Tag Archives: life

Quick Update

July 21, 2009

I’m finding that I am not a very consistent blogger. Oh well. This is just for fun anyway!

Z and I have spent the month of July so far by moving, traveling, attending showers, weddings, camping, and undergoing surgery. (Z had his wisdom teeth pulled out a little over a week ago and thankfully is almost back to 100%!) Our move into Z’s grandparents’ house went smoothly, and we are thoroughly enjoying being here. At first, I was a little apprehensive that we would feel like we were either intruding on their time or neglecting them if we didn’t “hang out” with them all the time. But it couldn’t be more comfortable! They are a couple of very involved, very busy people and while it is obvious that they like having us around, they don’t go out of their way to include us (aka- they let us do our own thing!) and they are extremely respectful of “our” space. (Not that I thought they wouldn’t be, it’s just that they have gone above and beyond what I would expect to make us feel like we have our own space and privacy.) Plus, having a comfortable, beautiful home, yard, basketball court, and delicious home cooked meals doesn’t hurt either! I think we could get used to this…

We’ve also been really busy every weekend. For the 4th, we traveled to be with my parents, see fireworks, and go to the Taste of Chicago. The following weekend, I had a bridal shower to attend for the bride who is getting married at the end of this week and we ended up skipping yet ANOTHER wedding due to Z’s painful, puffy mouth and slow surgical recovery.

And last weekend, we went camping. My dad grew up along the southern shore of Lake Michigan and less than a mile from his boyhood home is the campground that I first remember camping at. And we’ve been back many many times since then. This most recent time was with our newly married friends, Dan and Rachel, seen here singing while fixing us some lunch.

Making Grilled Cheese- The Musical

We played board games, made s’mores, roasted hot dogs, rode our bikes, visited the nearby outlet mall, and went to the beach.

Skipping Rocks

Where we skipped rocks…

Catch

Played catch…

Big WavesTaking the plunge!

And SOME of us, even got wet! (Even though the temperature was in the low seventies and the water was COLD)

Polar Bears

Not to be outdone, Dan joined in. Afterall, he has done a “Polar Bear Swim,” in the lake, in the middle of December. The middle of July? No problem.

Laughing

See? He’s laughing at how easy it was… or was that an exclamation over how cold it was?… I can’t remember now. :)

It was a great weekend and it was wonderful to be able to spend some quality time with my best friend- and her new husband. Since moving away from our college town, Z and I have felt a little isolated and friendless. We know that this will change once we’ve had a chance to make friends at church, work, our new apartment (whenever we find one that is!), but it was nice to see some old friends to tide us over.

Speaking of work, Z has been working very hard on preparing for his first year of teaching and is growing more and more excited as the date comes nearer. And me? I’m still looking for a job. I’ve applied to a couple places and am looking for more and have my fingers crossed that I can find something by the time he starts teaching- even if it’s only part time for now.

That’s pretty much what’s up with us right now. I’ve been thinking a lot about a “story” that I want to start recording here and I think I’m about ready to start on that. Plus, I’ll have more wedding pictures to share after my stint as a bridesmaid this weekend!

For now, I’m off to help Grandma finish getting dinner ready. Z’s sisters are joining us tonight which should be a lot of fun.

Have a wonderful evening and Choose Joy!

E

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Graduation Celebration!

July 8, 2009

Finally… as promised- the recounting of Z’s graduation celebration. When we originally discussed the idea of a “graduation party,” he was less than enthused by the idea of the typical backyard bar-b-que to which all of one’s 100 closest friends and family are invited. So, we decided on a different type of celebration.

A weekend with our families at Grandma and Grandpa’s lake house!

Boat Ride

Once we had the date selected (which took several weeks of phone tag, emails, and re-scheduling) and the menu planned (which seemed to take even longer with all the debating between the women involved!), we just had to show up and enjoy ourselves.

ZDadEric

The guys (Z, my dad, and my sister’s boyfriend, Eric) played some catch before we went out on the boats…

Grandpa

Z’s paternal grandfather gave my parents a tour of the lake on the pontoon boat while the rest of went out to waterski.

Z waterskiing

Z is really good at it.

No hands!Catching some air

Show off

Show off.

Andy

His dad is really good at it too. He only needs ONE ski!

Jill

And so is Z’s youngest sister.

THIS guy on the other hand…

Trying!

