Hello from Connecticut!

And we're back!

The past nine days have been nothing but fast paced and crazy, but we're settling in and gearing up for some new posts covering the last several weeks---so stay tuned!

Mom's Graduation

Last night I got home (after a rough, stressful airport experience, including having my bag delivered at one in the morning) from a little weekend trip to Ohio for my mom's graduation from Wright State University. So proud of her! She has worked very hard to earn her Bachelor's Degree and I'm so glad I was able to make the trip to see her hard work and effort rewarded.

You're awesome, mom!

A Spontaneous Easter Breakfast

Joey and I love easter egg dying but unfortunately we both hate eating hard boiled eggs, and I just couldn't justify wasting eggs just to dye them. So we decided to skip that tradition this year.

However this morning we had a little extra time to make homemade pancakes for breakfast, and we figured--Hey! We're already eating gluten, why not toss in a little artificial food coloring too and make easter pancakes!

I will say that we loved these pancakes the most of any batch we've made--maybe it was swapping the vegetable oil and milk for coconut oil and almond milk--delish!

And of course, just a little snuggle time with the fur balls before heading off to work.

So, lets talk about that mustache.

For those wondering where on earth that came from---Joey's class at power school is now the senior class and the next one to graduate (hooray!), and its tradition that the senior class grows a mustache---called a "comp-stache"---until they take their comprehensive final just prior to graduating. And you can trust me when I say that he wouldn't be growing it if it wasn't for the tradition. He's one week in and so far he's not too fond of it!

iPhonography: Life Lately

Happy February, everyone!

Aside from birthday posts, I haven't done much around these parts lately, so here's some photos from the past couple weeks---

Some of the things we've been up to:

• We got Remy! Tomorrow she will be 11 weeks old. She's a spunky miniature dachshund and she's definitely keeping me on my toes! Thank goodness she's getting better at sleeping at night because I was about to lose my mind! Marley has been doing pretty well with the new addition, but you can tell she's still wary. She has definitely become more of a daddy's girl since Remy moved in!
• We shucked oysters...outside....at night...in short sleeves...in January. January, people. This place is bizarre. However I suppose it is nice to skip the post-holiday-winter part and the grey ugliness that comes with it (though I'm extremely sad we missed the snow in Virginia). But if its this hot now, I hate to imagine what summer will be like....!
• We celebrated Joey's birthday with a lunch date to the popular Tattooed Moose, as seen on Diners, Drive Ins, & Dives. We loved our corn dogs, duck fat fries (sounds more gross than it is), and cuban sandwich! Then we headed to the Apple store to get Joey's birthday present, a new iPhone. I also made him his favorite birthday meal: meatloaf with asiago mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus, and a homemade flan for dessert!
• Once a week we go on a date, which usually means trying a new restaurant in Charleston. We have a rule for ourselves that we don't go to the same place twice so that we can try as many places as possible. This month we've tried the Noisy Oyster, Tattooed Moose, the Mellow Mushroom, Charleston Bagels, and a belgian gelato place. After eating we like to take a walk along King Street and check out the cool store fronts.

We hope everyone has a great weekend!

Meet Remy!

Hello everyone---we'd like you to meet Remy, the newest addition to our family!

We've wanted a dachshund for quite a while, and everything was just working out for us to have her, so on Saturday night we drove to Woodruff to pick her up! She's a miniature longhair red dachshund---exactly what we've wanted. Now, we did want to adopt a dog rather than buy a puppy, but after going to the shelter, it looked like that wasn't going to be the best option for us. Our apartment has breed limits and I'm really not comfortable with big dogs, which unfortunately is what you usually find in shelters. We did however skip the pet store and find a nice breeder who had this little darling.

Remy has been a lot of work so far, but she is really a sweetheart, and we're excited for her to take more to her training---and then I can get some sleep! Marley has been adjusting well to the new puppy, but you can tell she's still trying to figure out just what this oversized chew toy is doing on her turf.

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Even though puppies aren't a walk in the park and there's a lot of frustration and work that goes into them, we're hoping that having Remy will help me deal with some of the stress I'm going through right now. I've debated saying anything about it (and won't say much as to not make anyone feel uncomfortable), but I've decided it might be good to talk about it a little and find others who have experienced or are experiencing the same thing in hopes of finding more support through this trial. Joey and I have been trying to start a family (sorry to all those who told us to wait; we just didn't feel that was the right decision for us), but unfortunately have run into some difficulty. I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome when I was 15, so I always knew that could be a problem, but last month I was also diagnosed with a Bicornuate Uterus, a defect I've had since I was born that apparently less than .5% of women have (lucky me!), and makes carrying healthy babies to term very difficult, with a high rate of miscarriage, premature birth, and 4x the chance of a handful of birth defects. So basically, its hard for me to get pregnant, and even if it did happen, its not guaranteed that I could actually have a healthy baby. Needless to say, this has been heartbreaking for us, and I've been having a lot of trouble coping with this reality. We've begun the infertility process, and its scary and confusing and stressful (and will quickly become expensive), which only adds to the fear and frustration I feel most days. You never think that anything could stand in the way of having a family, especially when its all you've ever wanted. Joey has been so supportive, loving, and tender with all of this, but with him being gone for so long each day, I get too much time alone to sit and think about everything, which is no good for me. 

