Update

I feel like I am getting worse and worse about updating my blog! The fall is just incredibly busy. Also, working all day on a computer doesn't make getting on a computer at home sound all that fun.

Life has been very busy and crazy but nonetheless, great! I absolutely love the fall and breaking out the warm coats and scarves. With fall also comes the Golden State Spirit Association (GSSA) season. Luke and I work cheer events throughout the west coast on weekends from November to March. It makes for a fast paced life style during those months. We had our first event last week in Irvine, California. A nice treat about having events in the LA area is the ability to see Luke's brothers Tim and John who go to school down there. We were able to get some dinner with them right after the event! The events are chaotic, loud, and tiring but without a doubt a complete blast. Luke and I have been able to create a family within GSSA and it is such a blessing. I almost feel I am living a different life at these events because no one in my normal life knows or understands anything that goes along with GSSA. It is actually pretty exciting. I will try and get some pictures at the different events this year and post them on here!

Also this fall we got to witness the marriage of Tim and Jessica Reed. They are some of our dearest friends and we couldn't be happier for them. I have never been to a wedding that was so emotionally charged and so sincere. God was 100% present in the whole day and evening. I feel very blessed to have been able to share in their union. We have another wedding coming up this weekend on Saturday. One of Luke's closest friend from high school is getting married and we are very excited to be a part of another special day. Many reasons to give thanks this Thanksgiving.

I have been baking up a storm as well this fall. I think my coworkers find it a blessing and a burden at the same time. :) Pumpkin spice cupcakes, peanut blossoms, oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, mini apple pies, double chocolate biscotti and much more! I am excited to start all the Christmas baking too!

This weekend Luke and I were able to finally nail down some important things for our trip to Europe. We bought our train passes and finally decided our cities. We are going to travel to Zurich, Paris, Strasbourg, Munich and Berne. We also finalized our itinerary for the most part and booked hotels! Yesterday, I literally sat at the computer from 10am to 7pm researching hotels. Paris was the biggest challenge. There are like a billion hotels in Paris and so many are in great locations. It was so hard to decide where in the city to stay because the metro can really get you anywhere you want super fast. But! We finally picked this morning after sleeping on it last night. So next on our long list of things we have to do to prepare for our trip is figuring out what we actually want to see and do in each city. Man! That will be a task. I can't believe we are leaving in 6 weeks. With the holidays quickly approaching, the vacation will be here before we know it! I am excited!!

Finally, CHRISTMAS IS COMING!!! WOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Luke and I are cutting down our tree on Sunday and decorating. Let the festivities begin!!!

New Years

Luke and I will be in the air over New Years but who wouldn't want their first day of a brand new year to be here....

Zurich, Switzerland

And maybe the next week or so we will also go here...

Neuschwanstein Castle

and here...

Salzburg, Austria

Now, who knows if there will be that much snow while we are in Europe but it would be lovely! We just bought our plane tickets but now it is time to plan! Any suggestions would be much appreciated! I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am! I have wanted to go back to Europe the second I got home from my trip in 2008. I am a blessed lady!!

Life can be draining...

It has been a crazy month for Luke and I and our families. I will probably write a longer post about everything that has happened later but here are the simple details right now.

• August 17th Luke's grandpa, Pop, (his dad's side) passed away.

• August 25th - 28th We go to Southern California for the memorial. While there one of Luke's uncle's goes into the hospital for kidney complications, his cousin's daughter had to have an emergency surgery to get her appendix out.

• August 29th Luke's Grandma (his mother's side) had a heart attack and stroke in the same day. She is recovering.

• First week of September Luke's other grandma (Lulu), married to Pop who just passed away, fell and ruptured a disk in her back. A few days later she passed out and fell again. She is recovering.

• September 9th my dad passed out and went to the ER. No stroke or heart attack but the doctors gave him a heart monitor to wear for 48 hours and turn in on Monday morning.

• September 12th my dad turns in heart monitor and has to go right back in because his heart was beating irregularly during the weekend.

• September 13th he goes into surgery to get a pacemaker put in his chest. He is currently recovering and doing well.

I don't even know how to explain or comprehend my emotions right now. One word that does describe my current state is: exhausted.