Try as he might, couldn’t get up on the water. That’s my sister’s boyfriend again. And boy, he was persistent. This was on Sunday afternoon, even after he was tired and sore from all the trying that he did on Saturday morning and afternoon! But don’t feel bad for him. He was good at other stuff…

Tubing

Like making my sister laugh while they were tubing. At least until they conked heads while going over some really rough water and were both thrown from the tube! Apparently his head is harder than hers because she was the one who ended up with a bump and bad headache. (Some ice and excedrin later and she felt better! No concussion thankfully!) And, they’re still dating so it didn’t do too much damage.

He was also the only one able to accomplish THIS all weekend…

Catfish!

Z has been trying and trying to land a fish or two every time we’ve been out at the lake. And Eric, who was extremely dubious about venturing out into the mosquito infested inky blackness that descends on areas with no light pollution to throw a line in the dark lake, came triumphantly back up to the house with this catfish on his line. He was very proud. (And let the poor fish go back into the lake… he was too small to be eaten!)

But back to the boating adventures…

sisters

Z’s sisters had fun on the jet ski… and later, Z, Eric and Kaitlin managed to tip it over- twice! Thankfully, no one was hurt and we all just laughed at them.

Learning to drive

Jill even learned how to drive it!

Sisters

Happy Father's Day!

Another perk to the weekend was getting to spend Father’s Day with my dad. My brother is away at scout camp as a counselor all summer and my sister is living at school to take classes and work so my dad would’ve been “childless” for the holiday. It was fun that we got to double the celebrations and be with him for the weekend too.

EricaZ and his other Grandpa

HeronSnuggling

We had a wonderful weekend topped off with some great food (all of the planning was worth it!), a rousing game of “Pit,” and lots of quality time with our families. My sister is graduating NEXT spring… maybe we’ll do it again. :)

Next up, some updates on our move and crazy busy life!

Choose Joy,

E

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LAST DAY!

June 30, 2009

Well, today is my LAST day of my first “real” job! And yes, I’ll admit, I’m pretty excited about it. Not that this job has been awful (though it has had its days!), but I AM super excited to be entering July… a whole month of time off! I won’t have to sit in this un-airconditioned, hot and humid office being bored or stressed (it’s pretty much always one or the other) and will have all kinds of time to scrapbook, bike, hang out with Z, and yes, blog more! We have plans for every weekend this month- including a weekend with my parents for the 4th, two weddings, and a camping weekend with Rachel and Dan who got married almost a month ago. (Wow, that went by fast!) And we’re moving tomorrow- into air conditioning and a lovely house with a yard and garage (it all belongs to Z’s grandparents). And as exciting as all that is, I think the thing I’m looking forward to the most is our mattress. I can’t wait to go to bed tomorrow night.

See you from the “new” E-town!

E

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One Week Left

June 24, 2009

Well, we’re down to our final week in our “together hometown.” In one short week, we will be moving away from the place where we met, became best friends, fell in love, shared our first kiss (and many more after that!), got engaged, spent our first year of marriage, and oh yeah- went to college. This town is really full of memories for both of us.

Just tonight, we rode our bikes over to our favorite local custard place, past the run down building where I took my freshman and sophomore year architecture studio classes. And I can still vividly remember the graffiti walls, late nights, line dancing to “Footloose,” and even the smell of the building.

We know where we’re going for the coming year. Sort of. And after that, we have no idea where life might take us. We talk about the possibility of coming back here but there is no way to know if that will ever happen. Sure, we’ll be back to visit some friends and my sister who are still in classes but that’s not the same as living here. Part of me thinks that if we had moved right after I graduated, it would have been easier. But now, we know a little what it’s like to live in TOWN, not just on campus. And we like it. A lot. And now, we have one week left and last five seem to have disappeared all too quickly.

The coming year promises to hold many adventures… a new apartment (which we have yet to find), Z’s first year of teaching, and hopefully a new job for me! We’ll find a new church and hopefully some new friends. But we’ll also be far away from our “old” friends and I’m anticipating needing to get mapquest directions in order to find the grocery stores in our new, significantly larger, town (Actually, it’s a small city) as I am completely unfamiliar with the area.

We’ll also be much closer to Z’s family. Which will be a blessing in many ways but also a challenge for me as I learn how be a part of their family on a more regular basis. (Not that I’m not ALWAYS a part of their family but we’re going to be seeing a LOT more of them and that’ll be a new experience for me!)

