One Year

Well, it has been a while, but life is busy, so deal :)

Today is the mark of our one year anniversary! Prior to this, we were able to spend a week at the beach with great friends! And, before our anniversary we got the great news that I'm pregnant! just kidding! But we did get the great news that I got a teaching job. I'm thrilled! I will be teaching 4-5 grade resource, behavior disorders. I'm so excited!

We celebrated our anniversary by heading to ATL on Friday afternoon. We had plans to eat at Dante's down the Hatch. It is a fondue restaurant and the attire was dressy. Well, I sometimes loie for Derrick and I to have the same color scheme... just for picture's sake. Well, Derrick hates this. To the extent that he will change if we accidentally have on the same colors. I find it amusing. Anyways... we have our outfits picked out, not the same colors, but acceptable. We decided we should check into our hotel first, so Derrick hangs up his things so they won't get wrinkled. Well, we finish packing and head out. About 30 minutes out, I hear Derrick say, "Oh, no!" This is not a typical saying. Long story short, Derrick left his "dressy attire" hanging on the wardrobe. Awesome. We had some extra time, but not a lot. So, we stop at a nearby Belk to get Derrick new clothes! Let's just say, after his fashion faux pas, we showed up at Dante's..... matching :) Anyways, dinner was wonderful and they gave us a special glass celebrating our anniversary. Except Dante presented it to us, and he's rather old, and he thought he gave us one that said 2009, since that was the year we married, but it clearly states 2008. ha. It's the thought that counts! Saturday we shopped around in IKEA and came home to relax!

I thought it would be fun to make a list of things I have learned in my first year of marriage. It'd probably be funny to get Derrick to do a list to, but that won't happen. His only comment would be, she always wants to match. haha. Ok, so here goes, and in random order!

1. Boys are messy
2. The TV changer is ALWAYS in their hand
3. Boys always think they are the better driver. I think this would be true even if we were sitting in a head-on collision with him as the driver. It clearly would not be his fault.
4. Getting a boy to pick up EVERYTHING after himself is like nailing jello to a tree
5. Whether I have on make- up or not, he never knows. I don't know if I should be offended by this or happy. I tend to take the offensive stance.
6. The amount of time it takes a boy to get ready is ridiculous. I always knew this, but I grow more jealous daily.
7. Quiet is not something men are.
8. Issues of importance are radically different from male to female. My hair looking bad is not important to Derrick, when it is clearly at the top of my list :)
9. Money really doesn't grow on trees (sorry, mom and dad :))
10. Husbands and wives (at least in this house) never want to watch the same thing
11. Volume levels are never agreed upon
12. AC levels are also never agreed upon
13. Cooking really is my job. Unless I want Totino's dollar pizza nightly
14. Creating ways to organize and filling Derrick in on them is of high importance. Note # 8
15. Grocery shopping takes 10x longer with a boy
16. Grocery shopping is 10x more expensive when said boy comes along
17. Sleeping in, in the summer, when husband has to go to work early does not exist. Might I add, that for 10 months out of the year, he is not woken up by my early mornings :)
18. With above statement, revenge is often necessary :)
19. When are you going to have a baby? is the question of choice after the wedding day
20. Guy time(for Derrick) and girl time (for me) is crucial to sanity!
21. Other people's wedding and honeymoon pictures are much more exciting and interesting to look at now. I could do that all day.
22. Derrick is much better at folding t-shirts than I am. He probably wishes I didn't know this.
23. You must make a man do something immediately. Remembering does not often happen.
24. Flaws (of my own) are much easier to see being married.
And last, but not least...
25. Writing a list of things I've learned being married will probably make said husband not very happy.

Happy Anniversary Derrick! Love you :)

Catching Up

My goodness, it has been quite a while! I've thought about blogging from time to time, but had no motivation. Sleep or food sounded like a much better idea at those times. Life has really been pretty much the same in this household, with a few exciting touches.

Since the last post, Derrick and I have been able to pick out all of the furniture for our new place! It was beyond exciting, for me at least :) We went to Ashley furniture and said, "we want this, that, that over there, this right here...." (you get the point), and finished with, "and bill that NGCSU!" That's right, not paying a penny here! Man oh man! Life is sweet! Too bad that won't ever happen again in our lives! I literally sit and fantasize about all of our new furniture. It's quite pathetic, actually. We will finally have a large sofa! woo! Our little one is not fit for two. And a Queen bed. O.M.G. That, plus the sofa, was enough to please me, but we threw in plenty more, don't ya know! I love Derrick and all, but a Full bed just does not cut it! So, you're all welcome to come visit once we get settled! We'll have lots of room to seat you!

Grad school is over for both Derrick and I. Praise the Lord! That took forever! One semester for me down, 2 to go! Derrick has more than 2, but we celebrate anyways.

