Quotables

"Waiting is not the hard part, it's doing the right thing while waiting."

I was challenged with these words this weekend. I know complaining about my situation or wishing the time away is not the right thing so I'm trying to be faithful to God in this time. I do believe this is where I'm supposed to be so I need to remember that on a daily basis.

Hope you had a great weekend. I know I did. I'll share later what I spent my time doing :)

#Learning

via

So I am learning how to code websites. I understand how to do it, it's just hard because there are a lot of things to remember. <----I just made that word smaller without use the smaller text button. I know, you are proud of me, right? Okay, so I can't do a lot right now but I did just finish my homework and feel proud of that. It only took 4 hours haha I saved it wrong when I worked on it last night so I had to start over. Oh well, I needed the practice anyways.

I think God must be getting sick of my prayers. They aren't creative at all. In fact, they are pretty much the same everyday. I know I am learning a lot about myself already and it's only been 2 months, it's just hard. So I'm sorry if I complain to any of you. I have a lot to be thankful for. I know I'm supposed to be here so I just need to be faithful and trust in Him and stop being a baby and complaining to many of you. I love my job just wish I had friends/my fiance here with me. Okay I'm done. I really am thankful. haha

In other notes, I've been working on a project for a week and a half and I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, so that is very exciting. Also I think my boss likes my work, which is never a bad thing. I have some fun plans for the weekend and nothing to blog about right now haha but didn't want to leave y'all hanging.

Hope you guys have a good weekend!!!

Growing Pains

There is a reason why I always do and should follow a recipe, they work and I'm not a natural chef. I kind of forgot these two proven facts the other day when I decided that I wasn't going to pay attention to measurements. I just threw in however much I wanted of ingredients because I didn't know what I was going to do with the leftover ingredients. This did not work in my favor. When you throw in too many ingredients into soup it doesn't become soup, it becomes mush. The good part of this whole endeavor is that I will be eating my mush for the next week, lunch and dinner. That recipe makes a whole heck of a lot of mush. Haha I've learned my lesson.

p.s. I'm sure this soup would be very good if you followed the recipe.

My Auto-filled weekend

Adam and I went to Detriot a.k.a Motor City this weekend to get me a car. We traveled in snow the entire way there and then got to slide in it going around Detriot. We hung out at his friend's parents' house on Friday/Saturday. There were problems with insurance and we almost couldn't drive it home but thankfully figured that out and I got to buy it. We also got to see the Auto Show on Saturday, which was way cooler than I thought it would be. All-in-all, a great weekend and I was so thankful to have Adam go with me so I didn't have to go solo. Very nice of him.

So nervous holding all the money.

Look at the cute little doggy! (beagle/maybe toy poodle mix). I got to chill with her Friday/Saturday.

Hanging out with the Kia Hamster's at the Auto Show.

My car ^ (okay not really but I wish)

Okay, for real meet my car, Bowser. He's nice and very quiet :)

Hope ya'll had a great weekend!

I don't have time

to blog because my desk looks like this

instead of something like this

I was still at work at 8 last night because of a lot of things but mainly because

My to do list looked like this. (blogging was on there :)

Anyways, Adam and I are going to Detroit tonight to hang out with his friend, Matt, and Matt's gf. Then in the morning, I'm buying my used car from Matt's dad. Pray for safety since it snowed yesterday and is supposed to snow today too. I'll post pictures of the new ride when I get it :) Have a Happy Weekend!!

Workouts and Fieldtrips

I did this awesome workout class on Tuesday night that was Yoga/Pilates mix. My new friend, Brittney, likes to call it a slow burn workout class and I couldn't agree more. It was really fun though. I love classes because I'm more motivated to work out and I like it when it goes fast. I'm hoping to keep up with that except that the second time it's offered in the week is Friday at 6am so don't know if I'll be making that workout happen every week or not.

We went on a work field trip yesterday to check out printing companies and their capabilities and also a paper supplier in the surrounding areas. It was amazing to see how much goes into just getting something printed from what paper to use, what machine to have it printed on, or even what printing process to use. I don't even have a grasp on any of it but it was a great

learning experience. I felt like I was back in grade school. Very weird feeling. It was nice, however, to spend a day with the team not doing our typical work routine.

Here is a photo from one of the places we went today. Apparently the workers are sick of the vending machine having old candy bars so they wrote the vending man a message.

Cooking for One

via

In my mind, food is meant to be a social event, one to be enjoyed and shared. I love to have food parties where everyone brings a dish or we have full-course meal shared among everyone. Cooking for one is a different story. Instead I have to ask myself, what do I want to eat for the next 7 days? When you share food, you don't necessarily think about all the calories or health of the meal because you know that you aren't going to eat the entire thing. This is different when you are cooking for one. Does anyone have any ideas for cooking for one? It's hard to split recipes if they call for whole cans of things because even if I split the recipe, I am still going to half of the can of whatever (beans, corn, soup, etc) to use. I don't want to waste but I don't necessarily want to have monotony in my diet. Anyways, just asking you guys if you know of any recipes, websites, or ideas out there for me?