But, we’ll be together and going through a bigger move like this will be another first for our marriage. And all of our other “firsts” turned out really well so far! :)

So, anyway… one week left and then we’re off!

In the meantime, I’ll work on filling you in on Z’s graduation celebration and his upcoming concert this weekend. (Did I mentioned that we’ve filled every spare moment between now and moving day? Or that we’ve also filled every weekend between now and the end of July with plans? No boring summer for us!)

Off to bed… only 4 more days of work!

E

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Can You Hear Us?

June 10, 2009

CD Cover

Ok, so I’m taking a break from talking about weddings/anniversarys/showers/etc. for a post. And instead, introducing another pretty significant aspect of our lives…

Can You Hear Us?

So, Can You Hear Us? is a band- made up of Z and his sisters. In April they released their first, self-titled cd which they recorded over the past year with several other very talented “guest” musicians. (Friends of Z’s and some studio musicians really helped flesh out some of the songs!)

I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this before but my husband is a very musically talented. And I say that with as little bias as possible for someone who is married to him! He plays electric and acoustic guitar, mandolin and piano. And he’s been teaching himself to play the banjo lately and a few months ago had some success teaching himself the basics on the cello.  He tells me that playing an instrument for him is like singing. You just need to teach your fingers how to sing. (I WISH it was that easy!)

Anyway, he put his singing fingers to work to write most of the musical parts that support his sister, Kaitlin’s, lyrics. She started writing songs a few years ago when she witnessed a group of Albanian teens picking on/mocking a mentally retarded man who was selling roses on the street in the Albanian city they were living in at the time. “Old Man with the Roses” tells this story on the cd.

Since then, she’s told the stories of child soldiers, children sold into slavery and forced prostitution, extreme poverty in the slums of the third world, and Christians who have died to bring the gospel to the forgotten people of the world. She’s also sung about some of the families that have fallen through the cracks in their small, rural, American town. The songs are heart-wrenching and often tear- inducing (and not really for little kids!).

But they are also full of hope. The song “Kenya” speaks about the incredible power of prayer. “Come Now, Let Us Go” is about salvation through Christ’s blood. And “The Kingdom” is a beautiful testament to all of the “little things” that people do to bring about God’s Kingdom here on earth. And then there is “Glory” which is my favorite. It’s more like a hymn- and we had Z’s three sisters sing it for us at our wedding.

Singers

And I can’t really even begin to describe how beautiful their voices are. You’ll just have to check out the sample tracks here. And while you’re there, you should also read some of the stories behind the songs. Because those are some pretty incredible stories. (Warning: it is not easy to forget what you hear/read!)

Oh, and they’ve made a family decision that all of the profits from any cd sales/concerts/whatever will be donated directly to organizations like International Justice Mission or Shared Hope International which fight trafficking and injustice all over the world.

Basically, I love that Z has a way to share his passion and talent for music along with his passion for social justice- WITH his sisters. And they’re using their incredible talent to actually make a difference for God’s Kingdom… which is at least part of why He gifts us with talents, isn’t it? It’s a pretty cool thing to watch and in my own little ways, participate. Plus, it’ll be fun to see where they go from here!

Have a beautiful day and Choose Joy!

E

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First Anniversary

June 3, 2009

On Sunday we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. And I still can’t believe that we’ve been married for that long already!

As we sat at dinner on Sunday, we commented on how remarkable it is to be unable to imagine daily life without the constant presence of each other after only one year of living together and 20+ years with our respective families. We were told by several people shortly before our wedding that the first year of marriage is the hardest. I sure hope that’s the case because this first year was a breeze and we decided we’d like at least 75 more like it!

Anyway, to celebrate, we enjoyed some strawberry pancakes for breakfast (we had pancakes the morning after our wedding a year ago), and for lunch, enjoyed a picnic at the Arboretum where we started dating and Z proposed.

Picnic

It was a perfect day to spend some time outside,

Wineblueberry wine

and to enjoy some of the Wild Blueberry Wine that we purchased in Maine on our honeymoon last year- and saved to enjoy on our first anniversary!

After lunch, we played some catch.

Nap time

And because it was a beautiful day, and we were worn out from the catch, we caught a nap in the shade. :)

Evening downtown

For dinner, we dressed up and headed “downtown” for a very nice outdoor dinner- complete with wine, steak, scallops, and desserts. Definitely a once a year kind of meal…

Anniversary!

