New Years Resolutions: 2012

Yes, you read that right. It's in my personality that if I tell you one of my goals, most likely it won't happen. I hate the pressure. Maybe I'm the only one? I'd much rather make a goal, maybe tell one or two people, and then once it's accomplished, tell everyone! 

Andrew, on the other hand, he is the most disciplined person I know. Anything he sets out to do, it happens. He works out every day, he is the healthiest eater I know, and is just... awesome.

I'm more of the free spirit. So, onto the goals I/we accomplished in 2012:

1. Find a prayer triad

I found a prayer duo and Kristen and I are looking for a third. It's been wonderful to meet about once a month for accountability, share life's joys and struggles, and to pray for one another.

2. Visit one new restaurant in Charlotte each month

January: BT's Burger Joint 

February: Dish, Toast of Dilworth

March: Poppy's Bagels, Musashi Japanese Restaurant

April: Sir Edmond Halley's

May: Al's Pizza, The Lodge

June: Meskeren (Ethiopian food), Good Food on Montford

July: Kennedy's Bar & Grill, Sultan Kabob House

August: VGBG, Leroy Fox

September: Cluck 'n Cup

October: Maverick's Tacos

November: (aka the month of eating out as we were homeless) Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, The Diamond, Stamey's Barbeque in Greensboro (Andrew with the guys)

December: Eddie's Place, Pinky's Westside Grill, Soul Gastrolounge (Carrie with the girls)

2. Visit Japan

3. Visit NYC.

4. Have people over for dinner

That definitely happened. This was one of the saddest things to say goodbye to when leaving our apartment: the teeny, tiny dining room. We had lots of laughs at that table with lots of good friends.

Then there were a couple goals we set but didn't happen like:

5. Max-out IRAs.

6. Run a 10k. {However, I signed up for a half-marathon in December that will take place March 9th, so does that count?}

I'd say, overall, 2012 was a hard year for us with the apartment flood/fire, lost luggage in Japan, and the roller coaster with Rozzie. But it's been really good, too. I love my job as a preschool teacher, we're homeowners now {oh the absolute joy it was to be handed those keys!!}, and celebrating one year of marriage... to name a few. The Lord has been so, so good to us! We're hoping to send out a "we've moved/Merry belated Christmas/Happy New Year" card soon. :)

Here's to 2013!

Day One

Happy New Year!

Ok, so oops on not blogging for a long while.

Anyway, we got Rozzie! Praise the Lord! We are so, so thankful!!

It's been a really good first day of 2013. Andrew surprised me with breakfast. I'm convinced that true love is picking out all the seeds of pomegranates for someone else.

I also did a craft project today. I got this idea on Pinterest, for when we moved back in November, to stack styrofoam plates between our dinner plates to help cushion them in the move. I have so many after unpacking that I whipped out my circle cutter and then sewed a garland together {in the last picture below}. It didn't take too long to make. I put it up for the party we had tonight and I'll bring it in to preschool tomorrow. 

  Al, B, & Toby stopped by Charlotte for a quick visit! It was

 so good to see them!!

Tonight we had an appetizer party for our friends in the 'Hood. It made me so happy to "break in" Rozzie with food, friends, and little ones running around. 

We are so thankful!

It's ok.

I'm taking one day at a time. That's what happens when you're in the valley. I'm currently at a coffee shop which is becoming my home away from... 

We're still waiting to hear about Rozzie. It's a 50/50 chance. It was actually called off last week and now it's back on again {drama!!}. A LOT has to happen tomorrow for us to potentially close on Thurs/Fri. Either way, we're giddy just thinking we will finally KNOW one way or another by the end of the week. It makes me feel for those who are truly homeless. 

One of the hardest things about not having a place to call home is that I can't decorate. My heart hurts a little when I see others bringing in their Christmas trees or baking delicious things in their kitchen. We've joked that we could always put up a Christmas wreath on our storage unit. That's all we've got. I've really been fighting to be thankful for what God has provided for today. My mind easily slips into thoughts of wanting a home, wanting to be out of this hard place, wanting to cook a meal for goodness sake. But I don't want to miss what the Lord has given us ... providing through friend's hospitality, their hugs, and prayers for us. I also don't want to miss this sweet time of the Christmas season. While I might not have the things of Christmas, I can still prepare my heart and this song has been on repeat this afternoon.

Blessings from this past weekend:

1. Ginna pointing to her head saying, "Top of mind." Which means... I'm thinking about you because I know you're always thinking about what's going on...

