A Peek into Our Winter Wonderland // Our First Snow

Yesterday it started flurrying a little bit & I got excited.  You see, up here in Indiana....snow is nothing exciting.  Apparently it happens a lot.  Down in Virginia where I was, snow is a big deal.  So I got all excited, stood outside for a bit & took some pictures.  This morning I opened the door for the workers to come in & saw a winter wonderland outside! So I took more pictures!!  Here's how our house looks now, after our first snow.

Here you can see that we are working on our house, look at that cone & the sticker on the windows.  That's also the contractors' truck out there!

We have so many doors on our house.  Three to be exact!  The official front door is the one that faces the street but we've had someone in the past be confused as to which one is the real front door.   I hate that the cone & the little marking flags are in this picture because of how perfect the snow is.  But isn't our little yellow house just adorable!  I couldn't love it more.

There are no houses across the street but a little bit of marshy-ness & then a hill.  So we have a really good view of the houses & trees down the hill.  It's actually a great view! I tried to get a good close up of the snow cover on the houses down there.  I am so glad I caught snowflakes in some of these images!  So pretty.

We have a big back yard with a few different tiers.  Here it is covered in snow! I think in the spring we're going to have a nice little garden in that little boxed off part...at least that's what Zach is thinking. I think it would be nice to grow something...even though I'm sure I don't have a green thumb.

Well that's a little tour of our winter wonderland that I woke up to today.  It sort of surprised me that there was still snow on the ground this morning!

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Five Things I Miss About Virginia

So it's been a little over a week and Zach & I are holding up strong here in Michigan.  Well, He's holding up & I feel like sometimes I am just holding on.

It's been weird leaving everything you've ever known to go to a place where you only know one person & he works all the do dah day.  I've struggled with internet woes, unpacking & organizing a bit in our little pit stop, & plain 'ol getting used to the fact that I'm not in Virginia any more.  Don't get me wrong, I totally fell in love with Michigan when we visited early this Spring...but actually making the move has been hard.  While Michigan is pretty, here are a few things I'll miss about good ol Virginie:

Room Mate Time //  I've always lived with a room mate so I don't think living with Zach is going to be too terribly different except that we sleep in the same bed & like each other a bit more...but it's weird living with a boy & only a boy.  I've lived with boys before (both Jason -Katie's hubby- & Tyler -an old room mate in college-) But this boy, I have to spend a lot of time with.  It's been weird (and sorta wonderful) getting to know this boy as a room mate but I miss the girl time that Katie & I could have just hanging out.  We didn't do a lot of it before Zach left cuz I just liked him so much...and I really realized that when he left.  So I tried to hang out with Katie & be a good friend and roomie.  And now I miss it!

Puppy Cuddle Time // That stinky little baby poopie doop Cody is a cuddler.  I know I've shared pictures here before where he just doesn't care that you are working or sleeping or doing something...when he wants to cuddle he wants to cuddle.  And he will stand on your shins, on your laptop, on your arm until there is a place to cuddle on you.  I miss his stinky face & hes little tiny paws. He is a cutie.

Williamsburg // Being in Williamsburg, Va was awesome.  I'd see Ben Franklin at Wendy's, Martha Washington at Target, & some other colonial guy every day catching the bus on my way to work.  It was a great place to live.  Filled with history, good food, attractions, shops, etc.  It was just a lovely place to be.  Though it seemed like it was filled with old people, there were tons of interesting twenty somethings held up at the Green Leaf on any given Sunday....mainly it was all my friends.  It was just a great place to spend my first year out of college & to learn who I am & which beer I like :)

New Friends & Old Friends // A lot has changed in the like 3 or 4 years Katie has lived in Williamsburg.  I actually visited Williamsburg a few times before moving down & just always felt like it was home to me.  Right before I left I made some really awesomely rad friends & I am sad I won't get to do more things with them.  It's hard leaving friends you've known for a while but leaving friends you wish you could know....the hardest.

Family // Of course I'll miss my family.  It was nice having them only an hour away from me & across a bridge.  Far enough away to be on my own but close enough if I needed them.  Now, instead of skyping with Zach at my Grandma's, I'll be skyping with my Grandma at our house.  It's going to take some getting used to.  I do have an aunt around in Michigan that I know I could call upon...but it's just weird to be so far away!