P.S. for those of you that have gmail accounts or blogger accounts, if you add your email to your account I can email you back when you comment on my blog. Here's how you do it:

click on 'customize' (at the top of a blogger blog when you are signed in) then 'dashboard' then 'edit profile' . Under Privacy click 'show my email' and make sure under identity that your correct email is showing. Then save your changes.

Thanks. Hope you guys have a fabulous Wednesday.

Before and After

I am currently obsessed with this site. If you are anything like me, you love the end outcome. I love the bottom line. I saved this much money. I took it from that to this. I could watch just the end of all the makeover shows and be way happier than watching the full thing. The part I don't really like is the middle part. Ya know, the work. That can get kind of laborious and sometimes make you lose vision when there are multiple stages of creativity. This site is awesome because it shows the before and after. There's a little paragraph about the piece and I'm sure if I did more in depth research I would find out their method but I really like the to-the-point posts.

Anyone want to do projects with me in the Spring or maybe just do your own?

p.s. Nerd Alert: I am learning about html in my freshman level class and I think I could almost write the html for this post. Pretty cool, stuff.

7 quick lists

So this weekend was not a total bust and here's why:

1. I finished the second book of the Hunger Series, Catching Fire, and I'm going crazy not being able to get my hands on the final one of the series. Why you ask can I not read the last one? Well it is because I am the 7th person to put a hold on the book from the library!!! That's what you get when you read the series while it's hot. Usually I don't have this problem. I just finished the Harry Potter series, which was cool years ago, just got an iphone, and was probably the last person on the earth to update their Mac operating system.

2. Went to brunch with a new friend, Brittney, and got to hang out for the afternoon. It was really fun and it was nice to a) get to know someone and b) get to know someone who hasn't grown up at this university.

3. Went to a cool flea market and saw things from naked mannequins to super nintendo games. It was really cool. Marie, I thought of you when I saw not only the Oreo cookie jar but the Oreo milk pitcher.

4. Discovered not only was James Dean born around here but so was Jim Davis, author/creator of Garfield. Would explain all the Garfield statues around here.

5. Got Facetimed by my nieces to see if I wanted Girl Scout Cookies. They were cute and I love cookies so yes, I will order 2 boxes. I mean because there were 2 nieces, not because I just really love cookies or anything like that. I also got to see their whole Barbie, Polly Pocket, and baby collection. I know what they don't need for their next birthday/Christmas.

6. My house has had this musty, funky smell since I moved in and it's finally going away after a lot of cleaning, candle burning, and putting charcoal in the closets. This makes me happy because I don't want to be that girl with the funky smelly house.

7. I started this class with oh, mostly freshman boys but it's called Intro to Web Programming. I know, you wish you were in there with me, but the point is my prof said that we had homework this weekend. So I was stressing because I don't have internet and I didn't know when I was going to finish. So I came into my office on a Sunday to discover it's not due till Friday. Thanks Prof for the scare. I forgot this is a freshman class and I already got a degree lol

Hope the weekend was good for everyone!

Sorry.

I'm so sorry I haven't kept up with blogging this week. I just haven't had anything to report on . Moving somewhere were I don't really know anyone is getting to me. However, I am starting to meet people, which is always good. It's just a weird feeling to dread the weekend and wish it to be over. Hopefully, that will change soon.

I'm buying a new to me used car next weekend. I'm excited because my car is daily falling apart and the list is starting to get long. It will be nice to be in something that I'm not embarrassed of. I'm getting a really good deal so all is well in that realm.

Hope ya'll have a great weekend!

Weekend

This guy showed up on my porch Friday night for a surprise visit. It made a world of difference to have someone to hang out with and explore the neighboring towns. We played a lot of 7 wonders, which has a lot to grasp the first time you play but pretty fun every time after. I beat him 2 twice, which was a wonder in itself. Hope ya'll had a good weekend.

The Decision

via

You know what is ugly? Every US map there is but that's not what my blog is about so I digress.

Okay, so I am presented with a dilemma. My new move has forced me to consider what part of the country I most identify with. I mean, I grew up in a state that didn't even pick a side in the Civil War. I lived in one state, went to high school in another, and church in yet another so I didn't really identify with my "home" state. My church was non- denominational because they couldn't choose which denomination to associate with. My high school was utterly confused. It was a mennonite school called Shalom Christian Academy which sounds like it's Jewish or Christian or neither? I'm not even sure about that one. I wasn't right down the road to any major city but I was within hours to 5 of the largest cities in the country. So again no association with any particular one. Then I went to another border state for college that tried to pretend they were from the South but in all reality they weren't that south at all. However, now I am in a state that is nothing but North. I do things like ice skate, curl, ski (one day), look for good chili recipes, and order flannel sheets online. There's no "y'all", its back to being "you guys" for everything. Every town at one time was an industrial town so there are huge warehouses and factories EVERYwhere. There's always snow, whether it's a light dusting or a monsoon of snow (normal people would call that a blizzard). And when there's snow, a. the state takes care of it promptly and b. people still drive their normal speed. It's crazy how different if feels to be here then it ever has anywhere else. What's a girl who grew up in the midst of indecision and the neutral part of the country to do?

