{ It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas }

After a somewhat depressing Thanksgiving, it is now officially socially legally acceptable to decorate and start celebrating CHRISTMAS!!!

{Get Excited}



Before we proceed with all the Christmas excitement....I first want to share with ya'll a few things we learned this Thanksgiving:

 {1}

Working in a hospital, on a holiday (where disease and illness know no holiday/day of the week/gender/race/sex/age/social status and shows no discrimination or mercy), will prove your gratefulness for more than just your health. As much as I hated working on a holiday...I'm pretty sure all of my patients hated being there way more than I did. period. After an 8 hour shift...I was about 10x more grateful for the things we were thankful for in our previous blog...and then some.

{2}

Don't try and restrict yourself time wise (or in any other way shape or form) when it comes to preparing a Thanksgiving meal. You will fail at something...and there will be tears. My infamous mac and cheese...was pretty close to an epic fail. However, David (bless his heart), ate it anyway...and the left overs too.

{3}

Don't forget the giblets!!!!!!! Just because the packaging that the turkey comes in says "no giblets, no neck" don't trust those crazy Butterballs!!! There will be giblets!!!!! I however learned this a little to late...as in after we already ate and were dividing up the leftovers. There is a little waxy/plastic bag in the front...full o' giblets. Woops! Sorry ya'll...we probably have cancer now.

{4}

David pulls it together when I fall apart....without him I don't know how I'd make it through life. In our relationship...I fall apart about something insanely silly (like wanting regular lemonade instead of frozen blended lemonade) and David pulls me back to reality (by pointing out that when frozen lemonade melts it becomes plain ole lemonade)--- and this is why we're perfect for each other. David is always right.....and I love him for it.

 

Now that all that maddness is over (and by maddness I mean Thanksgiving AND my 3 day holiday weekend work stretch)....it's beginning to look alot like Christmas!!! Today we decorated....and by we...I mean David...and by decorated I mean cried. Allow me to elaborate....

On mine and David's first Christmas together I said "It's not Christmas unless somebody cries." He laughed and probably immediately thought I was crazy...and over the past few years....I think I've proved my emotional craziness on more than one occasion. I don't know what it is about Christmas...but somebody always cries...and by somebody I mean me. Today was no exception.

My fav thing about decorating day is when David goes up in the attic (which we don't have anymore...sad times #1...) brings down all of our decorations, and we get to go through all the boxes and remember all our fun cute decorations that I forgot we had. I then proceed to gush and cry over every single sentimental Christmas decoration/ornament that we own and reminisce about where and when we got it. This year was needless to say a little different...not only did I get to cry once (over our trip down memory lane) but also as David puts up the tree. This too was one of my fav things...putting up the tree.... (sad times #2 ensues here) however this year....our over sized decorations which looked great in our house....are a little too large for our new tiny apartment....our tree might as well be in the middle of our living room (even though it's against the wall and in the corner)...let the waterworks begin again!!!

David's fav part about decorating is escaping my emotional craziness to put up Christmas lights outside  (where we have cryfest #3).... I watched around our huge Christmas tree and through the siding glass doors as David creatively made the best of our sad excuse for an outside space (aka our balcony)...and had another tearful moment as he made our balcony look like a scene from Holiday Lights on the River at Saluda Shoals Park.

 

 I'm hoping to find some fun "traditions" for us to continue while we're here. First on my list is finding somewhere that hosts the Nutcracker Ballet. We went last year for the Columbia City Ballet's Nutcracker at the Koger Center and had the best time.

{On another brighter note} I'm super stoked to actually have a mantel to hang our stockings on this year!! Stockings are one of my fav parts of Christmas morning....mostly because I stuff our stockings with some super fun stuff!

 

While Thanksgiving might have let us down a little...I know our good ole friend Christmas will pull through! And now that all the tears are over and the stockings are hung, we're looking forward to traditions, a white Christmas, and all the magic and sparkle that is the Christmas Season! Bring on the crowded malls, the Christmas shopping,  and the start of a long winter!

 

{Let it Snow}

Happy Turkey Week

In honor of this lovely Week O' Turkey we've decided to go ahead with our "what we're thankful for" post...