Life is precious and this past month has been a total slap in the face to remind me of that. Nothing is guaranteed in this world so I want to enjoy all the little things. I am definitely learning to "stop and smell the roses".

Cooking Class

Back in May I made 5 goals for myself to achieve in this next year (read here). I accomplished one of the 5 goals a few months ago with starting my book club. The saving money goal is a constant process but things are going well there. My goal to be more flexible with my time and be more present in my everyday life is a daily challenge. Luckily, I feel like I am learning and becoming more aware of my thoughts, feelings and actions, allowing me to appreciate what each new days brings.

The next goal I wanted to start working towards was becoming more involved with cooking/baking. I can't help but constantly think of food. I have such a strong desire to always have the smells of sauteed onions or fresh baked desserts fill my home. I sit at my desk and keep thinking through different recipes I could try and different cooking techniques I want to learn. I think this new obsession is a result of all the cooking shows I watch. It is like a drug. I have thought so many times recently... "if I am always thinking and wishing I could be cooking or baking, should I go to school to be a chef?"... then I remember, I don't want restaurant hours. So, instead of going to some extreme to fulfill this need to be creative in the kitchen I decided to start looking up fun cooking classes. Sur Le Table in the Pearl offers different cooking classes basically everyday. For a week straight I would just drool over my computer at work looking at the different classes and the kinds of foods I could learn to make. I decided that  maybe this was a great way to get my cooking "fix" and not do anything drastic. My friend Jessica and I are going to our first cooking class in a couple of weeks. It is called "5 Summer Pastas" and we are super excited. I really hope that this cooking class is fun and informational because I would love to find an outlet for my cooking/baking passions and maybe take a class once a month. Hopefully things won't get too messy at this class so I can take some pictures to share with you. 

Lastly, my goal to learn to play the piano is still in the forefront of my mind. This week I researched piano teachers in Portland. It is hard though because so many are very structured and only teach kids and I really want to find a teacher who doesn't force me to do recitals. I really just want to learn how to read music while learning to play the piano. I love the sound of the piano and the way music makes me feel. Music has the ability to connect people who don't have anything in common, yet, gives them a sense of belonging. I want to be able to provide that type of environment, even if it is ever only in my home. Plus, I want to learn to play every Christmas carol out there so I can start the tradition of having a family/friend sing along session each holiday season. :) 

If anyone knows of any great teachers in the Portland area, I would be very appreciative of a referral!

It's Gonna Fly By,,,

From Here

I updated my calendar today with all the Fall activities I know I have coming up and HOLY CRAP!! Starting September 1st, Luke and I don't have one free Saturday, or for that matter not one completely free weekend until December 17th!!! Our weekends will be full of wedding showers, bachelorette parties, weddings, baby showers, OSU football games, Vegas, Lake Shasta, working cheer events and my birthday. Don't get me wrong, I am so excited for Fall and all the fun activities that come with it but man, when I saw my calendar I got a little overwhelmed. Fall is my favorite time of year and I don't want to blink and then have it be gone instantly. I just pray that I can be as present as possible and enjoy every minute for what it is, a blessing full of love, family and friends. Wish me luck!!

The Last Few Weeks

Well it has been a little while since I have updated the blog! I feel like the last few weeks have been super busy but full of fun! 

Luke and I celebrated our one year anniversary on July 24. We took off Monday so we had a great three day weekend. On Saturday we drove to Corvallis and Luke and I made great BBQ food at my parents house for our two families. It was so fun to see them all together again celebrating over a meal; the last time that happened was the night of the wedding. We took a walk around the neighborhood after dinner and sat on my parents deck and played some Pajaggle (a puzzle like game). Overall, a really blessed night. Unfortunately,  I didn't get any pictures. Bummer.

Sunday, our actual anniversary, we just hung out around Portland and enjoyed the day. We went to one of our favorite Taverns in the city, Henry's. They have an all day happy hour on Sundays that is awesome. After our lunch we walked around the Pearl District and ended up buying a new duvet cover! We have been looking for months for a new one we both like and finally found one! For dinner on Sunday we "recreated" our wedding dinner. I finally got to use our china, our wedding champagne glasses and we drank Airlie 7 wine which we had at our wedding AND we made almost all the same food. To top off the likeness of our anniversary dinner to our wedding reception dinner, Luke played all the music that was playing during our wedding reception. It was a great night! I think we made a few traditions that we want to continue!