So we decided a puppy would be good for me to not only give me something to nurture and take care of, but to also help get my mind off of the trial we are facing---and for the most part, it has. Though my heart still hurts and sometimes its hard to watch so many of my friends experience something I want more than anything, Remy is helping me feel like I have a bit more purpose while we wait for our turn to have a family.

So there it is. I don't plan on talking about it often, but I think it was good for me to say it. I've felt like I can't talk about it sometimes because I feel embarrassed, like there's something wrong with me that prevents me from doing the one thing I should be able to do as a woman (which I guess you could say is true). But like I said, if mentioning it helps me to find more support, then I think its good for me to do so. 

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But anyways, we hope everyone has a fun, happy weekend---friends in Virginia, enjoy the snow for us! We will be having a low key weekend with a date night in and training Remy more!

24

Hooray, I'm 24!

And yesterday was one of the best birthdays I've ever had. I wasn't really looking forward to my birthday during the weeks prior, what with being away from family and my good friends in VA and all. But actually it was completely wonderful. 

All I have to say, is that Joey is the most incredible husband, and more than I could've imagined. Even with his hectic schedule, he made me feel so important on my special day.

I woke up to a cute sign on our bathroom mirror and a bottle of frizzante in the fridge with such a sweet note. 

When I came home from work, Joey had gotten me flowers (I love fresh flowers!) and made me dinner---crab cakes with garlic mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. It was delish! Absolutely awesome. I was so impressed!

And for dessert? He made me chocolate cupcakes with a fudge center and peanut butter frosting! Just like my favorite Chocolate PB Fudge cupcake from Georgetown Cupcake--one of our favorite places to stop by at when we would go to the Temple in Washington DC.

I just love this. Look at his cute package and the drawn on ribbon and bow!

And an awesome gift--these hot new shoes! Gosh I was so surprised when I opened the box; I wasn't expecting something like this at all! Joey knows I've never really had a nice pair of flats and I'd feel guilty buying some for myself, so it was incredibly sweet of him to get these for me. He also got me some beautiful new metal measuring cups that I've been pining for over the past several months. He is too good to me!

Thank you also to my friends and family who texted me or called me, it meant a lot to hear from you! Definitely one of the best birthdays I've had.

Here's to another great year!

Just a Little Fun

Hey Everyone!

So, who's excited about the holiday weekend?! Even though Joey has to study today (as well as Friday and Saturday, pout pout), I'm so excited to have one whole day with him on Thanksgiving---our first Thanksgiving! It'll be different not spending the holiday with our families, but we've got some great friends from our ward and a couple of Joey's brother rats from VMI joining us, and I think its going to be wonderful. 

In other news, I got a job! I'm going to be an Administrative Specialist at Trident Technical College and I'm really looking forward to having something to do a few hours every day, and bringing in some extra money is always a plus!

Well, I have to say, I've been lacking in blogging content lately--I guess not too much is going on and my creative spark has fizzled a little (though I am working on some neat projects for our first Christmas together), but I thought I'd share this fun little sequence Joey and I did at the store a few weeks ago. 

Remember Warheads candy? You do now.

Now off to bake pies and rolls and other yummy things for Thanksgiving tomorrow!

Some Photos + Some Thoughts

Last week I took Joey on one last date before Power School started---and the majority of our together-time ended. We had a beautiful, windy afternoon in downtown Charleston!

There are two culinary institutes in Charleston, and each have restaurants run by the students as part of their training. Basically, people can go to the restaurant, have a three course meal for less than fifteen dollars (a steal!), and then fill out a survey about the food and service. So we decided to try 24 North Market, the restaurant at the Art Institute. Boy it was wonderful! Talk about delicious. Joey and I loved our southern inspired dishes--perfect portions, perfect flavor, and an unbelievable price.

And for those who love her, here are some photos of our crazy Marley. 

She has a thing about sticking her head in glasses---that kitty sure has no shame!

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Like I said, Joey has started Power School, which means I have a lot of time to myself now---and its only going to increase as he gets deeper into his classes and needs to study more. And while he is my whole world and he does so much for me, any power school wife will tell you that during this time, you kind of just have to live your life on your own a little. And this ridiculous abundance of time is leaving me feeling a little useless, lost, and lonely, desperate for purpose and friendship. I am making an effort to fill that time, but those efforts haven't quite yielded a result yet. And I'm having a hard time right now. 

But for now, I'm going to focus on the weekend's arrival, which means spending time with Joey and forgetting those worries for a moment. I don't know what I'd do without that boy. He sure is wonderful.

Pumpkin Picking

We took a trip to Boone Hall Plantation and Farm to find ourselves some prime pumpkins! And yup, Joey was still wearing shorts, considering it was about 86 degrees when we went last week!