This year our Thanksgiving will be less than exciting (as we're both super far away from our fams/friends and the salt in the wound being I have to work--a double depressing Thanksgiving whammy)-- all the more reason to reflect on all the lovely things in our lives that we're thankful for! For those of you with hearts that are worried about what we'll be doing for Thanksgiving (inspite of our unfortunate schedules) we'll still be going all out southern style of course! Our menu consists of crock pot turkey (which I'll be stuffing and putting into the crock pot bright and early at 5am....don't worry I'm working that night so I'll be going back to bed!), mac and cheese (a southern staple...and we're not talking the box kind...the baked goodness we refer to in my fam as "cheese pie"), and we're currently in a debate between sweet potato souffle (my choice of course) or green been casserole (David's choice...which I am not a fan of...but will refrain of going into exactly why, as someone who may or may not read this may or may not get their feelings hurt). 

We're planning on eating around noon...and will definately be thinking about all of those we love and miss! This one's for ya'll!

{What we're thankful for this year}

First and foremost we're thankful (always) for our fam and friends. My friends are my rock...they have been with me for as long as I can remember...through the good times and not so good times....and for that I will forever be grateful...Lauve ya'll to the moon and back!!

Our fams are also such a HUGE part of our lives! Moving out here has really given us (me esp.) the opportunity to become closer with my parents...and it has been awesome!! On the flip side moving out here has also put distance between my extended fam (aunts and uncles, nieces, and my grandad) and David's fam-- which pulls at our heart strings every day. David's fam especially is the bomb.com. From day one (which let me just say was more intimidating than any job interview I have had to date)  they have welcomed me into their fam with open arms...and for that I especially am soo grateful from the bottom of my heart. While the complexities of our relationship may come with complications for some fams (i.e. living together/being together for the time we have been at the age we are and not being married) you would think the opinions of such a large family would come out and spread like wildfire..but both of our families (as traditional as they all are) welcome us and the decisions we make together as a couple with open hearts and open arms.....and again....for that...another reason to be thankful for our wonderful fams! We love you ALL!!!!

We are also superhero grateful for the experience of this wonderfully crazy adventure we are now on.....it has been almost a year ago to date that we decided to do this whole big move thing...and it has been awesome (in spite of it's sometimes not so pleasant experiences). Not only has it given us hindsight into our previous lives before our big move....but it has also provided insight into the people/couple we dream to become, allowing us to grow together into what we like to think of as an unstoppable, superhero "power couple." While many of our friends are getting married, having children and moving in the somewhat "stereotypical" progression of life (and while this...for me...can sometimes present its challenges)....we are building life long memories, and strength that it takes to get through this crazy thing called life.....together....for better or worse....and we're loving every minute of it!
This move has also provided us with the chance to remove ourselves from situations that could have potentially held us back from becoming the people we dreamed ourselves to be....it has given us the courage to take risks....and has proven successful in providing the confidence we needed in ourselves to learn to fly. So adventure called....and we're sooo thankful we answered!



I also wanted to take a minute to make you all gag and get all mushy mushy lovey dovey...which I debated upon at the beginning of this post...but I can't name all the things I'm grateful for and leave out the most important part....David. I'm so grateful to have such an awesome, solid, faithful, wonderfully loving, amazing man in my life. Even in our toughest moments...when he is being super difficult and seemingly impossible....I find a reason to love him even more. He gives me courage and strength to do the things in which I think I can not do....and he has allowed me to follow my dream and is awesome enough to support me through all the ups and downs that come along with it....He truly makes me want to be a better person, do a better job, and make everything in our life better....and for that I will be eternally grateful. For the love we both share....I can't even put into words how grateful I am....and that is why....although we will be spending this Thanksgiving without our fams....we will have each other...and to me...we are our fam....and it's the #1 thing I love about us! :)

So while you all are shoving face .... remember to be thankful for the people you have around you and the memories being made...don't ever take those precious moments for granted. And for those of us who are far away....we'll be thinking of you all! Thank ya'll for being awesome parts of our life .... we love and miss you!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!



Tryday Friday

Being the "blog-a-holic" that I am (and because sometimes I like to follow the crowd and do what everybody else is doing just because everybody else is doing it) I wanted to try something new and share with ya'll a quick "snip-it" of our week (fav things, things we're going to try, boring things we've done in the past week that made us smile...whatever the case may be) in a "Tryday Friday" Blog Post.