Luke and I at Henry's.

On Monday after two days full of fun and lots of activities we just wanted to do things around the house. We were so excited about our new duvet cover that we decided to really spruce up our room. We woke up, got some coffee and then went to the paint store. We spent most of the afternoon painting our bedroom. When we had finished and were letting the paint dry, we went to go see the last Harry Potter movie. It was AWESOME! If you don't know already but I am a HUGE Harry Potter fan. On a side note, I feel like my childhood ended when the movie ended. Harry Potter was such a huge part of my childhood and really was what started my love for reading. Okay, back to the anniversary weekend. It felt so good to get our house clean and really just reorganize and get rid of loads of crap we don't need.

The following weekend was the wedding of our close friends Charlie and Sarah. Luke was an usher and I helped out at the gift table for the wedding. One of our best friends, Curtis, came down from Seattle for the wedding and stayed with us all weekend. It was really fun having him down. The wedding was so beautiful and I could feel the love in the room. I really believe Sarah and Charlie were made for each other, a marriage blessed by God. Here are a few pictures:

Now, we are finally to present time! This weekend Luke and I both had off from work which was nice because the fall is coming up fast and it will only get busier. Friday night, we went out to celebrate my friend's Jessica and Jennifer's 25th birthday. The night was fun and full of laughs.

Jennifer and Jessica, the beautiful twins.

Kristen and Garrett...those twos were dancing queens.

The love birds, getting married in October!

Then yesterday, we did things around the house and finished up some things in our room! Here is what our room looks like now:

And that is our new duvet cover!! We love it! Just enough color and pattern but not too overwhelming. Also, Luke and I have started another fun thing for keeping track of travels. The giant world map on the wall we had steamed and mounted on foam board. We bought some pins and have four categories (colors) we use to determine our travels. White - where Meghan has been; Black - where Luke has been; Pink - where we have been together and Teal - where we want to go together. It has been super fun to remember where we have been together and pick spots we really want to go. If I had it my way, there would be a teal color pin in every single city on the map. Luke definitely needs to control me and my instinct to put new pins everywhere!

Summer/Fall

Okay, if you live in Oregon you know this summer has sucked. There has maybe been one 4 day stretch of sunshine before it rained on our short summer parade. This weather feels more like fall than summer which, surprisingly, I don't mind. The reason I don't mind is because I love fall, maybe a little more than summer. There is a certain internal warmth of fall. All of the warm colors, new flavors, and sense of purpose. Fall was always the start of a new school year which I loved and the start of a new holiday season. Before I get too excited about fall coming, which I forgot to mention also brings my birthday, I have captured a few fun summer pictures so far.

Sammie being still while I snap a picture.

Wonderful breakfast with the lovely Amber.

Ah, the food. It's the description of my breakfast.

Fresh baked Banana bread.

Laying out by the pool reading Bossypants.

Camping!

Over the July 4th weekend we went camping! It was the first camping trip of the summer. We went with our friends Amber and Jared with their two dogs Winchester and Penny. The trip was a bit last minute so the boys decided to go out earlier on Friday hoping to find a spot since all reserved campgrounds were booked by the time we decided to go camping. Luke and Jared were driving about 5 hours....with 3 dogs!! Poor guys! That is basically torture.

Penny, Winchester, Sammie

They landed a spot around 7:30pm on Friday night with Amber and I already on our way praying they would find something before we got there!

Our campground wasn't anything special but it served its' purpose. Our spot was huge so the dogs were able to run, play and sniff around as they pleased without annoying other campers.

Winchester Sperry, very patient dog.

Most of the weekend we actually spent at Suttle Lake. The dogs are HUGE water lovers so I believe they had the best weekend of their lives! A lot of barking, splashing, stick getting and Winchester has the skills to hunt for large rocks. It is quite hilarious. You toss a large rock into the shallow water and he will paw around, feel it, poke his whole head into the water and come up with the rock in his mouth. He is a unique one.

Winchester and Sammie fetching sticks.

Swimming and hunting for sticks.

Penny hopping like a bunny in the water.

Us humans, we laid out, tanned, drank some cold beers and swam. It was super nice to have warm weather. I think I almost forgot what it felt like....especially since I burned. 

