The First Year

One year ago today, we looked like this:

I was thinking about that day, exactly at 1:30, when I was lining up behind my bridesmaids with my father at my side.  It's funny that I don't normally remember all things clearly, but I remember that so well.  I remember how I felt, sort of breathless and nervous.  I even remember standing in the foyer and watching a few people come in- almost, but not quite, late- including a few of my students.  It felt surreal that my long-awaited wedding day had arrived.

I would be lying if I said that my wedding day was the best day of my life, but don't go getting the wrong idea.  I was happy to marry my darling, but I really don't like ceremonies, especially ceremonies that I am in!  I really could have done without all the hoopla, and I tried to have very little of it as possible.  I was so glad when it was OVER, and I could focus on the future with my husband. We could finally be together all the time, without having to travel to another state to see one another. Our wedding day led to the best days to come because we could spend them together.

Before getting married, of course we knew that marriage is hard work.  I think we'd have to be living under a rock to not know that.  Brian and I come from two different worlds.  My parents are divorced and his have a very happy and solid marriage.  I'm so glad that one of us does.  It is wonderful to have that example before us.

We knew it would be hard work, and we'd have to agree that it is.  It is good work, however, the kind of work in which both parties should persevere.  I've spent this year trying to be my husband's help meet.  I know that I am, but I also see the areas in which I have fallen short.  It is my goal to be better this next year. I want to not only serve my husband with such things like cooking and cleaning, but I want to bring out the best in him.

Just as I am his help meet, I'd be lost without him.  I need his companionship and his strength when my emotions are off kilter.  I can lean on him when I'm too weak on my own.

Our goals for this next year include growing closer to God and each other, and loving and serving one another better.  When we moved two weeks ago, we decided not to reorder cable (we had the basic before).  Television is such a huge distraction (even though we didn't watch those horrible shows on these days), and since we've gotten rid of it, I can honestly say I'm not missing it.  Instead of mindlessly sitting in front of a screen, we can talk more.  We also have agreed to begin online Bible courses together- for free!  It is just another way for us to connect and to grow.

We are excited about the future.  It is strange to say when we've been married for a year, because it still seems like yesterday, and it seems like ten years, all at the same time!  I am blessed to have found someone willing to put up with me, and I know I love Brian more today than I did on August 20, 2011.  What a blessing he is to me, and I pray that I will be to him for all of his days!

Here we are today!  It's not a close up photo, but for fun I put on the same headband and earrings that I wore as a bride.  Maybe I'll do that every year on our anniversary!

P.S.  Happy Birthday to Brian's mom!  If anyone reading this was at our wedding, you might remember singing to Brian's mom last year at our reception.

Unpacking

This is pretty much what's going on in our house right now:

We've been unpacking, little by little, trying to do something small each day.  I have been tempted to take all of our things, throw them out, and start over.  It is quite challenging to find places for odds and ends.

Our house is not huge by any means.  That would have been silly to buy a very large house, considering it is just the two of us right now.  That aside, I'm glad it isn't a huge place.  The bigger the place, the more tempted we are as human beings to keep bringing in more items to fill it.  As it is, Brian and I both need to downsize and get rid of a few things along the way.

I have been opening up a few boxes that I've had packed for a year.  At our old apartment, there was no point in unpacking everything due to the lack of space and our intention to only stay there for a short time.  As I am looking at items I haven't seen in a while, there are mixed emotions.  Some things I'm really quite happy to see and enjoy again.  Others I haven't missed, and it makes me ask the question, "Do I really need this?"

It is so easy for our stuff to begin to own us, rather than us owning our stuff.  The last thing I want is a home that is bursting at the seams because we can't part with a few items.  It is hard to get rid of things, whether it has some sentimental value (for ex:  a gift) or some useful value (for ex:  teaching files).  I know I personally need to look at some of my things with a more critical eye and give them the old HEAVE-HO.

It will take us a while for our home to be what we want.  We still have to move quite a few pieces of furniture from NJ, and when we have those, that will enable us to truly settle and unpack more items even further.  I expect the whole process of getting settled to take a few months at least, while we figure out where this and that are going.  This doesn't count the things we will do to improve our home (adding blinds, ceiling fans, etc.)

Until then, it is one day at a time, and I have to remind myself (or Brian reminds me), that there is no deadline here.  It is a little bit every day that will enable us to cross the finish line.  We're just happy we have a house and the time to take.

Oh, Deer, Can I Bear It?

We moved approximately twenty miles and a half an hour west, and ever-so-slightly south, yet it is a different world here.  Before the move, we were on the border of NY and a hop, skip, and jump from NJ.  Though vastly different from my former stomping grounds of the Jersey Shore, it provided some convenience, albeit not the convenience I had once been used to.

Our move has taken us into the Poconos, and convenience isn't the word that comes to mind in our new community.  We are now more remote, perhaps more so than either of us has ever been before. It's an adjustment for us both.

Since we've moved in our new house, deer have graced us with their presence just about every day. For the people that live here, it is very likely no big deal.  Brian and I, however, usually stop what we're doing and whoever spots the deer first calls the other to the window.  We've had bucks and does who love to snack in the brush between ours and our neighbor's land.  It's been fun to watch them, but I can't help but get a bit nervous when we go for walks and we see deer right in front of us. Okay, so I know they won't hurt us... but an animal is an animal, and for sure and for certain they carry some nasty tics.

We've also had a turkey scurry through our yard.  It is kind of funny to think that once upon a time, our ancestors would have not let dinner get away!