For those of you who aren't blog-a-holics let me catch you up. First, I have about 584930678435 different blogs in my blog reader that I read pretty much daily...and almost all of them have a post during the week of quick "snip its" of things they've done that they love and want to share...and let me just say...I love reading them!!! I've found so many new products/things to do/ideas that have also made my day....so while I'm pretty sure nothing David and I do is THAT interesting....a quick update on things that have made our week may just make yours too (or atleast that's my hope!) Either way I'm hoping it at least keeps you all updated on things going on in our life here in "The Middle"

~~~~~ Enjoy! ~~~~~~

This week's Tryday Friday

{1}

We've found a new winery folks! Now I know what you're thinking....Iowa + Wine = what tha what?!?!?! But there are a few winery's here that we frequently visit that TOTALLY rock our little wine socks off! Cedar Ridge is about 5 min from us and Fireside is about 15 min from us....and they both have PRESH outdoor areas/events/delish wines. But we have found a new fav!!! It's in West Liberty (which is a little farther away and is also "home" to the Herbert Hoover Museum that is on our list of places to see in December---they have sleigh rides in the snow...how stinkin cute?!...but I digress...back to wine)  the Brick Arch Winery ...they have mostly blended wines which are mixes of two or three different types of wines together and every one we tasted was DELISH! 

The building they are in is a super cute old building (right next door to the antique store #winning) and they have a cute little "dinning" area where you can purchase a bottle of their wine (after a FREE tasting), sit down with friends and enjoy some small finger foods....This is def on the list of places to visit when we have visitors!!! (if that's not an incentive folks I really don't know what is!)

{2}

I have had the WHOLE week off from work...which in and of itself is super exciting for me....but also it means that David and I have gotten to spend every evening together (which seriously never happens anymore)...which TOTALLY has made my *heart* happy. EVERY night we've gotten to eat dinner together, watch our fav shows together, and just hang out.....it really is about the simple things in life....it's weeks like these that make us fall more in love with each other (I know gag me...but it's totally true).

{3}

....getting surprise gifts like this....

....just because....also makes me fall more in love with him...but I mean seriously...who wouldn't?! I have the most amazing man there ever was and this my friends is only proof of his amazingness! #love

{4}

I don't know if it's the cold weather (we have another forecast of a snowy mix this weekend) or all the free time...but I may or may not need someone to stage an intervention with my knitting obsession...it's seriously out of control. This week I've completed a Cowl for my bff Ashley....with the left over yarn I even made a similar one for myself {twinsies!}...and I've started a new project with my new super presh knitting needles I bought as a "just because" gift for myself....



 Being a USC Alumni and fan of all things garnet and black...I feel as though owning anything orange is an automatic sin....however when we moved here it seemed as though being in a different time zone automatically negated any sort of rule about wearing and/or owning anything orange. And while I'll NEVER own anything "Clemson orange"....I do enjoy "fall orange" (that's right my friends...there is a difference) So to all of my die hard Carolina friends...I haven't gone over to the dark side...I'm just enjoying fall with this lurvely orange cable knit cowl

Here is a link to what this will look like once it's finished .... ~~~~>

I've also decided that I LURVE chunky yarn and big knits...they're quick, cheap, and easy just the way I like it! ;)

{5}

And last but not least....here are a few videos we've enjoyed listening to/watching/laughing hysterically at...hope you enjoy them too....

*I love that even after "all these years" (ok only 3) we sill love to listen to cute little love-ish songs together....this video is super cool those because it took like 2 years to make it....and its made from the animation of jelly bean art*

  

 Ok this one may be a tad offensive to some...but it's still HILARIOUS! David found the part about the wife watching Ellen particularly funny..

.hummm wonder why....



Bad word...4 letters....starts with S.....

..... {snow}.......

David played a dirty joke on me last night and I thought I would take this opportunity in my massive procrastination session to share (I have a huge Physiology test Thursday...and Ellen's on, and.....) Anyways, I was working at the hospital and on my dinner break I texted him as I always do when I work evenings.....his response to my text...no hello....no blah blah blah what are you doing, how is work pleasantries.....just "it's snowing!" After a minor freak out session....I found out it was indeed not snowing. (he was in trouble let me just tell you) The sick twisted part...it was raining/sleeting when I got off...and let me just tell you...driving home in the dark with that kind of weather....it's a miracle I made it home alive (I'm pretty sure I lost sight of the road atleast 3 times).