We have a beach trip planned with some great friends May 29-June 5. Can not wait! It's always so nice to kick off summer with a good beach trip! Speaking of kicking off summer, only 15 more days with the little ones! And hopefully I will hear something about a job in the next few weeks! I sure hope so! '

I was just looking through one of my scrapbooks and realizing that one year ago, we were being showered with love at all of our awesome showers. If only those continued :) just kidding! We are so grateful for all of that, still. I am also grateful, yet envious, of the super long hair I had then. Summer mission: Get it back! Second summer mission: Divorce Derrick and get re-married to someone else so I can have more showers :) ok ok. only kidding. I'll re-marry Derrick :)

Well, I told you not much was going on! I'll try to be better about this blogging!

Playing Catch Up

That's how life feels right now... like I'm constantly playing catch-up.

Grad School has finally slowed down.... Thank the Lord! I didn't know if I would make it there for a while. Hospital Homebound is also over. I had a lot on my plate during that time, but it was a blessing to be able to do that. I am almost down with these sets of classes and I move on to new ones! So pumped. By the end of April, I will have completed 13 hours. May I just go ahead and mention how thankful I am for friends doing this with me. I may have commented on it before, but it makes a world of difference. A co-worker, and a good friend are joining me and we are pushing through, with the help of one another. Stephanie and I have really been enjoying our time together.. maybe too much. Again, thankful.... for a close friend to get through grad school with, and I'm thankful she's married. It's so fun and encouraging to have a friend my age, married, that I can hang out with regularly. And it's great to have Lynn, too, my co-worker. Always nice to have that daily conversation about assignments we forgot to do :) ok... not really. I'm too OCD to forget about assignments :)

Derrick and I decided that Valentine's Day is much different when you share a bank account. Because of that, we decided to forgo buying gifts. Dinner the next week was more important :) But we did treat ourselves to a nice dinner out, just enjoying one another.

I've started the job application process again... SHOOT ME! I really hope this is the last year I have to apply all over the state of GA. It's stressful, time-consuming, and the fount of hope is running dry. I know, great attitude. I've not run out of hope, however, it is frustrating to hear, "We won't be hiring" over and over and over again. But I'm pressing on, and getting things turned in! And keeping my eyes open for opportunities.

Leslie is getting married next weekend, and I'm so excited! More details on that after the big day!

Other than that, not much is going on here. We are still loving life, loving being married, and loving each other! For now, at least. We also can't believe it's been almost 9 months! I thought the years got faster all through school, but I was convinced they would drag on until retirement. But that just might not be the case!

Just Breathe

I keep trying to tell myself.... just breathe. I'm not even sure I've had time to breathe these last couple weeks! Grad school has started for us both, and I won't lie, it's been rough! Not that classes are hard, but for me, I leave for school at 6:45, ok ok, 7:00, and I don't come get back in the door till 10 pm. It's ridiculous. Especially since I'm a big sleeper, and 10 is just too late for me when I have to get up so early! I am running on empty most days, and wait for my weekends when I can sleep! Derrick and I see each other for all of 20 minutes a day. When I walk in, I'm exhausted, get things ready for the next day, and hit the sack. I must say how grateful I am for Derrick lately, too, because he knows how OCD I am about the cleanliness of our apartment, and he is doing spectacular in keeping it in order. I think he's just avoiding using the kitchen at all, in hopes of not having to clean it, but whatever he's doing, I'm ok with it! Even if it involves only eating $1 Totino's pizzas. Derrick has lots of reading to do, which is not very motivating for him, but he's doing great! You wouldn't be motivated if you saw the size of his book either. My classes will slow down in a couple of weeks, so I am anxiously awaiting!

I also started doing my hospital homebound this week for a kid. It's been fun! A little stressful trying to fit the time in, but I have great administration, so they are working with me! I can usually fit it in between little kid school and grad school, which is great! But I do ask you pray for this child in his recovery. He's doing great, but he's so young, and it dealing with more than any of us could imagine!

Other than that, not a lot is happening. My sister's wedding is quickly approaching and I'm excited! Lots of changes going on for them, and it's fun!

Till next time, enjoy!

Nugget

The word Nugget may mean an array of different things to you. When I think of nugget, I think, Chick-Fil-A, most importantly! I also think jewelry, like the pendants. I'm sure I could muster up quite a few other meanings. But in this house, a nugget has a whole different meaning. One I'm even slightly embarrassed to blog about.

There is a tale, that in the little town of Dahlonega, that if you reside here for more than 4 years, you are deemed a Nugget. Now, I went to college here for 4 years. So I was quickly approaching my allotted time before I would have the name. But after marrying someone who works for the college, I had no way of escaping my destiny!

