10 x 30 Space

I've personally spent many hours over the past month or so packing up the house, arranging utilities to be stopped, shopping storage units, signing paperwork and of course drinking rum due to our new path in life! Ever since our wonderful realtor, Shannon Lyon, sold our house in only 5 weeks, we've had a lot on our plates to figure out and get arranged. And who got stuck with most of that work? Yes. Muah.

Although I did most of the 'planning' and packing, we had a BUNCH of people help this past weekend with the move. With our realtor's truck, a rented dolly, tons of caffeine and pizza as bribery, we were able to get everything moved in under 10 hours!


It's very bittersweet to think that all of one's personal belonging can fit in a 10x30 space. (Well - almost fit... we do have a few items at the in-laws house that we couldn't squish in!).

Derek and I are definitely going to miss our first home. We lived there over 3 years and had grown to become quite fond of it's charms and the wonderful neighborhood. We are looking forward to the next stop in our life journey, but will never forget our first home on Gallery Street.

Thanksgiving 2009

There are just too many things to be thankful for this year to list off on our blog. To keep it short, Derek and I are most thankful for each other, our wonderful family, friends, jobs, dogs and our health.

Thanksgiving 2009 was spent with Derek's family as my parents were on a surprise birthday cruise that my dad got for my mom! We enjoyed all the classic foods until our stomach's were about to bust.

We hope everyone else had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!

Home Office is a GO!

Well, I survived.

Barely.

I can't remember the last time that I worked 60+ hours. Or the last time that I felt like I needed a ventilator in order to help me remember to breath. And I can't remember the last time that I ended up with a major stress migraine because of work. But I also can't remember the last time that I didn't shower before work and sat at my desk all day in my PJ's!

It was a rough week, but it was just the first from home and there were many kinks to be worked out. I know I'll get into a routine and will learn these accounts like the back of my hand, but WHEW am I glad that first week is over!

For at least the next few months until we move, I'll be "home officing" from the in-laws house seen to the right. It's a great space and there's plenty of room for me to lay everything out.... that is, except for our old, tiny desk. I'm making it work, though, at least until we move that is!

And in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'd just like to point out that I'm terribly lucky to have a wonderful job who's letting me stay with the company remotely. I'm definitely thankful for the flexibility and partnership in this journey that Derek and I are taking!

PS - I also don't mind staring at the "3 second Mario shot" poster on their wall daily!

Happy Birthday Mom!

I hope you are having a WONDERFUL time on your cruise (I'm only slightly jealous) and here's to a Happy 60th Birthday! LOVE YOU!

(click here to see pictures from the surprise party!)

Can you find the sun?

Lacy is JUST like her mommy in that she can find the smallest area that there's sun at any time. She LOVES the warmth on her back and in the winter, unfortunately, she has to do her sun-bathing inside.

Just look for the sun in this picture and she'll be right in the middle of it!

Where's the Freeze?

We are REALLY hoping that it freezes soon or else Lacy is going to go crazy gnawing at her feet. The poor girl suffers from allergies every fall and this year it's been an extended season for her. Generally the freeze takes care of her pain and suffering so fingers crossed that's very soon! If not, her back feet are going to quickly go bald from the constant licking.

And yes, she's on some medication to help, but you can still see the frustration in her poor little eyes!

SURPRISE!!

So about 4-5 months ago, I decided to team up with my Aunt (left) and organize a surprise 60th Birthday Party for my mother. 60 is a fairly big milestone and I knew my mom would appreciate the gesture. We began by selecting a date, then a location, then the decorations and then finally - the guest list. We ended up getting in touch with about 50-60 of her friends and family members to share in this wonderful surprise, and let me tell you - she was SUR-PRISED!

My cousin caught the action on video and you can actually see her confusion at first followed by her realization of what was going on!



It turned out so well and Nick and Jake's was great to work with for the food and drinks! Thanks to everyone who helped make mom's birthday so special... I know she appreciated it very much.




AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!

Last Week at Work

This week has been a whirlwind of learning new accounts, transitioning all my old duties and getting ready to start in my home office Monday! The people here really show how much they care when people are leaving the office and this was my week of celebration. Yesterday I came to a decorated office, food, a cookie cake and a wonderful card full of fun memories! They also had a happy hour planned after work to celebrate even more! I will miss this place a lot but mostly will miss the people and the great friendships I've made along the way. Although I'll still be with the same company, it's still going to be a sad day today at work. TEAR!

Capitol Hill

This past weekend, Derek and I took a short vacation to the Alexandria and DC area. The weather was gorgeous and we had a great time seeing the sites. The National Mall was very relaxing to walk along and people watch and seeing the Hope Diamond at the History Museum was really interesting. (I'd love to borrow that 45.5 carat diamond sometime for a special occasion!)

We also visited Mount Vernon, saw an IMAX 3-D movie, drove around Georgetown, hopped bars and ate on Kings street by the water in Alexandria and of course, did some shopping!

Manager Appreciation Day

My company takes great pride in appreciating one another. We have almost weekly "appreciation days" between departments, client groups, teams, floors, etc!

About 3pm yesterday, the 6 of us Media Managers were called into a quick meeting by one of our Senior Analysts. When we entered the break room, all 36 or so members of our department were clapping away and holding a big sign for us that read "Happy Manager Appreciation Day"! It was very, very sweet, but they even went above and beyond just that. We played a fun game for a while guessing which department member was connected to certain weird facts followed by some YUMMY cake, a cookie cake and soft ice cream!

We do a lot of encouraging and supporting of our team and it's nice to see their support and encouragement of us as well! I definitely lucked out over 5 years ago when I joined this wonderful group and this is just another reason why I feel so lucky to work with such an amazing group of people!

Dutch Blitz

If I could take a poll, I would bet that about 95% of you out there have never heard of this game. That is, unless you're #1 Amish or #2 belong to my family! We are huge "game players" and definitely enjoy some good laughs when our competitive sides come out. Dutch Blitz is by far my favorite.... and that's probably because I always win! It's fast, energetic and super fun and if you need a new game recommendation - this is it!

Here's a little background -
Dutch Blitz was the brainchild of Werner Ernst George Muller, a German immigrant and optometrist who thought the game might help his children more easily learn about colors and numbers. We can’t tell you whether or not Dutch Blitz accomplished that goal. All we know is that, somewhere along the line, Muller’s game captured the imaginations of gamers throughout Eastern and Central Pennsylvania. It’s kind of like solitaire. But with multiple players. And a lot more speed. And color. And fun. Dutch Blitz demands players think fast and act fast. It also demands that they keep an eye on their competition. That’s why we think Dutch Blitz is most perfect party card game ever invented. We’re pretty sure some of our fans would agree.

Last night my brother and I joined my parents at their house for dinner and a good 'ole friendly re-match of one of our favorite games. Well, maybe not so "friendly" as we're extremely competitive, but I sure did take the cake. Winning by a land slide, I'll now get to rub in my score until the next game night!

October Trees

One of the best features of living in Kansas is the beautiful colors of the fall. Anywhere you drive, you can see the bright oranges, yellows, reds and browns blanketing the skyline as well as the ground.

We have a few bright colored trees in our yard, but our baby October Glory Red Maple that we had planted a few years back is definitely my favorite. We picked that tree out for it's rapid growth and bright, vibrant fall colors and it definitely has followed through for us!

With the sun out this weekend, I was able to snap a great pic of it!