Jared and Luke enjoying nature and their beer.

Great idea by Luke Buchanan.

Amber and Jared being cute with their dogs.

By the end when we were ready to head out on Monday, I think I had over 20 mosquito bites. I attract bugs like crazy!! I was just itching to get a nice long shower (pun intended)! Overall the weekend was super fun and relaxing. I definitely feel like summer has begun.

Winchester being a stud.

Money

It is a love hate relationship. Money can be your best friend or your worst enemy. It is crazy how a piece of paper can better your life or ruin your life. Just think about everything paper can be...post its, notes, pamphlets, tickets, cards...most things you just throw away or hopefully recycle. Yet, there is one kind of paper that makes the world spin. Money. No matter the currency, the world listens and reacts so urgently when money is involved.

Of all things that have challenged me in life, especially in this past year, money has been my most annoying opponent. I believe the hardest thing about money is finding a balance between understanding its' important but not letting it rule your life. There is such an emotional connection to money. A loud stigma to those who have it and those who don't.

I really want to understand money and why and how it affects people in the way it does. Why is it that whenever I spend money, regardless of whether what I am buying is a need or a want, I feel guilty? Shouldn't one feel validated in buying something that a family needs or in being able to spend money on something someone really wants? I definitely have come to realize that money is a blessing and a curse.

As I keep trying to get my head around the idea that a piece of paper influences my life so strongly, I question this: Does everyone struggle with money regardless of how much or how little they have? Is there really anyway to beat the money fight?

All I know is that the more and more I view money as a way to better my life and the life of my family, I choose to stay positive. And by saying that money can make my life better, that doesn't mean so I can buy all the material things in the world (of course that would be nice) but because I get that money is so vital to survive. If I can handle money wisely, I would love to be so generous with it. I would love to be able to give to charity freely and allow others the opportunity to do things that they may not be able to do without certain funds and finances.

From day one, I have been blessed in life. I have never had to worry about not having food on the table, or clothes to wear to school. I have been able to see some of world and travel and buy things because I wanted them not just because I needed them. I don't think it was until I got married and became financially independent that I truly understood how blessed I have been. I am so grateful for all the hard work that my parents did so I could have amazing opportunities in life. All I wish and hope for is someday I can provide those same opportunities to my family and friends.

I am finding patience in money. It really has taught me to live day by day and not be only focused on the future and what I want. There is a sharp truth in today, in reality. The more I can look reality in the face and accept it, I can learn to appreciate it and love it. In the end, I can't take money and possessions with me when I die, so I pray that I can use them wisely while I am alive to bless myself, family, friends, and others.

First Week of Work

I just finished my first week of work! It was only a 3 day week for me which was very nice. My first day consisted of a lot of orientations. Two other girls started their first day when I did so we went through all of our meetings together. One of the cool things my work does is makes each new administrative employee have a "buddy". The buddy is just someone specifically meant to check in on you and make sure things are going okay. It is someone to go to if you have any questions or concerns. It is honestly very nice to know that I have someone who will help me with no hesitation (even though no one would have a problem pitching in). For lunch on my first day, me and the other 2 girls were taken out by our buddies to this great place downtown, Dragonfish. It was so nice to be "taken care of" at work. I felt very appreciated already in my first day!

On Thursday (second day) I was able to get a bit more settled into my "cube". I actually am in a big 4 person cube instead of just a singular cube. At first I didn't know how I felt about it but now I feel blessed to be with 3 other people. I think I would feel secluded if I was in my own. I am able to ask questions, talk and make new friends and relationships WAY easier in the 4 person cubical. The main activity I did on Thursday was file, file, file, file, file, send mail, file, file, file, file. Oh man! So much filing!!!!! It is a great way to become familiar with the firm and the companies we work with. I really feel like a professional now, I have my own computer! My own e-mail! My own business phone! I know it seems silly but I LOVE IT!

