, and so we came up with a second dessert tonight, and I had to share it.  It look less than 5 minutes, and there's no baking involved.  Obviously, it's not healthy - it's dessert.  But I can say that pumpkin puree is incredibly good for you, but it does have a ton of fiber and Vitamin A.  So here you go,

1/2 can of pumpkin puree
1 carton of whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spices (I did a combo of allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves)

Whip together cream, sugar, and vanilla until it turns into whipped cream.  Scoop out 1 cup and set aside.  Fold in the pumpkin puree.  Service with whipped cream on top.  Ta-da!

Also, this recipe made me realize I need to put cute parfait dishes on my wish list.

24

My 24th birthday was Monday, and I can honestly say it was one of the best yet.  Last week Robert brought me Panera one day at work since he was to be working all day on my actual bday and wouldn't be able to eat lunch with me then.  Panera is still one of my all time favorite restaurants.  On my actual birthday week we started celebrating by Robert making pumpkin pie lasagna for our Sunday School class to celebrate.  I'm so glad Robert is good at and enjoys cooking and baking.

Mittens was obviously pumped to celebrate

Monday morning we ate breakfast together at the house which doesn't always happen.  It's nice to be able to chat a bit before leaving for work.  Blueberry coffee cake and scrambled eggs definitely tops oatmeal on the go!  When I got to work I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw my decked out cubicle!  Mary Beth decorated it with streamers and balloons, and it looked great!  And MB included purple because she knows it's one of my fave colors.

It ended up raining all day which would ordinarily be a bummer, but the rain meant work got cancelled for Robert which was the best thing about the whole day!  It meant I didn't have to go home and be by myself all evening.  Robert and I ended up going out to eat at Crazy Fire Mongolian Grill.  It's pretty much like HuHot, and it was very tasty.

The Hubs even shaved for my bday!

Right before we had left for lunch I got flowers delivery from Jim & Taylor and my parents.  So pretty!  I got back to work from lunch and MB had red velvet cupcakes ready for everyone.  Julie gave me a new dessert plate that she had hand-painted at a pottery store.  It totally caught me off guard and was so sweet.  She picked pink because she knows it's my other fave color.  It really is a good feeling to know people listen to you and really know you.  The whole office had signed a card for me, too.

Later in the afternoon Mom's 4th graders called to sing happy birthday!  And then one of our vendors found out it was my birthday and called just to wish me a good bday.  How sweet!

I got home and our Sunday School teacher and 4 daughters had decorated our apartment, and it was beyond awesome - balloons, streamers, a sign, posters, banners, and window paint.  Robert prepared a delicious mean of grilled steak, mashed potatoes, veggies, and rolls.  I also spent some of the evening talking to lots of family on the phone. :)

I did something very unlike me and practiced self-control by not opening my presents until my actual birthday.  I'm glad I waited!  The presents were so thoughtful.

My first infinity scarf, courtesy of my parents