2. Lucy reminding me that we still have a week til December. So it's ok that I'm not decorating.

3. My parents who let us live with them for 5 days, fed us, and let me cry on their shoulder.

4. Allison giving me a card that says, "It's ok." She wrote that while everything is going to be ok, it's also ok right now. 

I've been clinging to this verse and even read it to my little chickadees this morning:

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

and do not lean on your own understanding. 

In all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make straight your paths -Proverbs 3:5-6

Current state of affairs

 Life has been hard lately. I think sometimes that needs to be broadcasted in the blog world for fear of always presenting an "I have it all together" image. I don't have it all together, not at all.

It's taken a while for me to call it this, but Andrew and I are on a grand adventure. 

Long {really, really long} story short: we thought we were going to close on October 30th with Rozzie. We told our landlord we'd be out Nov 15th. Everything fell through and our mortgage guy said it was a done deal. We were so sad after 4 months of hoping for this home. We moved on and looked for a rental house. Then we got an email from our mortgage guy saying there might be a chance we could get Rozzie. We very cautiously started hoping again. 

So... we still had to be out of our apartment by yesterday. We're set to close on November 30th but nothing is final and we're still waiting to hear if the underwriters approve us for this house {who are underwriters??}. All of our stuff is in a storage unit. We're couch hopping/house sitting for friends for two weeks. I've learned so much these past few days about how hard it is to move and not have a home, or even to know where we'll be living.

The Lord has been so good to us, though! He has provided through the generosity of friends and family. One of my preschool parents handed me an envelope yesterday with coupons from the Entertainment book. She said she picked out some of my favorite restaurants. Our friends are storing some of our stuff at their house: tv, my wedding dress {it still fits!}, and plants.  We stayed with some friends last night and enjoyed a cozy house {not an empty apartment}, a fire, and good chats. I've been learning to accept the generosity of others.

Who knows where we'll be living in two weeks but I know that the Lord, who cares for the little sparrow, loves and cares for us even more so.

Halloween

So I thought I'd switch things up a bit after I've been a cat for the past 5 Halloweens.

We're snail mail!!

With my friend Elizabeth who is having a bebe! If you look in the corner you can see Andrew's envelope. It lasted for a picture and then he was done. What a trooper. Also, one of our friends told me he was going to bring out the salt! I saw my life flashing before my eyes!!!

Hello

Hello there! It's been a while. I actually blog all the time... on my other blog. Yes, we have class blogs at preschool. So this one has gotten overlooked. Oops! One of these days I'll do a major Life Lately post with pictures of what we've been up to. Until then, check out where most of my life and energy is spent:

The children painted this donut and then I took a picture of them with it and we mailed it to their dads as an invitation to Donuts with Dad. Here my co-teacher and I were having fun before the children arrived.

This was the easiest project ever. I let the children draw on these paper leaves and then I sewed them together and hung on a branch. 

This is what happens to Indian corn when you leave it in water. So cool!

Leaf people.

One of my sweet little ones made this. I loved it!

Our homemade tree! 

Have I mentioned how much I love preschool? I do. I mean, don't get me wrong, 14 three year olds are sometimes exhausting, but they're so, so darling and delightful.

Update on Rozzie

It's been a week! I am finally sitting on the couch after this morning's Race for the Cure, and I don't plan on moving all day. {Plus I have a Gamecock banner I really need to finish. I think we're like 6 games in... oy.} We were at the beach with my family last weekend and ever since we returned it's been nonstop. I'm so thankful for time to rest.

Yesterday we went over to Rozzie as the Inspector was looking around. We hadn't been to the home since early July so it was great to finally be inside. Some rooms were smaller than I remember and other things surprised me like how much work the builder put in the details. We're hoping for a good report from the Inspector on Monday.

 This is a picture from the far side of the great room. I love the kitchen except I'm not crazy about those sconces on the bar. Oh well. The least of my worries at this point, though.

This is the view from the kitchen/great room. In some ways I feel like we overlook a countryside. But don't let that fool you. Our neighborhood is very rough around the edges. It will be quite a transition as we leave our beloved Myers Park. But we're excited to see how the Lord will use us in Biddleville. Plus we have lots of friends in the 'hood and have already been invited to a neighborhood block party in a couple weeks.

Rozzie is not a done deal yet. We keep reminding ourselves of that. But it sure was good to be there yesterday. I hosted Cocktail Club at our apartment last night and realized that this might be the last time my home is mostly decorated for a very long time. We will have to buy so many things for Rozzie {rugs, beds, side tables, couches, the list goes on} but have to start with the basics like blinds, shower rods, and all that. So it will be a while. But that's ok. I'd much rather decorate with patience and buy things we love than quickly put it all together.

Now about that Gamecock banner...