Friday, the sun came out and I was pumped!! My building is right downtown in Pioneer Square and we have some of the best views in the city. I tried to get a few pictures of Mt. Hood and Mt. St. Helens and was somewhat successful but only had my iPhone. I just tried to upload them but they were tiny! Next week, I'll bring my camera and get some good ones! Anyway, for lunch Luke met me downtown before he went to work (very convenient) and we ate at Typhoon! It was so nice to walk around downtown and eat some super yummy food. As for what I did Friday...file, file, file, send mail, file, file. Very much the same!! I did have a meeting to learn how to work on financial statements. So hopefully this next week, I will be able to take on more responsibilities.

All and all, I am really enjoying my new job, hopefully my new career. The company I am working for is a great company and I feel super blessed to have this opportunity.

xoxo
Meghan

PS. I just got my new book for the book club and it is really good so far! Very excited!!

First Meeting

SUCCESS!

Last night was the first meeting for my new book club. It was a great meeting! There were 4 of us there last night but 3 or 4 more women will be joining still, they just couldn't make it last night. For the first hour and a half all we did was chat, laugh, drink and eating some yummy food! I had a blast just catching up with all of these girls I know but they didn't really know each other. This club is going to be so fun; there are a lot of fun energetic personalities involved! Talking and keeping conversation going will NOT be a problem. I think the problem may be to stay on topic about the books!

Here is a picture from the first night!

So we discussed all of the "guidelines" of how to make the book club function. We decided to be pretty relax about all of it and go with the flow. Each month we can decide the future month's guidelines and if changes need to happen, so be it.

We all brought a couple book suggestions with a little summary of the book and why we were interested in the book. We had some great book ideas! We decided we are going to make like a "queue" of books and revisit them each other. We can add or take off certain books but at least we will always have a pool of great books to pull from.

Our first book choice is Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand.

Via

Unbroken is a true story that takes place during WWII. It has 5 stars on Amazon and a ton of wonderful reviews. I ordered my book last night and I am so excited to start reading!

I am just so eager to see all of these girls (and more of them) at the next meeting in June! It's a perfect combination : women, wine, food, laughter, good books and A LOT of talking!

Love you all! xoxo

Updates!!

Wow! It has been too long since I last blogged. So here are the updates I promised I would keep you all in the loop about:

• I did start my first book club!! The first meeting is tomorrow evening and I am super excited to mingle and see some friends! (I'll do a follow-up post about it)
• I GOT A NEW JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This one I am so pumped about! (I'll explain later in the post)

Life has been so exciting, relaxing and fun since I have been "unemployed." I would say that these past 2-ish weeks have been the best weeks since Luke and I have been married. This time off as allowed me to really recenter myself. I just keep reflecting on these weeks asking myself: "I can't believe I seriously quit my job!".... "Meghan, what were you thinking??"....  "This is the BEST decision I have ever made!!" .... "Luke, can I please NEVER work again?" [okay, that one I know is unrealistic ;)!] I have been able to let go of all those negative feelings, concerns, and just thoughts holding me down that I believe stemmed from working in a job that I hated. Luke can see how much lighter, happier and more joyful I am.

I am so thankful that in a crazy, risky time that God has completely provided in all ways. Financially, spiritually, mentally, and emotionally for me. This time off is EXACTLY what I needed to get back to who I am. His faithfulness has shown through every aspect of our lives, decisions, and feeling I have felt in the last few weeks.

I am SO ready to have the energy and desire to hang out with friends and cultivate relationships. That is where the book club came in. Tomorrow night a group of women will be at my place to help decide how to make a great book club work! There will be drinks and appetizers, talking and laughing, discussions and decisions being made. I will be sure to post about our first meeting later this week!

Okay, so the biggest of the updates is that I got a job!!! I cannot even begin to explain how much of a relief and joy it has been to know I got a job!! And by job, I really do mean and believe a new career. After all of the emotions of my previous job, I am so ready to believe in my new position. So here is the short story:

I contacted a friend who used to work at the same place I had up here to let her know I was putting in my 2 weeks. She let me know "it is brighter on the other side." Let's just  say we both had the same feelings about our old work. ha. She gave me a job lead, it is where she currently is working just in a different city. So, I applied and got my first phone interview! After that I progressed to the face to face interview in their building downtown! (Side note: I am so giddy about having a big girl job down in the city!!) I interviewed with three different women and I fell in love with all of them and all of the possibilities and opportunities. I again passed that process and came back in for computer testing. Kicked the computers butt, of course! Again, I had a chance to talk more and  reconnect after the first main interview. My excitement only grew after spending more time in the office and with the people. I was told I would get a call the next day by mid-morning to let me know if I got the job or not. So I sat staring at my phone, diving deeper and deeper into anxiety as I waited for the phone call. I didn't get a call until 3:30 IN THE AFTERNOON!!! I was a mental case by that point. Here is what took place in the phone call:

