the Chandelier

When I moved into C' house after the wedding, there were many projects I had in mind to transform the house into our home.  One example was the light in the dining room; to be perfectly honest, I did not like the fixture very much…it said standard and boring where I would have preferred some kind of statement.  So when the light bulb went out, I was not too sad.  Thinking ahead, I asked C just to take the light fixture down.  It was going to be replaced sooner or later and I thought…why not jump into that process?

That resulted in 7 months of nothing but wires (sadly) looking like this...a blurry mess:

So much for jumping into the project!  I will admit, it was not for a lack of trying to move forward.  I searched online for hours, and days…trying to find the right fixture.  I looked at the big stores including Lowe's and Home Depot, and all of the little stores Google could find, but couldn't find "the one".

Finding the one is a big deal in our house.  Before any major purchase (and often minor too), C would ask if it was what I wanted for the next 10 years.  There is something about a long term commitment that makes me pause while shopping.  The light fixture was certainly in the category of needing to be the one, hence a 7 month search!

One day I was discussing my disappointment with the search to our wonderful small group leader, and she suggested The Big Chandelier.  It was exactly what I was looking for….AMAZING!

It wasn't long before I fell in love with....

and knew it was the one for our dining room.  I was so excited about the possibility of having dinner at the table with light (beyond candles)!

At the end of January, the chandelier was finished (new color and wiring) and I thought the wait was finally over.  With a whole day cleared on our calendars, we set out to hang the chandelier.  We quickly realized that we live in a house with not so great electrical wiring.  You see, C did a wonderful job of putting it up and it was beautiful....only it didn't turn OFF.  Oops!

So after another week, and some tinkering with the assistance of

and help from my father-in-law over the phone, I am happy to announce we (finally) have a working light in the dining room!

Looking forward to having friends over for dinner parties soon!  Who wants to come?

In the Beginning

Spring makes me happy - it just may be my favorite season.  The past few weeks have gone by so quickly!  Not that we have been up to much, but I must admit that I am LOVING LIFE and that is keeping me busy.  It seems that the change of weather has brought me a new perspective, or at least a refreshed outlook…which is gladly welcomed after a long "reading season".

I thought this might be a good time to tell a little bit about us.  Is actually quite a long story - going back to 2000, or 2003 depending on how you look at it.  To tell you all about the past twelve years (give or take) might take a few hundred posts….honestly!  I thought the best introduction might be what C wrote for our wedding website:

We met in Ms. Hathaway's 9th grade English class, but never really talked until E asked C to junior prom. After a few dates, the couple hit it off at prom and their relationship continued through high school and into college.  Sailing the waters of a long distance relationship (with E at Fairfield University and C at Georgia Tech) was rocky at times, but the couple made it through the college years with many fond memories of places like Charleston and Gatlinburg.  Following graduation, E took the plunge, packing her life into her little 2-door Civic and moving down to Atlanta.  Three long years later, C finally came to his senses and both were ready to take their relationship to the next level.

Well, that is it...or at least the basics anyway.  Yes, yes - there is so much that has been left out of those sentences…from "Monday night dinners" to date-night adventures, trips and time spent with friends, there are some wonderful memories that I am sure will be remembered through this blog at some point (so stay tuned!).

This spring season will surely bring new chapter(s) to share and we are excited for what is to come as we seek to grow in our relationship with the Lord and each other.

A Bucket List of Sorts

It took 2 full years of working full-time and going to school part-time, but this past December I completed my masters degree.  So exciting!  I have dedicated the "spring semester" to.... NOTHING.  I did not add any more meetings or events, no additional commitments were made (not even one that is only monthly) - you can even ask my husband, as this is sort of a big deal.  While I have given much of what would have been my free time to work over the past couple of months (reading applications), I also have been crafting a list of considerations.  Let me share some ideas on what could/should be next:

• Train for a marathon (side note: it is my goal to run one before I am 30)
• Read a book, or two....or maybe an entire 'best seller list'?
• Start some projects around the house
•  Landscaping, demolition / reinstallation, painting, decorating, etc.
• Take a photography class to be able to use the camera I bought after graduating from Fairfield University (almost 5 years ago!)
• More school?! (certificate in college counseling or perhaps an EdD?)
• Travel - there are friends I haven't seen in what feels like forever, and I would love to catch up! (Virginia, Colorado...and maybe even somewhere abroad)
• Learn Spanish

Well, that is all I have for now.  Anything sound especially fun?

