Catch Up

Time is going by so fast! Here's a quick check up for the last few months:

Removing wallpaper from Mom's new dining room

 Amber cleaning

Super Bowl Sunday with Boston

Katie Cheesin' it up

First snow in our VA Home on 02-12-12

Got Josh to wear purple and it looks good :)

Katie and Elijah hiding from Papa

 Katie didn't think you could hear her if she was wearing the headphones :)

2nd Snow 02-20-12

Josh cooking his first meal for us in the new house - spaghetti (who's surprised?).

Elijah sitting in the bench Papa made

Elijah's new hat

Dinner with Katie and Elijah and Carrie. I think I was under dressed!

Looking forward to Spring!

I think I have found something great to run for ... Nutella Crepes from Baker's Crust! Carrie shared one with me the other day at work and I can't stop thinking about it ... better get to running!

Reunited and it feels so good!

Trophyhus is back! Today was his last day in NC! He is officially home now! We have been apart (except weekends) since August 1st ... just over 7 months. God is so good! I cannot wait to see how this new chapter of our lives will play out! After all, Virginia is for Lovers ... and my lover is home!

I am currently running for butterfingers. Crazy! I know! I never really cared for them before because there wasn't enough chocolate/peanut butter combo. Someone brought the bite size to work and I can't get enough! I've got to stop this though if I am going to keep up with my Trophyhus!

Oh Nutella ...

I have a love/hate relationship with Nutella. I love to eat it but hate the way my body stores it! Usually, I load up a frozen waffle with a smear of Nutella and I'm good for a while. Tonight, I thought - why not see if there is another way to enjoy Nutella - with no bake cookies!

I promise you - it tasted way better than it looks. It mostly taste like chocolate peanut butter no bake cookies but there was a slight hint of Nutella.

So, what am I running for these days? Nutella! I think I need to figure out the combination for the cookies. Then, I can rest.

The Fun Monday Game

I'll give this a shot :)

The Fun Monday Game...

{the rules}

1. post the rules
2. post 11 fun facts about yourself
3. answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create 11 new questions for the people you tag
4. tag 11 people and link them in your post
5. let them know you’ve “tagged” them

{facts about me}

 1 - I turned 30 and celebrated my 5th wedding anniversary all within the last 30 days.
 2 - I just started a new job a little less than 6 months ago which caused me to move ~ 200 miles away from my husband (until he can join me via job/sold house).
 3 - I enjoying being an aunt so much that some days I can't wait to be a mom and other times I am thankful for just being an aunt.
 4 - I love all things sweet: cupcakes, cookies, brownies ... and think that all meals should have a dessert - even breakfast.
 5 - My love for #4 makes weight management an issue ...
 6 - If I ever owned my own business I would want it to be a cupcake shop called: Delish - because it's o-so-good" or something like that.
 7 - I wish I was artistic but instead, I'm a realist. I cannot visualize but can clearly see what's there (or isn't).
 8 - I love Jesus.
 9 - I love spending time with my family (hence the ~200 mile move).
10 - I am so thankful for my Trophy Husband.
11 - I find it extremely difficult to list things about myself.

{questions from Tiffany, The Nagy Life}

1.  Who is your favorite person in your life right now?

     My favorite person in my life right now is my Trophy Husband. I always thought I knew the type of person I wanted to marry and I am so thankful that God showed me that there is more out there. He totally blessed me when He put Josh in my life. I am thankful for the last 5 years we've had together and I cannot wait to see what the future will bring. Thank You Lord!

2.  How would you describe as a good weekend?
     A good weekend for me is having a nice evening with my Trophyhus where we have take out in front of the tv and watch funny movies all night. Then, the next day we hang out with family playing games and general merriment. Then, Sunday we go to church and come home and watch football/tv and relax and get ready for the work week. Pretty much: Trophyhus + family + good food + good times - cooking - house cleaning = Great weekend.

3.  Favorite dessert?
     This is a difficult one. I love anything with chocolate and peanut butter. The Cheesecake Factory has a delish cheesecake with tons of both of these. That's probably the current winner for favorite.

4.  Favorite time of the year?
     I think Spring is my favorite time of the year. I love everything being "reborn" and "revived." Coming out of the cold winter into the promise of Spring makes me feel renewed and ready to take on everything. It's a nice reminder from Jesus that His mercies are new every morning (I really feel it in the Spring).

5.  What is one quality you love about yourself?

     I think I love my sense of humor. I really like to laugh and I think others like to laugh with me. I'm assuming they are laughing with me and not at me!

6.  What would you change about yourself?

     I would change my temper. I often feel like I am quick to get mad or quick to see the "wrong" in a situation instead of seeing the positive. I would like to be more optimistic instead of pessimistic.