 Meghan, I wanted to let you know that we gave the position to someone else...(heartbreak on my end)...BUT we have another opportunity we wanted to speak with you about...(okay....I'm confused)...We liked you so much in your interviews (yay!) that we would like to offer you a position we weren't originally opening until late July just so we can make sure you don't lose a great candidate!

 I was told the details and to think about it over the weekend. Come up with any more questions or concerns and call back Monday. I had a weird flood of emotions...so I didn't get a job...but I got a job?? I was so confused until I talked to some family and friends and was able to grasp the concept. I called on Monday, asked my questions, and made it official!! I HAVE A JOB!! I start next week and couldn't be more excited!!!

 Okay, I am sorry but that ended up being a long story AND I cut out a lot of the conversation. I think I am a little long winded with story telling. I apologize. So anyway, life can be crazy and so uncertain but I have the learned that if I just trust and believe, it will all work out for the best.

I love you all!! xoxo

Apartment Tour!

Hey all! I finally took some newer pictures of our first place! Our apartment is a one bedroom place with a decently open floor plan. On the older side but it works for what we need right now!

This is on the wall between the entry hallway and the kitchen. This was probably the best purchase Luke and I made when we first moved in. It holds a lot of our glasses and the cloth containers hold our kitchen linens and our tupperware!

I love this little area. Its right in between our kitchen table and our TV stand. Sammie's basket of "My Stuff" always is over following but is a great place to store his things.

 
Our kitchen table! My mother actually bought this from a garage sale when I was in college and I love it! I think one of my future projects will be to maybe restain the wood and redo the seat cushions.

Our kitchen! The nicest thing about this kitchen is that it is completely open to the living room. No wall or cabinets blocking our view.

Another view and directly to the right of the coffee maker is our little counter that is open to the living room.

Our crammed but cozy little living room. This slipcover is nicer on the eyes than what is actually under it but it is a pain in the butt to keep on! BUT! for all of you out there who might need a place to stay the night, it doubles as a twin bed!

This is one of the wedding presents we got; the set of shelves and boxes. We hung this up the weekend we moved here in September and let me tell you...I have never seen Luke so mad in his life! It was hard not to laugh ;)! I am slowly but steady trying to find cute little things to make the look unique.

A view onto our patio. I really like that this big window/door allows a ton of light into the apartment. It has the slat blinds though and Sammie would LOVE to start at the left end of them and walk behind them making AS MUCH noise as possible!! We decided for our sanity...we needed drapes! Ikea is where we found them!

I believe this is a relationship saver! Two sinks!! What a blessing it has been for a one bedroom apartment to have two sinks AND a separate place to shower and do your business! You all know what I mean.

Okay, I know I said earlier that the little cube unit we have might have been our best purchase since we moved but I am reconsidering now. My friend Jessica and I found this whole set at a thrift store down around 21st and Glisan I believe. When we walked in and I saw it, I thought there had to have been a mistake or I was losing my mind. What a NORMAL and NICE set of bedroom furniture. I bought it then and there. Real Oak wood and everything. All we did was change the nobs and BAM! Beautiful bedroom set for under $200.00!

The dresser that goes with the bedroom set! I occupy all of it, of course. That TV we bought a few months ago but we are going to eventually hang it on the wall so that our beautiful mirror isn't hidden.

One more view of the bedroom. Those pictures Luke framed for me for Christmas. I got them 3 years ago in Paris and I was so bummed because they got crushed during the travels. I was so excited when I found someone who could steam out the creases! 

So there you go! I left out a few little things due to it being very cluttered or not super exciting; the desk and the entryway. I am always wanting to improve and change things up. Although, I am learning to just be happy with what we have because I can't deny we are blessed with all of the beautiful and nice things we have already acquired in such a short time! I think we may end up painting our room though. If we are still going to be here for almost a year; we should make it a little more homey!

xoxo

The Beginning of My Goals

The last post I wrote included 5 goals I want to accomplish. I never gave those goals a time frame but I think I have settled on within a year to start all of them. So here is the beginning...

