But today I just want to talk about what I'm loving right now... because there's just so much!
Since the wedding we got to honeymoon in Hawaii, which was SO amazing. I'll probably have to do an entire blog post on just the trip because there's too much to tell. But man, did we have a great time and recommend it to anyone going on a honeymoon or vacation. Maui is just unreal and such a trip of a lifetime.
Once we got back, we had a new town-home to move into. Craziness pretty much sums it up. Jake started working the day after we got back from our honeymoon and I was left to pick up the pieces and put everything together into a place we would call "home". Plus we moved to a new city with a new church to find, gym, grocery store... you get the idea. So I embarked... embarked on the last month and a half. And oh I have loved it! I love being a wife, and I even love the household duties... the cleaning just isn't as bad as it once was and the cooking has been my favorite... but I'm getting ahead of myself :)
All my stuff was still 3 hours away in OKC. My apartment rent wasn't up until Aug 28th, so August consisted of 3 more trips up there to pack, move, and clean. Then to turn around and drive back down to Dallas and unpack, move, and clean some more. And have I mentioned wedding gifts? Such a joy to unpack and settle in but man oh man, is it work too! Everything had to be washed (dishes), boxes had to be thrown, places had to be found. And actually, half of our wedding presents are still in CO...no joke! So I have tons more ahead of me too I realize :) We are so thankful and it has kept me busy!
So what else have I been doing with this time off work? Well I get to go to the gym every other day and spin. I get to cook every meal Jake is home. I get to run errands, coupon, and make grocery shopping almost fun! I joined a local church's bible study and have loved getting to know those women. I get to have a clean house (which is SO hard to maintain when you are working and with our new dog, I might add)! I've changed my name on everything and combined Jake and I's stuff, made a budget, and am on top of paperwork for once in my life. And finally, I've got to make this house a home. It's been soooo fun!
Cooking has been my most favorite hobby this last month. I just want to know one thing.... how did people cook before Google??? Horribly, I'm convinced! Can you imagine not getting an answer to your question, mid-meal prep, and just having to guess? I'm sure stuff turned out terrible! I have learned quickly to keep my laptop on the counter and if I have a question on anything (can I freeze this? substitute this?) the answer is seconds away! It's amazing!
Being a CO girl, I wanted to try something new that I had never made before and something that I love eating now that I live down here in the South. So last week, I got a lot of grease/oil together, got some flour and egg and made the most amazing Chicken Fried Steak and Mashed Potatoes, thanks to the Pioneer Woman. Oh.My.Goodness. I think we both took 3 years off of our lives with that meal but it was so worth it and turned out so YUMMY! It wasn't quite as hard as I thought it was going to be but it made a huge mess, which is sometimes half the fun (good thing the hubby helped me clean afterwards!)
If I told you not working has been easy on me, I'd be lying a little... I have totally felt the pressure to go back to work but I'm really counting my blessings during this season and have enjoyed it fully! I'm in the process of interviewing for a couple positions, so soon I won't have the time like I'm used to. But as long as my priorities stay the same, I think I can still do and enjoy just as much. Some things just take a back burner in different seasons and I'll see that's okay.. but for now, I love focusing on my husband, the home we're building, and the time I've had to focus on the details. What a joy it has been!