7.  What is the purpose of your blog?

     The original purpose of my blog was to let my family know what was going on in our life since we lived so far away. Now, it has changed into a way to journal what's going on in our lives now so we can later revisit and see where we have come. I would love to print my blogs into a book of memories for us later. Oh, and to keep up with friends I've moved away from :)

8.  Tell me something crazy that you have done, that no one knows about.

     I'm pretty open so if I've done something, you probably know. One thing some people might not know is that for a short time in college I had a nose ring. An actual ring - until it feel out in my sleep during exam week. My dad hated it! If it wasn't so painful/time consuming, I'd probably get it done again. This time, it would just be the small diamond that I had envisioned. The ring was to help it heal better.

9.  Your best "mommy moment" (good or bad)?
     I'm not a mom yet so my favorite "auntie moment" would be when each of my neices/nephews learn to say my name. To Samson, I am "Nee." To Katie, I am "EM-ily" (say the EM and hold it then add the ily). To Elijah, I am "N-ily" or "Enemy." I can't wait to see how Boston says it!

10.  What do you do during your child's nap time?
     When the kiddos nap (while I live with my sister) we usually watch TV. We try not to watch it while they are awake unless it's the weekend.

11.  What is the boldest thing you have done?
     The boldest thing I've ever done? Probably give my life to Jesus. I had been trying to live my life my way until I realized I had no clue what I was doing. I had created a life with a job and friends and thought I knew what I was doing. After giving my life to Jesus, my life changed and I had to change what I was doing. I lost some friends during that time. They probably think I was mean, but I was being protective. I still love them and pray for them that they find Jesus like I did. What He has to offer is way better than what we were chasing.

{bloggers I am tagging}

Sara, doodlerificmom

Ingrid, southernislander

Amber C, Maranatha!

Jennifer, Suzie Homemaker, I am not.

Jamie, The Preacher's Daughter

Amber R, The Rinaldi Family Blog

{questions for those I'm tagging}

1. If you could live anywhere, where would it be and why?
2. Why do you blog?

3. Name 2 things on your bucket list.
4. What's your favorite guilty pleasure TV show?
5. What did you and your spouse do on your first date?
6. Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? If so, what?
7. Describe one of your proudest moments.
8. What's your favorite vacation spot?
9. What celebrity blog would you love to read?
10. What's your favorite hobby?
11. Name 2 reasons why you love your husband.

VA to NC Trail

During this transition time, Josh and I are burning up the roads between VA and NC. I remember the 4+ hour trip to Richmond and how much I hated it years ago. Now, I've kind of come to enjoy it. Could be cause I know Josh is at the end of the trip :) I thought I'd share some of what I see on my trip. I've "discovered" a new way to get to NC from work. It involves taking smaller, mostly non-interstate roads and is about the same time as taking the interstate without the hectic of traffic. Plus, if you've ever taken 85 through VA, you know how utterly boring that stretch of highway is! Don't get me wrong, the first rest stop in VA is quite a beauty ...

Work is technically in the Glen Allen area and I head through Amelia, South Boston, Danville, Greensboro, and end up in Winston-Salem. I'm not sure where most of these pics come from but I find them interesting nonetheless :)

This little pond is right after I pass Amelia. I don't know what it is, but I think this is one of the most beautiful spots I've ever seen. The broken down pier, the way the sky is reflected in the water ... I don't know. This isn't the best picture as it doesn't capture what I really see. I even pulled over to take this picture. It's definitely one of the highlights of the trip for me.

The next two pictures are of the Drive-In theater in Keysville, VA. The big white blob is the screen and the blue building is the projection house. I love the drive-in!

 Below is a fire tower between Amelia and South Boston, I think. I've never seen one of these until now. Apparently, people still use this one to make sure there are no fires in the area. I would hate to climb up those stairs to the top though!

I usually stop in South Boston as this is about an hour and a half into my trip. I like to stop at the Sheetz for gas since prices are usually better than NC. I normally stop and get dinner too and actually missed this sighting a few times. Brace yourself ... the picture below is a UFO!

Did you see it? If you look closely, there is a shiny gold UFO in someone's yard. Here's a close up:

Seriously, who puts a UFO in their yard????????????? It is very clear and very obvious in person.

Ok, back to the tour. I think we are just past South Boston but not quite to Danville yet. The house below has an orange tent in their front yard. This tent has been up since August. At first I thought, how cute! Someone's kids are enjoying the summer ...then, I'm wondering if someone's husband is in the dog house ... and has been for quite sometime.

This picture is of a house with two different tin roofs - one red and one blue. The front of the house has a red tin roof and the back part has a shiny blue tin roof. I'm not very sure why you want a roof with two different colors.