Start a Book Club.

The funny thing is, I have no idea how to start a book club. So first things first...research on how to start a book club! I have found forums and different online articles on the best ways to form and cultivate a book club. One of the websites had a great starter plan so that is what I am going to use as my reference.

1. Start with a few core people. Find friends who would like to start a book club with you. Maybe about 2 or 3 people. Then, from those people they invite a friend or two and eventually you come out to around 8 to 11 people give or take.

2. Schedule a regular meeting time. Typically once a month. Stick to it and those who can make it to the book club, can, those you can't, can't. That way, people will decide if they can make the commitment or not right from the start.

3. Now, word of mouth is essential to grow the book club. This step is necessary because the club will vary in members due to life; moving, new commitments, time conflicts, ect ect.

4. Establish ground rules. Get together with the core members or the whole group during the first meeting. Decide how to rotate hosts, how to decide on books, who is going to lead discussions, so forth and so on.

5. Time to meet! So actually start the meetings. Set up a few structured meetings the first couple months to kind the groove of the group. If it starts out small, don't stress. That is where step 6 comes in.

6. Keep the invitations coming. Invite people and let the group naturally grow as it will. It will be an ebb and flow.

So here it is! I am ready. I feel confident I can find some great friends and books through this experience. Anyone who is interested in joining the my new book club, let me know! I am open to ideas and thoughts on how to start a book club. Or, if you have ever been one, sharing of experiences would be very helpful!

Thanks!
xoxo

New Found Sense of Freedom

Ever since I put my two weeks in at work, I have felt so free.

My whole life has basically been planned out for me. Grow up, graudate high school, graduate college and get a job. I have accomplished all of those things now even though my "get a job" path hasn't been what I have wanted it to be. I feel like it is the first time in my whole life that I (well actually "we" as in Luke and I...almost forgot the hubby ;)! ) get to truly decide what I (we) want my (our) life to be. I think that sentence was a bit confusing. Sorry! :)

These past 9 months with this job, I have felt so contained, restricted and stuck. I have had no sense of individuality, personal freedom or joy. But now....I believe I can do anything! Cheesy, I know. With this new sense of freedom, I have been letting my mind, heart and soul go WiLd!! I am letting myself recognize wants and desires I have had in me for a long time but have just kept muted in fear that I wouldn't ever be able to have the freedom to pursue them; conflict of time, energy and/or fear of failure have been my roadblocks.

Finally, I am ready to bring them out in the light and pray that I keep up my motivation to accomplish some of them!

Here are a few:

1. Learn to play the piano or at least take lessons.
2. Take cooking classes or go through a cookbook trying new recipes.
3. Join or start a book club.
4. Become a better saver (my parents know what I mean!)
5. Learn to enjoy each day for what it is and be more flexible with my time.

So, here is the challenge. I need encouragement to accomplish these things. I know it has to come from me and I have to encourage and motivate myself but I can't deny that outside support really helps! So, I give people permission to annoy me, ask me, and tell me to keep up with my goals! And, if anyone wants to join me in some of these things, I would love the company!

I will keep you all updated and let you know my progress!

xoxo

Sometimes You Just Gotta Take A Risk

I am not a risky person. I like plans. I like seeing a path. I like "knowing" what my day will look like even if my plan is to relax. I like knowing that I am going to relax.

Well...I just took a big risk this week. I decided to put my 2 weeks in at work before I have another job! Talk about risky! My job provides the benefits for our family right now and a full time paycheck (even though it is miniscule). I just got to the point where I realized that sometimes the risk is worth the uncertainty. I was NOT happy about where I was working and what I was doing. The only saving grace of this job is that I love my coworkers! My friendships and relationships I have developed in the past 9 months at work are the only things that kept me there. When I would wake up not wanting to go to work (basically every day) I would remind myself I get to hang out with some friends! That is how I had to mentally think about work.

Regardless of the great friendships I have made at work, it hit me this week that those relationships won't make me the type of "happy" I want and need. I have to make myself happy and find out what motivates and drives me. At some point you can't put your future only in friendships and hope that they will get you through the tough days. I needed to break free from this job. I needed to know that something better is out there! When I think about it, if I am spending most of my time at work, I better like what I am doing.