And it turns out, they sell other produce items too--we snagged six red potatoes, three sweet potatoes, an eggplant, some heirloom kale, three onions, two butternut squash, one spaghetti squash, and a handful of mini pumpkins and gourds.....for less than ten bucks! Now that's what I call a deal! Plus, we always love the chance to support a local farm.

And look! Fall is finally coming to the south! I even got to wear boots, leggings, and scarves this past weekend. I know most people wouldn't trade warm Charleston weather for chilly fall, but for a girl who's been missing her fall in the Shenandoah Valley, it has been a tender mercy and such a joy.

A Trip to the Beach

For a midwest girl, being only half an hour from the beach now is so exciting. And, though I've certainly complained about the warmer weather down here and how much I miss my sweaters and scarves (its almost November and I'm still wearing sandals!), it was a nice treat to go to the beach and be able to put my little toes in the water--it was still so warm, people were swimming! In October! 

Have a great Monday! ----And to our friends and family further north--both 

along the coast and a little inland--please stay safe and dry!

iPhonography: A Night Out in Charleston

When we moved here three weeks ago, we took a little break from unpacking and what-not to check out Charleston and have some yummy seafood. After living in tiny Buena Vista, seeing all of the shops on King Street was amazing. There was even a Kate Spade store! Loved it. And the restaurants? Awesome. Too many to choose from in fact! It was so fun to walk around and spot all of the little things that make the area characteristically Charleston, like the colonial architecture, pineapple motif, sweetgrass baskets, and general southern charm.

So what did we do?

Window shopping on King Street || A stroll through the Historic Charleston City Market || Dinner at Pearlz Oyster Bar -- and my first time having oysters! || A visit to the Moon Pie General Store || Heavenly pumpkin cheesecake at the famous Kaminsky's 

iPhonography: Life...umm,Three Weeks Ago

Just some photos from the end of September and our move to Charleston!

Brian & Charlotte's wedding in Richmond || Saying goodbye at the Blue Ridge Parkway to our Shenandoah home || One last ice cream from Sweet Things || We made it to South Carolina! || The joys of moving || Reunited with the little one

Hello from Charleston!

HELLO!

My my, nothing throws off old habits like moving! 

But now that we have internet in our apartment, the last box has been unpacked, and we are mostly settled in our new home, I'm back to blogging!

I definitely miss our beautiful Shenandoah Valley and the cool fall weather and changing leaves--its still in the 80s here and leaves are just barely starting to turn--and we miss our good friends at SVU and VMI. Though moving has been an adjustment and I have anxiety from time to time, we are happy in our new home and are starting to get the hang of things.

I've got some more updates in the works about our new life in Charleston SC, so check back soon!

iPhonography: Life Lately

Hello friends, its been a while! Life's been pretty busy, working at Montessori every day, designing new materials for Travel Study, and even doing some design work for BMW Photography--its been fun! 

Today, unfortunately, I'm out of commission with a fever and sore throat (boo!), so I have a little time to catch up and share some photos from the past week or so. 

George Statzell's Commission ceremony! || Matriculation at VMI || using up the blackberries we picked in some lemon blackberry muffins || Marley is getting so big! || proud of my Navy man || chicken biscuits made from scratch || playing with puppies in Roanoke || taking my paintings off of their stretcher bars for moving || raspberry picking at Hillside Acres

Date Night in Lexington

Friday night, Joey took me out on a hot date in Lexington! I tell ya, I was so excited all day for our date night. There's something about actually saying, hey, we're going on a date tonight, that just makes me all smiles. Shoot--I even did my hair!

Since we're moving in less than two months, we made a list of all the things we want to do in Lexington before we move, so we decided to knock off two of our items and go to Pure Eats and Sweet Things. Mmmmm, there is nothing like a bacon cheeseburger (made with all local ingredients!) and honeydew ice cream on a summer night!

And, since I have limited self control when it comes to yummy desserts, we later had homemade chocolate creme brûlée while we watched The Dark Knight, in preparation for seeing The Dark Knight Rises the following evening.

--And yes, I will be posting the chocolate creme brûlée recipe...

Hooray for fun dates!

Death Cab for Cutie Concert

Months back, Joey and I bought tickets to see one of our favorite bands because we knew if we didn't buy them then, we probably wouldn't go once we were married and had big kid bills to pay. So after months of waiting, we finally headed up to Charlottesville to see Death Cab for Cutie---

And it was awesome.

We started our date at Revolutionary Soup, a fun sandwich place at the downtown mall. Boy was it yummy! We shared rosemary potato and lamb curry soups and thai peanut and turkey club wraps. Delish! Plus, they have root beer, which always makes me a happy girl.

Of course, you have to have dessert after a great meal (no matter how full you are...), so we got some gelato at Splendora's. Their white chocolate lemon gelato is to die for! Mmmmm my mouth is watering just thinking about it....

And dang, that concert was awesome! While we didn't love the pot smoke and beer getting spilled on our feet by some frat bros next to us, the music was dyn-o-mite. Seriously awesome. We loved that they started with "I Will Follow You Into the Dark", one of our songs, and every song they played was perfection. Man, they sure know how to do it!