Prayer

Today begins the season of Lent, and while I grew up in the tradition of "giving something up" and not eating meat on Fridays, it has come to mean something entirely different as I have developed a relationship with the Lord.

(My story is far too long to a post tonight but I will give you a short summary...I grew up in the Catholic faith but did not really come to understand faith and grace until High School through my involvement in YoungLife).

I have come to see Lent as a period of time dedicated to growing in my relationship with the Lord - really a time of FOCUS.  This year being married added a whole new element: namely if or how to incorporate my practices in Lent into our practices.  After sharing my thoughts and proposing a few ideas, C decided we should spend time every day in prayer together.

You see, this together piece is an important note.  Since completing my master's degree in December, I have been (attempting to) spend more time at home and with C.  While I will argue that I am not doing "too much", and really only have a couple of things going on - I will also be honest and admit that I generally love to be busy and involved.  The past two months have been a wonderful struggle of patience, and a time of reflection while considering and how I should be using time.  In this first year of marriage, I feel blessed to have this opportunity (and a husband who continually reminds me that I am in a season/semester of quiet time)!  (Only two more months to go....but then again, we will just have to see what that may, or may not, bring).

In praying together, we will not only be spending time together but also sharing our prayers with God and each other.  Just this week, I have been struck by friends' comments on the importance of praying out loud.  While I believe that God does hear our thoughts and prayers, even if not spoken - there may be something about voicing our acknowledgements of thanksgiving and petitions that is almost on a different level when said out loud.

So in this 2012 season of Lent, we are committed to a journey of communication with each other and with God as we pray together.

A LOVE kind of week

Valentines Day always makes me think of elementary school and sharing candy cards with classmates and friends....they truly are rather fond memories.

I wanted to share a few special moments from this past week...

Dinner with friends on Tuesday night

Sharing in the excitement of a kick-off soccer dinner for Curtis' team

Watching Biggest Looser together and taking a moment to relax

Raking leaves - so simple and yet so fun!

New adventures in the rain (I can only stay inside for so long!)

Eating my first ever smores cupcake (yum!)

(PS. smores and cupcakes are probably two of my favorite things, so together they are amazing)

And of course, all of the laughter and fun that comes along with these moments.

the TV

More often than not in the past 7 months, the TV in our house is on.  The majority of the time it is sports- watching Arsenal play is a must, but really any soccer, football, basketball or baseball game will do!  On Tuesday nights you can often find us watching Biggest Looser (a fun tradition of ours).  Any other time, it could be anything from ESPN (to learn more about sports) to A&E, the History Channel, or maybe even HGTV.  While sports are obviously a love of ours - there are really so many channels to choose from!  I honestly do not even know how many we have...or should I say HAD.

This week we made the decision - no more cable TV.  It is a bit scary, but definitely exciting!  I am looking forward to focusing on our relationship and making memories through new adventures (no more sitting on the couch).  I absolutely love adventures and for me, the weight of lost opportunities was taking a toll.  So good-bye cable, you may be missed....

but I am looking forward to what is to come!


PS. I think (read am hoping) this will mean more house projects, dinner parties with friends, hiking with the dogs and experiencing events in the city!

2012

The lack of posts over the past month clearly indicates I am new at this whole writing/blogging adventure.  Between working full time and being a newlywed, our story is clearly still evolving and that is the joy of life.

While there may have been a lack of blogging, that does not mean there are no stories to share....including the TV, a chandelier, and an 'Oreo dessert'....so stay tuned!