So I did it! And I am SO at peace about this decision. Luke and I talked about it and discussed all the risks and realized at this point my mental health and happiness was worth the risk. Knowing I have support in such a crazy idea for us right now means the world. I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders!

Now the hard part begins. The job hunt. I have been looking for the past couple of months slowly but now IT. IS. ON. I need and want a great job! I have a few interviews set up for this upcoming week and I pray that one of them is a winner!

I will keep you all updated on my job hunt and let you know what changes happen! Keep me in your prayers!

xoxo

A Royal Wedding

Call me crazy, I don't care.

I got up at 1:30am to watch Prince William and Kate Middleton get married! I had been planning on it for the whole week. I decided I would go to bed early to prepare myself...if you don't already know I turn into a major pain the butt when I do not get enough sleep. So to counteract my lack of sleep, I went to bed at 8:30pm.

I woke up at 1:30am to Luke already getting all the best channels on TV ready for me! His first question was "When are you going to make the scones??" I told him when I actually wake up so I don't ruin them! I just sat on the couch amazed at what I was seeing on TV. I am a sucker for a love story, anything innocent and sweet, royal and glamorous! So of course, I was in heaven. My heaven though is closer to Luke's hell. ha. I had to give him the little talk of "If you can't say anything nice, go back to bed." He is a very cynical person so these kind of events and situations kill him.

Once I started making the scones, I felt like I got into a groove. I was very awake, happy at this fairytale wedding actually happening, and eventually the smell of the scones was the cherry on top to this crazy mid-night madness.

Now, I think the thing that stood out the most to me about the whole royal wedding was truly the ceremony. I believe it's because I recently got married; I remember how I felt so lividly on my wedding day. The whole 3 hours I had tears in my eyes. I thought the main sermon was outstanding. I was expecting a cold, strict and structured sermon on marriage, the church, and Great Britain. I was so delighted that the sermon was in no way a stuffy lecture. Here are my two favorite sections the Bishop of London said:

"Faithful and committed relationships offer a door into the mystery of spiritual life in which we discover this: the more we give of self, the richer we become in soul; the more we go beyond ourselves in love, the more we become our true selves and our spirutual beauty is more fully revealed. In marriage we are seeking to bring one another into fuller life."

"As the reality of God has faded from so many lives in the West, there has been a corresponding inflation of expectations that personal relations alone will supply meaning and happiness in life. This is to load our partner with too great a burden."

Basically, these two quotes speak perfectly to the core of a successful marriage: to remember we are only human and to be successful, we need to be focused on the Divine. Through God, we can find fulfillment in marriage.

Once the main ceremony was finished and they drove to Buckingham Palace, I decided to just record the rest! I needed to get back to sleep! I think I fell asleep around 4:50am and got up at 7:30am. I was so nervous I would be dead today at work but surprisingly I had NO coffee and I am doing great! I think the overwhelming feeling of love and hope has kept me going. (Okay, I know that was super cheesy but it's true!)

Much love you guys! I promise I will fix up the blog soon!

Hello from Beaverton!

I finally decided it was time to start a blog! Well, here it is! I am currently at work, not working, so I thought I'd say hello. It may take me time to smooth out the kinks with this whole blogging thing but I am excited!

Luke and I got hitched July 24, 2010. It was a spontaneous decisions...5 years in the making! ha. We had an outstanding day that I will never forget! Since then we have moved to Beaverton, Oregon. We live in a cute little one bedroom apartment that has treated us nicely so far! It is definitely a little cramped with two humans, a dog and ALOT of stuff! Hopefully in the next couple days I will be able to post some pictures.

I currently am a teller at a bank working full time. Man it has been an adjustment to working full time. I feel like a grandma because when I come home at 6:30pm after working 9 hours I just want to watch tv and sleep. I forget sometimes I am only 23!! I need to live a little!! Luke is a AV/Sound Production Assistant at the Oregon Convention Center in downtown Portland. He has worked there since late October and really is kicking butt! I am proud of how hard he is working and how much he is excelling at work.

Okay, so that is a small update on life! I will be back soon (when I am not at work) to add some and customize our blog!

Love you all!