But I am here & I am excited.  I can't wait to make new friends & create a life with someone.  I am so thankful for his parents' hospitality even though I am a little too shy to go over & just hang out with them.  I have a hard time adjusting to new situations and its even harder when the person you're used to is gone all day.

I've had fun exploring my new little temporary home & even got lost trying to find Target & Hobby Lobby.  Holding up in Starbucks for some quality wifi hasn't been too bad either.  I can't wait to experience more in my new little life here but I will always call Virginia home.

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Scenes From Moving

Well folks, it's Wednesday & that means that tomorrow Zach will finally be in my life after 3 months of skype dates.  We've come so far & learned so much about each other that I can't even put into words.  I know that on Thursday evening when I see him nothing will compare to that emotion!

I've been packing (as you know) for the past 3 weeks or so & just wanted to share with you some scenes from my life & what I'll be missing (sorry for the blurriness, I don't know why my phone all of a sudden doesn't want to take good pictures!)  I don't know how people make moving look so pretty! I've been taking pictures with my phone to document it and they aren't coming out well:

First I'll miss the pottery studio & friends I've grown to love over this past year.  It's been wonderful to finally learn to make round things.  In college, I hand built because I could not throw! But now I am so confident! I've learned so much! I've also seen some incredibly talented people come & go from this class.  It's been a great experience.

Scenes from around our house: Camp furniture in the living room & boxes piled high in the spare room.  It's been a mad house!  We got Katie moved out for the most part this past weekend & now it's just up to me.  I have little bits I still have to pack & will hopefully get done with tonight.  Here are some pictures of Katie driving a giant Uhaul back & forth from the Uhaul place to our house & to her new house:

You can see that she is one tiny little lady.  She had the seat pushed all the way up & needed a phone book to see over the steering wheel almost. (just kidding.)

I am going to miss this little man terribly! Since I only shared puppy parent duties with Katie & her husband...I guess he has to stay with his momma.  He's such a little helper & a great snuggler.  Now to convince Zach we need a baby tiny dog....

There was also a week long going away party in my honor.  I am so lucky to have good friends who need very little excuse to get together for good food & drinks.  We met at the best Mexican Place in Williamsburg on Friday,  then the best Chinese Food Place in Williamsburg followed by Putt Putt on Saturday, & topped it off with drinks at the best Bar in Williamsburg.

So this week has been a crazy whirlwind! I can't wait for tomorrow though, its going to be exciting!

Have a great Wednesday!

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On Being A Ship in Port

Until I graduated college I'd lived in the same house for 23 years.  My parent's still live in the house I grew up in & my Grandmother still lives in the house she lived in when I was younger, 10 minutes away from my parents.  I've always lived near the ocean, vacationed near the lake, & had a pool to call home in the Summer.

Images edited on my iPhone 4 with assorted apps, frame & light leaks applied in PictureShow

It is a strange notion to me to think that others have never, ever touched the ocean.  It's strange to think that other's don't spend vacations lounging on floats off the dock.  The first summer I stayed at my University instead of going home I felt like I was beached.  I felt dehydrated all the time!

There is something about freely floating that I just love.  To be able to submerge myself & feel the water all around me.  It is very important to me that I continue to live in close vicinity to the water.  I could never live in Arizona so moving nearer to Lake Michigan with Zach seems very appropriate.

We've been talking about houses lately.  We've been discussing decor & more importantly buying a home.  We've been weighing the options of renting vs. owning, of renovating vs move-in-ready, & if it's possible for me to attempt the self employment dream I've always wanted.  I talked a bit last week about my confusion at turning work into sales, & am still stuck there.  I don't know how other indie biz owners make it work! Am I not investing enough? How do I do it? I know I've got tons of books I need to be reading & loads of articles to go through.  I am excited & nervous to embark on this road!

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We've been talking about me moving up to meet him sooner rather than later & it scares the crap outta me.  I am nervous & excited.  But then I've got moving expenses, money to save, loans to pay....it all gets a bit overwhelming if you stop & think about it.  I wish I had the means to pack up & leave but wanting to finish what I've started (a lease) is really important to me.  But things may work out where they will let us out of our lease early.

All fears aside, I can't wait to make our own memories on the beaches of the Great Lakes.  I can't wait to see where the current takes us.  Even though I am terrified!

It also doesn't help that all my favorite references are nautical related or that I have a thing for anchors.  It's like that first jump off the dock into the cold lake, you've just gotta do it or you'll miss out on the fun!