My only real worry is bears.  We've been warned, by various people, that a bear may pay a visit. Brian is trying to train me on what to do if I see a bear.  Lesson 1:  Don't scream.  Lesson 2:  Walk away slowly.  Hmm.  He knows me too well.  There's no saying how I'll react if that day comes. Lord, I pray it is not soon!

Moving In

The above cake was made by Brian's sister in celebration of our new home!  She came down with her husband and kids, and so did Brian's parents, all the way from upstate NY to help us move this past weekend.  One of Brian's best friends also joined us, and a friend from our church brought a trailer which enabled us to move our furniture without renting a truck.  Three cheers for saving money!

Things are rather messy right now, so I'll skip any photos, but we are loving our new home.  It is a castle in comparison to the apartment we left behind.  Some of my favorite things are my new kitchen, which has an island, and our deck.  After being in that stuffy apartment, it is wonderful to have our own area OUTSIDE.  I haven't lived in a house (a full house, not a part we were renting) since I was nineteen, and I almost forgot what it feels like.  Just the upstairs alone of our new house is bigger than our old apartment, and there's another floor!

We are mostly staying upstairs right now because our boxes are sort of all over the place downstairs, but I keep thinking when we do get set up down there, this place will feel even bigger!

We still need to move some items from NJ- some of my old furniture as well as furniture being given to us.  We will have to rent a truck for that, but once that is done, we'll finally be settled.  If you're keeping track, I was just moving one year ago to PA as I was preparing for our wedding, so I am looking to not go anywhere for a long while.  I want to unpack and not see another brown box for a long time!

As I said to Brian's mom when I unpacked my teapot, "It's home when the teapot is on the stove ." We're so grateful for this house, yet we are ever mindful that this home is only temporary.  We never want to get so settled in this life that we forget that each day we are striving for our heavenly home. May we be ever mindful of that!

We're Homeowners!

After biting our nails for the past week and having our closing delayed once, we are happy to say that we now officially have our own home!  We'd like to introduce you:

We are just ecstatic beyond belief.  God has been so good to us.  We officially began our house-hunting on March 31.  We must have looked at two dozen houses all together, which included two that I saw without Brian.  We made an offer on June 10 for our house, and a little over a month and a half later, we are thrilled to say it is finally ours.  We got a great deal and paid far less than its market value.  I am a bargain shopper to the core, and I'm happy to say our house was a bargain, too!

Now comes all the hard work, and believe us when we say there is a lot!  But it's quite all right with us.

Birthday With My Husband

Today is my birthday.  This was the second birthday I have ever missed spending at my home in NJ. I spent one summer in Pasadena to complete my training for teaching abroad.  Brian and I did go home two weeks ago, and I celebrated a pre-birthday with my family.

So Brian was all on his own today, and he did just fine.  I was happy to wake up next to him, my first birthday as a married woman.

I could write so much more on this blog.  I want to and have desired to over the past couple of weeks.  I have tons of pictures of my trip home:  my nieces and nephews, my poor mom in her arm sling and boot for her broken foot that were the result of a recent fall.  I have photos of Brian kayaking down the Delaware River as I stood on the bridge above him.  Time has not allowed it, as Brian and I are preparing to move into our own home.  We are ecstatic, but overwhelmed at the same time.  Our apartment is a sea of boxes that continues to grow, and life has been challenging at best as we maneuver through this unfamiliar world of buying a home.  We are grateful for God's blessings in our lives, and we look forward to our new home with pure joy.

I will update more when we are settled in and will show a photo or two.  Please hang in with us as our lives are in a bit of transition right now.

A Few Random Updates

Our summer has gotten off to a busy start, and I've meant to blog a hundred things by now, but haven't gotten around to it.  I'll just post some pics with a few words of what we've been up to.

Brian finished out his school year one week ago with one last performance at graduation.  Each year, his band performs a live performance of "Pomp and Circumstance".  I like to take pictures of him in action while conducting, so as the graduates marched out and everyone was busy watching them, I scurried over so I could get some better shots of Brian.

Since Brian is now on vacation, we've decided to do one fun thing a week that we don't normally do.  This past week, we went to Claws N' Paws, which is a zoo out near us here in PA.  We went there two summers ago when we were dating, and it was really nice to revisit the place.

 I caught this photo a little too late because my camera was in my bag, but Brian was face to face with this white tiger.  Of course, there is glass there, but as Mr. Tiger got close to Brian, he began to lick the glass.  Was he looking for a snack?  Did Brian look like a tasty treat?

We had to stop and pose with the gorilla painting just as we did two years ago.

Brian and I don't bite, mind you.  I just had to take this photo.  Wouldn't it make a great sign on our front door?

We've been committing this summer to walk 10,000 steps a day.  While we may not get to it every single day, we've gotten off to a great start already.  We get up early, walk 5,000, and then we walk another 5,000 in the evening.  It breaks it up and we miss the hot sun during the day.

I'm a pretty good bargain shopper, but somehow I managed to find these two watermelon slices for a penny each.  The cashier was none too happy with me.  Although they indeed rang up for one cent a piece, she insisted I ought to be charged full price.  I was calm but held my own and said that this is the price that is marked on them and I would not want them otherwise.  (Side note:  Even if a store makes a mistake, I believe it is their duty to honor their mistake.)  She called up a supervisor who took my side and said if that was what they were marked, then I could have them.  Geesh, it made me wonder if the cashier had never found a good deal in her life and didn't want anyone else to have one.  Needless to say, those were some delicious watermelons.  (Oh, by the way, the cashier did ring me up for three watermelons, but I wasn't going to balk at the one cent I was overcharged.)