And I made sure to wear my new pearl earrings which, along with a matching necklace, were a total surprise anniversary gift from my dear husband. And here I thought that you weren’t “supposed to” get pearls until the 30th anniversary! Lucky for me, Z has no idea that “traditional” anniversary gifts even exist. I doubt he’d follow them even if he knew.

Thanks for a very romantic day, honey! I can’t wait to see what year 2 has in store for us.

~E

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Transitions

June 2, 2009

Wow. I’m a really bad blogger! Not that I’ve ever been particularly diligent in my journaling endeavors…

Maybe I’ll just blame it on the fact that for the last few weeks, Z and I have spent every spare moment packing boxes, carrying boxes, moving furniture, and searching for the inevitably “lost” item of clothing amidst the mountains of cardboard filling our apartment.  We are in the middle of a multi-stepped moving process. Our lease on our apartment ended on the 31st (also, our first anniversary!) but we need to be in town until the end of June for Z to finish his last college course and for me to wrap up my time at my current job. So, we are subleasing for a friend for the month of June.

In July, we will move into the basement apartment at Z’s grandparents’ house where most of our stuff is currently being stored while we search for a NEW apartment in that area. Z’s teaching job for the fall is official and out of a desire to avoid a two hour commute every day, we will be leaving our college home and moving closer to his new school. Which means that I too will get to seek new employment. We are hopeful that i can find a job and a new apartment by August- and having the time to look in July while enjoying a rent free, air conditioned, basement apartment is truly a blessing.

And in the midst of all the searching, we of course have many plans for summer fun and adventure. We attended the first wedding of the season last weekend- of a couple of our college friends (they are dropping like flies!) where Z played piano for the ceremony…

Z on the piano

At a wedding

… and the reception had a great view of the city skyline! (not that you can actually see it in the above photo!)

And this COMING weekend, we will be celebrating with Rachel and Dan (see previous post!) at their wedding on Saturday. Throw in a few more weddings, a weekend at a lake house to celebrate Z’s graduation with our families, a camping weekend, a weekend in Cincinnati to visit our other married cousins, horseback riding lessons from Z’s aunt (which I am SO excited about!), and a list of projects that is 2 miles long a growing, and our summer promises to be a very busy- yet fun!- one.

And hopefully I’ll be better at recording it here- especially since I might actually have some fun things to talk about.

Another post coming soon- I promise!

E-town

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Anniversary of Spring

May 14, 2009

I’ve been doing a lot of adoption related reading lately. And one thing I read just last night was about the “anniversary feeling.” That phenomenon where we experience feelings, sensations, and memories around the anniversary of a significant event that are not all directly related to the calendar dated anniversary of said event. For an adopted child who was placed with their family during winter, the onset of the following winter- the cold, snow, etc, may trigger the feelings of confusion and fear that accompanied placement. Even if the child has adjusted well to the family. I was thinking about this and realized that it happens for me all the time.

I love autumn. The colors, the cool, crisp air, the smells. But it’s more than that. The feeling of fall prompts me to feel the excitement of new beginnings (living on a school calendar for about 20 years will do that to you!), the joy of celebration of mine and my sisters’ birthdays, the anticipation for the coming holidays, and brings back the memories of apple picking, the last campfires of the season, and attending the Feast of the Hunter’s Moon. (google it- it’s awesome!)

And the warm, humid air, greening leaves and grass, and budding flowers of spring have always brought celebratory feelings of nearing an “end.” Summer vacation, a new softball season, family vacations, and in short, freedom, awaited at the end of spring- the end of the school year. And the months preceding the end of school were always soooo long.

Last spring, I was nearing the end of my college career, the end of my life as a student (at least for the time being!), the end of four years of way too little sleep, often too much stress, and the convenience of living with some of my best friends. I was nearing the end of my wedding planning, my engagement, my life as a single woman. And I was nearing the end of my time of living with my parents. As independent and grown-up as they treated me already, every school break and holiday was spent at home with them and I knew that things would change once I moved out for good.

However, last spring, I was also quickly approaching a time of new beginnings. Of drastic life changes that would affect my life forever. More so than any softball team or summer vacation ever had. I was approaching life as a college graduate. Life as a full-time employee of a company. And most importantly, life as Z’s wife.  And that was exciting enough to make me all but forget the “endings” of last spring.