A ship in port is safe, but that's not what ships are built for. And all that jazz.

Have you been thinking of taking a leap lately? 

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Sum up Sundays // An Empty Apartment

Zach's last day here in VA was Friday, he left on Saturday morning.  Which means today marks the end of the first 24 hours.  It took nearly everything I had not to break down at work through the past week.  Friday was the worst, but I got through it in part to reading this post about Long Distance Relationships (or LDRs).

I hope to document how things go for us on our journey through an LDR & hopefully find some fun Long Distance dates to go on.  We especially need to Skype & watch Stargate on Netflix since our after work activities generally consist of that.

We got together with a few of his friends for a Mongolian BBQ going away party.  I had a yummy drink & we sat for 3 hours talking.  And by we I mean that I had no idea what computer jargon they were spouting out & flipped through instagram.

I think one of the hardest parts I'll face when I decide when I am going to move to meet him is going to be making friends.  I always get nervous that I'll never be able to make friends.  When I was in college I thought the same thing & came out with some great friends.  I do know that I may be able to meet up with some up north blog friends (Kristin, I'm talking about you!).  I don't know what opportunities I'll have to make friends, I am really a home body type of person.  But if Zach has friends he's hanging out with, I'd like to have some too ya know.  

About mid stage in packing.  Man I thought we'd never get done.  I hate packing & moving so I tried my hardest not to whine and complain.  I did whine a bit on Wednesday but Thursday I just moved whatever needed to be moved.

Who would have thought old military undershirt things and PT shirts would be good packing material.  But we used those + grocery bags on all the plates & fragile things.

I packed away Zach's movies & games and came upon the movie that started it all.  The day he made me this lunch on our second date we watched Stargate afterwards.  This is also the first movie where we cuddled (awwww...)  Now we watch the episodes on his DVD collection & are up to season 9 of SG-1.

He found a few MREs when he was cleaning so we had a yummy & also incredibly gross dinner of military issue food.  We sat in the floor of the living room with boxes around us & ate.  It was as if I was in the DHARMA initiative.  I am going to have a little vlog/video up soon of our experience with it that I took on my phone for lack of anything to do in his empty apartment.

I took this photo while he was going over to turn in his keys.  I took the key off my key ring and gave it to him as he begging me not to cry.  He's begged me not to be sad this whole time & I just can't help it!

So now its the waiting game & I don't know what to do.  I've spent this weekend with my grandma & aunts.  We went to the Cheesecake Factory & had a yummy dinner and dessert.  Spent the night talking about pottery & watching NCIS.

I hope your weekend was a pleasant one!  What did you do?

Dorm Dec Wednesday: Moving Out

If you've been paying any bit of attention, then you'll know

 that since January I've been planning to move in with one of bblfs.

It's finally happening......I am meeting another one of my 20 before 24 goals

Moving has been both terrifying & exciting.

I have gone from a small campus apartment to sleeping on a couch for a few weeks

& the final step will take place in a month

where we will move into our own little place - just two bblfs, a dog, & a backyard (& perhaps a boyfriend)

but mainly just us.

we both can't wait!

I imagine this is how I will feel:

Isn't this little music vid so cute?

I can't wait to be able to call a little place my own.

How did it feel when you moved out? were you terrified? 

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Ending the Week in Style

My summer job is almost wrapping up.  My staff leaves tomorrow & we leave on the 3rd.  Its been a crazy good summer!

I am thinking about moving home for two weeks, moving my sister into her dorm at college & moving myself in to my apartment.  I still have to pack up my room from work!  I need to go through a whole mess of stuff to see what I need to put in my storage unit, what I need to bring home, & what I flat out need to get rid of.  Does anyone have any packing tips? Any tips on throwing things out?  I am such a keeper of things! My mother is that way too.  I just don't see the reason in  throwing it away if its still good.  I have a chair that belonged to my father in college (it is ugly and brown...why do I still have it?), I have a lamp my mother gave me that her mother gave her, my tv looks like a computer monitor & has a VHS player in it because I got it when I was in 8th grade.  I just keep everything!  

I also just wanted to share an image of my bedroom from last year:

As you can see I preferred a messy bed to a made one :)  Sorry the image is so dark, I have no idea why I took it to begin with.  That lamp is the one my mother gave to me & my father's chair was in our living room.  

I will see ya tomorrow with a new Fan Fridays!