So happy together... 6 years!

This week Kyle and I celebrated 6 years together [not even counting the years we were just buddies].  It is crazy how our relationship has evolved in 6 years.  We went from being friends who chatted online when he was in VA and I was in AL. To boyfriend/girlfriend. We moved to Atlanta from DC – and I moved him hundreds of miles from his friends & family. I got a job. He got a job. We got a dog. And then got in engaged. And got another dog. And got married. And went to St. Lucia. And then we bought a house.  But I am excited to see what else is in store for us. I feel like we have checked off so many of the “relationship to dos” already.

And for your viewing pleasure. A little glimpse of our relationship.

 

caption. (1) our 1st Halloween @ Kyle’s mom’s Halloween party. (2) at my parents house before an oh so cold redskins game. And kyle bought me a chica small jersey. not knowing that chica = girl child. (3) at the pumpkin patch in VA (4) At WMZQ Fest. Oh the fun that was. (5) At the Zoo in DC. (6) Halloween at my parent’s house. With our 1st pumpkin. The pumpkin kyle almost lost his thumb on when carving it at his apartment. (7) In Tuscaloosa at Bryant Denny. (8) At the Baltimore Aquarium (9) At Blue Iguana watching a Redskins game.

.Bullet Points.

I spent 2 days in Birmingham this week and I REALLY like the client that we gained and  that I am working with.  If we didn’t just buy a house and if I didn’t love my job and if it didn’t mean moving, I would have totally volunteered to go work and manage that site in Birmingham. But, I love the site team I found and we hired. Loving the people I am working with make all this travel totally manageable. Even though, I do miss being away from Kyle J and the dogs.

Evidently, me being away gives the dogs major stress. Kennesaw gets pukey and Mulligan gets poppy. Kyle is a really good single parent. ...And I am heading back to Birmingham on Monday.  The dogs have had a traumatic few weeks.

....speaking of the dogs. Kennesaw is NUTS. She is obsessed with “hunting” mice in our house. But, we don’t have mice anymore. So we think we have domesticated her so much that she has lost her hunting instinct. She loves pushing boxes around and being a menace. and. she loves kyle to pull out the fridge and the oven so she can hang out behind them and hunt. needless to say, kyle is not moving the appliances for her crazy butt anymore.

I have been enjoying the weekends and doing NOTHING since my weeks are so crazy stressful and long. I have LOVED sleeping in too because I do not sleep well when traveling. Kyle actually greeted me with breakfast in bed – a bagel, but it was still so good! I really do need to hop into the office this weekend and do some catch up, but I won’t. I want family time. After all, my family is what is important. We’re making bad for you food for dinner tonight & watching a movie.

Kyle’s birthday is coming up and I NEED to go get his present. I am going to go to FlyWheel tomorrow & then get his gift. I feel like I am getting him something so super lame, but he really wants what I am getting him. I guess as we get older we get really really lame!  ....And, I need to plan his birthday dinner. {must plan.must plan.must plan.}

Speaking of old and lame, but my Erin Condren Recipe cards and dividers came today! Sadly, they were too big, so i got the joy of sitting in front of my DVR cutting 80 cards + the dividers down. WEEEE!!!

It only took almost a year, but I FINALLY took my wedding dress to the drycleaner to get it both cleaned and preserved. Yeah – I am a total gross slacker. I just couldn’t decide what I wanted to do with it.

in addition. We FINALLY got our wedding album. That also took almost a year. And it looks fabulous! =D I really loved our wedding photographer and could not recommend him more.

Kyle finally hung the curtains in our living room and they look great and our living room looks great. So, our bottom floor is finally basically decorated. Now, we need to have for new furniture and then it will really be done! :)

We are planning a trip to the Dominican Republic this summer. I was shocked how cheap it is to travel there. WAY cheaper than St. Lucia. But we figured we need a vacation and a way to celebrate our 1st year of marriage [delayed] so instead of buying 1st wedding anniversary gifts, we’re both transferring money to our “vacation fund”. And then we will have 6 days in the sun! Compromise.

We are also planning our trip home to VA for the summer.  Luckily, Kyle’s friend JL is getting married in June so we will plan our trip around that.  ...speaking of. I need to start buying their wedding gift.

Life for me is passing me by. I have my last beginners yoga class tomorrow and then I get to start taking for real classes – well, i could have been doing that all along, but i wanted to make it through this “seminar”.

I hope everyone is doing really really well!! =D

 

This will be positive. I promise.

Last week could have been the longest week ever.  I spent 3 days in Birmingham – one of those days I worked from 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM – and then had a million and one things going on at the house.  On a positive note: our recruiter started and the girl I identified for the management role accepted the position, so there is now a total sigh of relief that the site team has been identified and is coming together.  All in all, I am LOVING what I am doing and hope to do more in the future.

I had dinner on Tuesday night with my friends Ashley and Lindsay from college.  Honestly, I had not laughed that hard and that long in a LONG time.  I love catching up with good friends and walking down memory lane.  It makes me miss having such good friends in my life.