This last picture is no where near as nice as what I actually see. Depending on the time of year, this is either 5:15-5:30 or as late as 8:30 - Twilight. I believe this is heading into Danville, VA.

I'm so familiar with Greensboro that once I get through Danville I feel like I am already home so I don't take many more pictures. Plus, it's dark by then now. I'm not sure if I have the locations correctly labeled.

You can see that the photography is not award-winning - I like to think it is the device and not the photographer. I wouldn't recommend Blackberry as a professional photography device.

I don't mind the drive too much as it gives me time to see the sights and listen to music and sing till my mouth is dry or my ears hurt (whichever happens first). I just hope I don't have to do this drive too much longer or Josh either for that matter! Until then, I'll try to look at the fun side :)

What am I running (or should be running) for these days? I'd have to say my most recent obsession has been cookies - Danish Wedding cookies that Carrie makes, oreos, chocolate chip - really, any kind. I haven't met a cookie that I didn't like recently. This is turning into a bit of a problem ...

Happy Birthday to me!

Who knew turning 30 would be so fun?

I am so thankful for my loving family!

Yesterday was my actual birthday. It started off with a delicious breakfast with my husband and father-in-law. I don't think I have ever seen so much gravy! Then, I checked in at work for a little before closing up shop for the year. We had a lite lunch thanks to Customer Appreciation $2 subs at subway. Opened gifts with Trophyhus and his dad - can't wait to wear my new "Virginia is for Runners" shirt! Then, I sat and watched junk tv while they installed programmable thermostats for the new house. Josh made reservations at a very nice restaurant where I had the best lava cake ever! Funny that it was a steakhouse and the steaks were extremely good but I can't stop thinking about that lava cake with ice cream.

I saw most of my family yesterday but didn't really have time to hang out due to various reasons. Below are pics of the party I missed at my sister's house:

So today, I got a pedicure with Carrie. Actually, she was "babysitting" me while the rest of the family was secretly at my house decorating and cooking. We pulled up to my house just in time. There was caution tape warning that a 30th birthday party was occurring at the curb, pink flamingos (affectionately known as Boris and Doris) in the yard, a palm tree cooler in the dinning room with pink flamingo drink holders, everyone was wearing leis, and I wore a grass skirt. So thankful they didn't have a coconut bra! That might have been overkill ... it looked like Hawaii collided with Virginia. I loved every bit of it! Apparently, my sweet Trophyhus has been planning and working with my family to get this together for a while. I was very excited and blessed for all their hard work. Mom made so much food and Amber even made me purple cupcakes! I am so thankful for my family. They made me feel so special and loved.

Cupcakes Amber made just for my party - PURPLE :)

The last 30 years have been great! I cannot wait to see what the future holds! It just keeps getting better and better! Thank You Lord! Funny that I used to cry on my birthdays because I didn't want to grow up. I even delayed getting my license till I was 16 and 1/2. All this changed when I found Jesus! Now, I keep getting better and better - ok, so it isn't me. It's Him in me. I'll gladly take it! I want more of Him and less of me.

I am currently running for meatballs, cocktail weenies, cheese ball, chicken salad, pizza, cupcakes, spinach dip, and the rest of the food Mom made for my party. Good thing tomorrow is New Year's Eve - Mom made enough food for at least 2 parties!

Who rides a Party Bus to work??? I do!

At work we have this really cool perk - since our campus is overcrowded, they offer "cafe cash" if you ride the shuttle in from one of the really far back parking lots instead of parking in front of your building. I am all for this as I love lunch and what's better than a free or partially free lunch? They give me $4 in cafe cash Monday through Thursday just for parking far away! I can eat a good lunch for like $.50-$1.50 - um, sweet!

Usually, the bus is your normal mini coach bus. Nothing fancy. Tuesday was just an ordinary day. Kind of rainy so no one was enthused, until ... here comes the Party Bus! Carrie and I caught the last two seats on the bus. The driver warned us that this wasn't an ordinary bus and she was right! We sat down on the comfy leather couch-type seating and couldn't help but snicker. Everyone else on the bus was pretty serious so we kept it to ourselves until after the first stop in front of building 2 where 75-90% of the passengers got off. We only had a few minutes before our stop so we took the opportunity to take some pictures ...

Did you notice the zebra print pillow? The running lights? Did I mention the music playing? It was something Zumba-like ...

Ok, so it's a horrible picture of me but a very funny story that started our day off with a laugh :) As one guy stepped off the bus he commented - "It's all downhill from here today." It was a sweet ride, even if it only lasted for 5 minutes :)

I am currently running to work off the delicious cookies from the Ladies' Cookie Swap I just left ... dozens and dozens of delicious cookies ...