Now, this spring, as we are enjoying more numerous warm, sunny days with blooming lilacs and breezy green trees, I am again experiencing much of the anxiety and excitement, the nostalgia and anticipation of last year. And I know that much of it is linked to my memories of Spring 2008. It is the anniversary of my college graduation, of saying goodbye to so many friends and to a way of life, of saying goodbye to my old bedroom and my parents’ house. And we are 16 days away from my first wedding anniversary. A year ago, we were putting the finishing touches on our wedding and honeymoon plans and preparing to move into our first apartment.

And yet, not all of my feelings are triggered solely by the memories of last year. Z has just received a job offer for a teaching position out of town that we have decided to accept. While we are thrilled that God has provided him with employment for next year, I am feeling a little nostaligic. This job will mean moving… out of our very first apartment, our first home together- out of the town where we met and fell in love and dated and kissed for the first time and got engaged. Moving will mean the end of my first “real job.” And while it hasn’t been wonderful every day, it’s been a blessing to have an income and I’ve a learned a ton. Moving will mean being further away from many of our friends. And our first anniversary will mean the end of our first year of marriage. A year full of learning how much fun we have living together, of much we love being married.

And our first anniversary will also mark the beginning of our second year of marriage. Which will probably be even more wonderful than the first! This new job will mean the opportunity to go on an adventure together, to learn more about each other, to set up a new home, to make new friends, for me to find a new job. And I can’t help but be excited about all of those things. After all, we’ll be doing them together. And that’s what I signed up for when I made my vows last May!

Choosing Joy,

E

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Waiting, hoping, and moving?

April 1, 2009

Z is nearing the end of his student teaching gig. And just last night submitted several job applications. Supposedly, teachers are in high demand but secondary ed, social studies/history positions are proving to be hard to come by. With the economic melt-down, fewer teachers are retiring or leaving their positions because of the lace of certainty that another will be available. And this means fewer job openings in our area. We were hoping to stay here in town, especially since I could keep my job and not have to find another. However, in the long run, it is more important for him to have a stable, secure position so that we can afford for me to stay home with our children! So, we are looking elsewhere.

At the university’s job fair, Z spoke with representatives from school districts in North Carolina and El Paso, Texas and has just applied to both. He’s applied to every opening that we’ve heard about/found within 2 hours of where we are now, and he’s looking into potential openings in Colorado, Virginia, and maybe Michigan.

Our current lease ends on our one year anniversary and we made the tough decision to not renew it for another year. We could sublease it, but if we couldn’t find someone to rent it from us and we had to move out of state, we definitely couldn’t afford to be paying for 2 apartments! We decided that subletting from a friend for the summer was a safer bet- provided we find out by early August where we’ll be in late August.

So right now, we’re waiting, hoping, and praying for a job offer. And hopefully it will happen sometime BEFORE August. It’d just be nice to have a little time to prepare for a move, especially if it is as far away as NC or Texas!

It’s a little stressful- all this waiting and yes, oftentimes worrying. But maybe it’ll prove to be good practice for the inevitable wait we’ll have to endure during the future adoption process. And God has never failed to amaze us with his ample and timely provision. Even if He does want to teach us about patience and trust in the meantime.

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Crazy Busy

March 9, 2009

I feel like I’ve been a runaway train for the last few weeks!
Z is looking and applying for jobs. Education jobs are pretty few and far between and that might mean a big move is in store for us sometime this summer.
My job is busy. To say the least. And rather stressful as there is a lot of stress/anxiety in the office. I’m also working on taking/passing a final test to gain my official certification as a “Passive House Consultant.” (and it is no easy test! I’m really hoping to pass it on the first time through and have about a week and half left before I have to turn it in!)
I’ve visited my parents and had my in-laws come to visit us.
My list of projects is a mile long and I’m already late on my friend’s birthday present. (Which I will be posting the “how-to” here as soon as she receives it because I know she checks this blog sometimes)
And on top of that, we’ve been doing a lot of reading and research on adoption. Yes, we are planning on adopting… but all of that is a story for another post(s). The reason I mention it here is because it’s a weighty topic and consumes a lot of my thought… I’ve been reading numerous adoption related blogs from all points of view (birth parents, adoptive parents, adoptees) and have been learning a lot. Some of which I will share here in future posts.
I’ve also been writing some “short story/essay” type entries for this site and it’s taken me longer than I anticipated.

So, all that said… it’s not an excuse for not blogging (which I’ve found that I really do enjoy!). It’s just a very brief update on our lives!

More to come soon. Promise.

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