high five for friday!

I have decided to link up today for "high five for friday" with lauren elizabeth. i cant believe that it is february...tomorrow! where did january go? here are my top 5 favs from this past week:

1. yes, i watched part of the grammy's on sunday, and i was particularly encouraged and challenged by these two women in the following days: natalie grant / mandisa

2. going back to the "30 day shred". with no gym membership and the outdoors being way too cold for me to exercise, it was about time to get the blood pumpin through my body with some indoor exercise. up next- "ripped in 30 days"!

3. This Article that surfaced from Relevant Magazine. this was right on point to where i am in life right now with friends. time to start breaking down comfort zones and build a community! titled: Why is is so hard to make friends after college?

4. i'm making bread for the first time tonight with my new mixer--hopefully it turns out well! i'm glad i finally feel like i have time to try it out!

5. the door prepping and painted will be done in the near future! i may have mentioned before, we have no doors currently upstairs in our house. they were all taken down so that the rim could be painted, floors could be put down, and they could be painted as well. the time has come! and when its below 20 degress outside, the painting must happen in the basement!

have a great weekend, its time for us to try some (hopefully) delicious fresh bread!

-e-

this winter craze

winter sure has come in FULL force this year! it is bone chilling cold out there, with soo much snow, the most snow that I have seen on the ground in years! but then again...i had been living in virginia for 6 years until i moved to michigan last year, and virginia averaged maybe about 3 inches a year. winter is not going anywhere, anytime soon. i do have to say, i appreciate the snow with it being this cold! i also appreciate kenny going out in the bitter cold to keep our driveway and walkway clear through it all!

i promise i will talk about something other than the weather next time, but this winter is not just crazy here, its crazy in a lot of places! have you seen what has been going on in georgia? i cant imagine leaving work for the day and ending up spending the night in my car because it is dead traffic. or even worse, having to walk (most likely miles) somewhere in the bitter cold because i have run out of gas and had to leave my car behind. i am thankful for michigan snow clean up! i always have a blanket, flashlight and small first aid kit in my car just in case! people, stay warm! for now, im just going to grab another cup of hot chocolate and pretend there is whipped cream on top:)

-e-

on my mind

there have been a few things on my mind lately. some big things, and some really small things. since this is a place that i have created to share what is on my mind...why not do so?

• i have been challenged in my thankfulness. a few months ago i had been struggling with the fact that i have a completed bachelors degree, am paying off my student loans, and not working in the field that i studied and worked hard to work in. God really opened my eyes to the blessing my current job is. i don't hate my job, i am able to work from home (which saves gas money), i work in an encouraging christian environment, and kenny and i are using my health insurance because it is way less expensive than his, but still really good. i became really thankful and content with my job because without it, there may be a chance that we (i) would not have all of those things. this past week, some changes in our responsibilities took place at work, and i am struggling with the thought that this just puts a lot more on my plate. they aren't big changes, but it will force me to go out of my comfort zone a bit, so i am really praying for a thankful heart, and for ease as i work through this!
• house changes. were a bit stagnant on house updates right now, which is okay with me. but i really would like to finish paint touch ups, which have been sitting for a few months, hang curtains (can i get some privacy over here?), and get a bigger rug for our entry way at the front door since our little set up does not seem to help with keeping the floor clean (thanks to the snow and salt). these are all little things, but little things that bug me whenever i am home. type a personality coming out just a little bit?-yes.
• it has been almost 7 months. kenny and i are on our seventh month of marriage-how did that happen so quickly?? you guys, marriage rocks, and i am so so thankful for kenny! he is smart, a provider, a smile whenever i need it-even most of our ceremony was laughs, but it was described by a few guests as a "roller coaster of emotions" because they were both laughing and tearing up throughout the whole thing. this picture below taken by my aunt is a good example. we still have a lot to learn about each other, but that comes in time, and with the ups and downs of life. i would be lying to say that my love for him doesn't grow more every day!

• this song that a friend shared on facebook: for some reason i can't add a youtube video because it's not coming up in the search :( click here to watch

thanks for listening to my rambles today, and i hope that everyone is having a great week, we're halfway to the weekend already!

-e-

our sick pup

this cute scraggly guy is a sick pup right now (and in desperate need of a hair cut). i can complain about the mess that he has been leaving behind for us to clean up (aka "the runs"), but i can't complain about all the extra cuddle sessions that are happening!  i sure do love this little guy and i hope that he is feeling better soon! maybe watching "that thing you do"  all together and listening to kenny quote and sing along the whole entire movie cheered him up a bit :)

-e-

if i were to have a housewarming party...

do people still have housewarming parties? if this is still something that is happening, i would/should probably have one. and if you do have a housewarming, do you get to register? i loved making a registry when i was engaged, and secretly am looking forward to registering places again in the future when we are ready to have kids :) well in the world of housewarming parties, i would be sure to register at potter barn, crate and barrel, west elm...and of course target.and these would be a few things that i would add! you know...if i had super rich friends who would be invited :)

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

would you have a housewarming party? all this being said, i really don't need a party.  i do love sharing our home with friends and having people over to enjoy our space no matter what! 

i hope everyone had a great weekend!

-e-

christmas memories

although it is beautiful to look at...i'm starting to get tired of the snow, mostly because i have to drive my little car in it. since i haven't been around since christmas, i have to do one last ode to 2013 and share some of our christmas! we spent christmas eve at each of the grandparents houses and indulged in the christmas eve tradition of prime rib...and jello. well...no jello for me at least (eek). and christmas day we spent at kenny's  parents house. i can't imagine what it would be like to split christmas between my family and kenny's because his family keeps busy both days. before going to kenny's parents, we opened our gifts for each other at home and toby even got a few gifts from my mom as well! his ginger bread man biscuit didn't last too long :) i was surprised by the kitchen aid mixer that kenny got for me--so excited to start using it! after our two days of christmas it was nice to have vacation from work to rest up and get back into the swing of things! it is still hard to adjust being away from my family during the holiday season, but so very thankful for technology and being able to talk to them over the phone and even sometimes facetime!

sorry to take a step back [into last year], but i was thoroughly enjoying my vacation time over the last couple weeks! :)

-e-

happy new year!

happy new year from our family to yours! we rang in the new year with a bunch of friends at our home, it was the first organized party that we have had at our house, and i'd say it was definitely a hit! looking back at 2013, i had a lot of big changes but all good ones. it was my second year being away from my family during the holidays, and that is pretty hard for me, but at the same time, it was our first married christmas, which was pretty special. God has really blessed us over the last year through family, friends, work, and even in very unexpected ways, and i am truly thankful! i look forward to all the 2014 holds!

-e-