Thankful

This year was full of surprises, both good and bad. I think at times I felt like this little boy watching the penguins with all the tough situations thrown my way but all in all, I am really thankful for the blessings that God has given me.

Good friends and good food.

Friends that last all four years of college and new ones made along the way :) (my how good four years had been to us)

Graduation and good hair days.

(I wish my hair could look half that good the rest of the year)

Fun pictures, better relationships with my family, and dogs.

(Ya'll know my obsession with puppies.)

This family was great. Love them, miss them, and can't wait to till I see them again. Took me into their home and loved me like their own. Truly great people.

Y'all knew this was coming, right? Thankful for him. Distance has proven that even more. Can't wait till we live with each other.

(Probably need to pick out a wedding date first.... getting a little ahead of myself)

Fun photo shoots. I could make up something about going for your dreams or shooting for the stars but in all reality I just had so much fun being in this photo, I wanted to include it.

My family is tops on this list. So thankful for my relationships with each of them. Wish I lived closer. Maybe one day.

A mild winter. I pay the adult bills now so I'm thankful for any way to save money ;) Even though it was a bummer not to go skiing or ice skating on a pond when I was in Chicago, I'm thankful for the chance to save the little money I have.

Quick List

Since I totally missed the bandwagon of blogging about Christmas, I'll give you some highlights:

1. Quotes:

Grandma: Hey Dottie, what do you think of Adam's piano playing skills? Does it turn you on?

Natalie: This is my Aunt Dottie. I think her real name is DJ or something like that.

2. It was so good to see Adam for 10 whole days!!! I haven't seen him for that long since he left in August. It was also nice to meet his grad school friends, the family he lives with in Milwaukee, home friends, and some of his family I had never met. I also got to go curling with him, which was fun and will really help me understand it when he tells me about it.

3. I got so many presents for Christmas! I was very thankful but almost felt embarrassed or spoiled because I got soooo many more than everyone else at Adam's house. They all usually get money from their grandparents or parents but everyone knew I needed house stuff so they got me a lot of it. I am now have all the things of a housewife without actually being one.

4. I played a lot of games, most of which I hadn't ever played. We played Farkle, Stratego, 7 Wonders, Chinese Checkers, Things, Party Pong/Around the World, Just Dance Wii game, and Apples to Apples. Very fun way to spend time with the family.

5. I ate way too much food. Does anyone else feel like that?

6. I did absolutely nothing! It was nice but boy was I ever lazy.

7. My muffler fell off two nights ago. Not really a highlight but an event all the same. It had a hole in it and I had decided not to fix it so it was only a matter of time. I might be getting a new used car soon so it's all good.

Living Room Color

Here's what the living room color was. The picture doesn't do justice to the canned peas green that went with the sunshine on crack color of the kitchen.

Here it is as a buttercream yellow. Again the picture doesn't really do justice but it's much more pleasant and soothing than the original color.

NYE

New Years Eve was spent:

having a Frittata cookoff, Adam vs his Grandma for the family brunch. (Frittada is an Italian egg pie consisting of sausage on the bottom then ricotta cheese and top with egg and cooked in a skillet. Adam decided to add bacon, green peppers, and onion to his. It was really good!

Playing games with the family. Adam's grandma is fiesty. She tries to block Adam so that he can't win. Of course, he still won.

Playing harmonica with Grandpa Wally.

Parking near Millennium Park so that we could go ice skating. We got there right as they closed early for the Holiday. Now we had to walk farther to Navy Pier without the benefit of skating first.

Finding a surprise ice skating rink on the way to Navy Pier.

Getting a little misguided. We ended up in a dead end street.

The Ferris Wheel is where we were trying to be.

Waiting for the bathroom.

Finding our destination.

Riding the Famous Ferris Wheel.

Getting the best seat for the fireworks.

Having fun as the New Year began :)

Bedroom look Tease

I got a new comforter over Christmas and haven't gotten everything put away and in the right places but I thought I could at least show you the color of my room. Please excuse the number of mismatched blankets on my bed, I pay for the heat bill and therefore had to think about warmth before style.

This is what my bedroom looked like.

This is what my bedroom looks like now

Hope your holidays went well. I will update later with the rest of my house and fun things I got to do with Adam and his family. Happy New Year!