Before I continue, have you know that I love this little town. Derrick, too! I mean, he loves it, too. However, I rely on the cities of Gainesville and Cumming to stay in their respective areas and continue to grow. But with both of those towns nearby, I'm great! Dawsonville even grants me my sanity from time to time. So, I am in no way, hating on this town. It is also a town of many classes. As in, high class and low class. Unfortunately, the term nugget is seems to be more deemed to those in the poor class. I'm fairly nervous to blog about what all being a nugget entails. Just use your imagination :) One hint..... shoes, in this town, are not a must.

So, on to the story. It was time for Derrick and I to get our new tags. We had been putting this off for quite some time, seeing as how neither of us were anxious to have "LUMPKIN" plastered all over the back of our vehicles. No matter what you drive, if Lumpkin is on the back, there is just a stigma attached. It has been an ongoing joke with our families, as well. Unfortunately, we could no longer put it off. Honestly, I think God is getting a little chuckle out of it, after my years of poking fun. Actually, he probably wouldn't call us that. I think it's kinda derogatory! But funny, nonetheless.

Moral of the story..... We are officially nuggets. Life, as we know it, will never be the same :) Unless of course, Lumpkin is plastered over the back of my future Toyota Sequoia!

New Year, New Beginnings

Well, it has been quite a while, but we have been very busy! Trying to tie ends up before the holidays for everyone is quite the feat, and we were no exception! From work, to shopping, to many other things, we had a lot going on!

This year, we were able to celebrate Christmas with both families, which is always a blessing! We started Christmas Eve at my parent's house and had Christmas morning, and by morning, I mean 4am, because that's when my brother got up! And ventured to Derrick's neck of the woods for Christmas afternoon. And of course, we were spoiled with gifts! We both got to spend time with some of our best friends on different occasions, so that's always fun!

In new news, Derrick and I will both be beginning our Master's programs this month. Excited? Not really. But nonetheless, we'll be getting paid more! For me, if I don't do it now, I never will. And luckily, Stephanie and another teacher-friend will be accompanying me, so I won't be so lonely. The first few weeks will be very busy with an Orientation class I have to attend, as well as my Hospital Homebound teaching starting, but I know it will go fast!

I ask for prayers as I embark on the job search process again. In the next couple of months, I will have to begin the application process again and am not very excited, but I am eager to see what is in store as far as teaching goes. Parapro-ing is fine for now, but it's not where I want to be for much longer!

But most importantly, no rats have been sighted (or heard) in this apartment since my last post! SUCCESS!

Rodents

I was debating posting this or not, mainly because it's disgusting, but I promised myself I would post about the trials and tribulations of our marriage. Now, this may be neither of those, but nonetheless, an interesting story.

The building we live in has been having rat problems. I wasn't concerned until the apartment above us had 2! In their actual apartment, not just hearing it. So I asked Derrick about it, and of course, he had known, and conveniently left it out in our conversations. So, for the next 2 weeks, any small sound I heard, I would go looking around the corner for any sign of these nasty creatures. Right before Thanksgiving, Derrick started becoming more paranoid, which I found odd. He usually didn't care. Well, he had heard them in the walls. But the paranoia continued when we got back from Thanksgiving. I knew something was up, so I asked him why he cared so much. His words were, "Are you sure you want to know?" My response, "No, but tell me anyways." Come to find out, the door that holds our heating/cooling unit had a half-circle chewed out of the carpet at the bottom. By rats! ugh! So, for the next week, if I was in the living room, my eyes were on that hole. There were no signs, so I began to calm down. That is until......

Wednesday morning! I was sitting in the living room, watching the news and doing my make-up. It was 6:15ish. I heard something fall into that door from the ceiling, and at first, thought I was just imagining it. Well, then 2 more clinks and clanks till it could fall no more. By this time, I had jumped up and was eying that hole. The next thing I see is two little eyes staring at me. I freaked, yet did not move a muscle. It saw me and ran back in. I mean come on, I'm not that bad without make-up! Anyways, I was between a rock and a hard place at this point. Derrick was still sound asleep in the bedroom, but there was no way I was taking my eye off that hole, only for it to run out and be impossible to find. So, I began to softly call out Derrick's name. I did this for about a minute, then realized that I was ridiculous for whispering, concerned that the rat might hear me! It was early, don't judge. So then I began yelling his name! Well, still no response, surprise, surprise. I quickly ran into the bedroom, shook his feet and told him there was a rat, come out! I ran back, only hoping it hadn't escaped! Derrick came out, rubbing his eyes, not nearly as concerned as I was. His response: "Stomp your feet, it'll go away." Not funny! So we (or I should say Derrick) put a leather box we have in front of it. I was quite upset that the rat may chew through my box, but I was more concerned about having a living rat in our apartment! All day, it was all I could think about!

I got home, and the box hadn't been chewed on! We plugged the hole and have had no signs since! Let's just say, I am very glad to leave for work every morning and not have to eye that hole for 24 hours a day! It's disgusting! But have no fear, they are dying, so visitors are still welcome, just excuse the stench of dying rat as you walk into our Winter Wonderland I so thoroughly enjoyed decorating!