The house is still coming together.  I need Kyle J to hang the curtains in the family room so I can share a picture with you all.  But, for now you get to see our kitchen eating area.

Look Dad: our kitchen table!! I need/want a new better centerpiece, but for now it is just nice that it has been cleared off!!! =D  Then, there is the buffet that was the hardest thing in the world to find since the wall it is against is so teeny tiny. But, I think it is an excellent addition and I love the picture above it and how simple it is.

I am LOVING the Yoga classes I am taking and have my last class next week.  Then, I get to dive into actual classes.  I like the hour that it is taking me out of the house and the chaos of preparing for the week.  Plus I love how it is stretching out my super tight muscles.

This week, I am in Birmingham again for 2 days and then just have A LOT of catching up to do at the office.  Plus, hopefully I can figure out how to organize our rinky dink pantry and get the curtains hung.  And... I need to go shopping for Kyle’s birthday so I don't forget it again this year.

i hope you all have a great week. =D

STOP THE MADNESS!!

Look what Kyle and I found this weekend. It can be added to the ever growing list of “issues” with our house.  You do not want to know what we have spent thus far on fixing things.

Yup. That is a hole in our wall and ceiling thanks to a “leaking t-joint” – whatever the heck that is!!

But... we are at the point that we just have to laugh at our bad luck and hate our horrendous home inspector and tell each other that it will eventually get better.

Sorry. I was so Debbie Downer.

So. I realized my last post was really really Debbie Downer. I sounded so totally negative about this whole house situation. And, while it is a bummer and it does suck and we have not had the chance to love our house and be in awe that we own a HUGE house, this is life.  Life is unpredictable and nothing that you will expect or plan for.  In fact, you really cannot 100% plan life.

The mice may be gone. We have not seen any traces {aka poop} lately. Nor have any landed on the glue traps. But. We do have some sort of critter problem that we caught early and will only cost us $1280 to fix. Only $1280. Le Sigh. And... the roofer came out and said that we didn’t need a new roof, just a patch.  So rather than $2000 it will be $400. ...but, like I said. That is life. Life happens. Things happen. We have our fingers crossed that we get a good tax return and most of our rental house deposit back.

In other news... I survived my 1st beginners yoga seminar/series/class this past Sunday and have 3 more till I “graduate”. And it was not bad. Different than every other work out I do and love, but I think I will like it – my core was super sore Monday and Tuesday.  I have such tight hamstrings so at the least I am learning how to stretch those bad boys out.

I am going to be in Birmingham basically all week next week. Our site recruiter starts Monday and then I have to start rolling all the temporaries from their old service to ours. It will be a long 4 days of training and working – but this “project” I am on is really a new challenge and I am loving it! :)  And, I get to do dinner with my really good friend from college Ashley. =D

The babies are slowly getting used to the house. Kennesaw likes to make her rounds to “protect” us and she cannot get her paws under her when she is moving fast on the hardwoods so she cries. Mulligan is loving the double doors to our master because he can lay in bed and just watch everything that is happening.  They FINALLY know which bowl is theirs – which is a success.

I will try and get our house together this weekend to take pictures. I promise!!

it’s a money pit.

HEY!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok. So, yeah.  Kyle and I are 100% alive.  A little overwhelmed thanks to home buying and moving and learning that our house is a money pit. Now, don’t hear me wrong. We love our house. But, it seems to have a million things going on with it.

First: we had to make the garage doors automatic. That was an expensive Home Depot trip.

Second: we move in and learn we have mice. yes. mice. and kennesaw has been hunting them out and leading them to the traps. mulligan has been terrified. i am refusing to cook dinner out of fear and wear my rain boots as protection. Kyle is trying to fix that problem... with the help of Terminex.

Then: the third Terminex guy inspected our attic and  we either have roof rats [gross] or squirrels. both situations suck and are very expensive to fix.

And then: we had a bad storm. tornados. wind. rain. dark skies. the whole shabang. and shingles came off our roof. So, now we’re waiting on USAA to come inspect our roof and may have to either patch it or replace the roof.  Luckily, since it was because of storm damage it will only cost us $2,000 to replace the off. ONLY $2,000 ... which means Bonds will be cashed out.

....all while we are paying both rent and mortgage. so things like new furniture for our  family room have been put on the back burner – the weekend getaway or our 1st wedding anniversary also on that backburner.  Our furniture that looks like it belongs in a frat house basement will last longer than expected.

I may need a part time job and you all should run as fast as you can an invest in Home Depot’s stock. I am serious.

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But. Other than all that. Life is good. We really love our new house.  I am starting a Yoga for beginners seminar tomorrow to find some calm for my life.  Work is crazy busy. And the pups are good {despite Kennesaw escaping thanks to the Terminex guy #1 leaving our gate open. They’re slowly getting used to the new house and love staring out the big front window and barking at people who walk by.  We’re not 100% unpacked, but almost there.  We donated a million and one things to goodwill {hello tax deduction} and will make more trips soon enough. Now, we’re just bracing for the rain tonight and hope we have no leaks in the gimpy roof. {yee haw}

I promise, i will post pictures of the house soon!!!