We have had "winter weather advisories" in our forecast for the past few days now, and our friend Jack Frost has been visiting our windshields in the morning....so I'm sure that gross thing we called snow is right around the corner.  The weather reports are predicting a trace-1inch of snow overnight and into tomorrow morning....and while I know to most people around here that's absolutely nothing....back home schools would already be on a delay and all other sorts of mayhem wouldn't be far behind.

Good thing David got me that awesome snow shovel a couple weeks ago....SURPRISE!

...DGF....

This blog requires a disclaimer: For all my Iowan friends who may or may not read this blog...this post may or may not offend you...if it does...you should know that if you are indeed my friend....you are exclusive of the generalizations that are about to be made...because in all honesty....I don't have friends who DGF. 

If you are unfamiliar with the term DGF please watch the following video to update yourselves (the true explanation of this term can be found at or around minute 1:45 and is only about a minute---so don't be alarmed that you have to watch the full 7 minutes....however if you do be warned that it is quite raunchy and somewhat hilarious)

As with most stories...this one requires a back story to catch you up on how DGF came to be. On our trip home this past summer David, my mother, and myself listened to countless hours of comedy cd's to pass the 16 hour drive. During this part of the comedy skit (in the video above)...and through the tears of gut wrenching laughter....I came to the realization...this describes Iowans and the way of life here...to a T...they just don't give a f*uck....and there was born the theory of DGF. We use this phrase often when we see something absolutely ridiculous occur right in front of our eyes....to which we shrug and say....DGF!



Ever since the DGF theory of living was born, it has really got me thinking about the good and bad of a DGF lifestyle. For the past 26+ years....our lives have been built on the basis and morals of exactly the opposite of DGF....let's call it GTMF (giving too much of a f*ck...aka the southern way). Southerners care about EVERYTHING....and they will judge you and your life accordingly (I can indeed make this proclamation without affliction because I too care about EVERYTHING and judge everyone according to how much they GF). I'm afraid that until I adopt a happy medium between DGF and GTMF I will forever be plagued with the horror of pointing out everytime someone DGF's....which could or could not be the humor or horror that makes or breaks my whole entire day.

Let me give you an example. Today is Sunday....and I went out for coffee at 8am without having had a shower, wearing my yoga pants, a hoodie, and what some people (i.e. David) call bedroom slippers (I call them furry shoes that are easily slipped on---they have hard bottoms people...automatically canceling their bedroom slipper status...don't get it twisted!). Let me count the ways this situation would be considered just plain wrong back home. First and foremost NOTHING is open before 1pm on a Sunday...and had I found a place open for coffee and went there in my said attire...people would have looked at me as if I were Satan himself. (I mean why else would an unshowered person appear in public before 1pm in their p.j.'s unless they were in fact Satan...or homeless....because everyone else is in church---I know this is a tad bit of an exaggeration but it's not far from the truth). It might have been that I classed it up too much with yoga pants, but no one even skipped a beat in their day, turned up their nose, or even passed me the stank eye when I walked into the coffee shop.

I have found myself on many occasion worrying about whether or not I'm over dressed for an occasion (because a t-shirt and jeans are acceptable attire ANYWHERE here, even a nice resturant...where they may put on a polo if it's a celebration) only to find when I arrive that I am, more times than not, in fact over dressed.

David and I both have found that in many social situations....people DGF about the experience you are having or are about to have in their place of business and/or establisment. This is applicable in restaurants, apartment hunting, and especially in entertaining scenarios. For example, when you walk into a restaurant back home...and it's OBVIOUS that you've never been their before...resturant staff offer to help you, answer your questions, or merely tell you about the place...or at the very least make you feel welcome. (This is what most of us know as customer service...however to Iowans...it's called "figure it out yourself...if you like our food come back...if you don't we DGF"). The hospital even makes their whole entire staff of thousands of employees go to what they call "Service Excellence"....I went to one installment...and decided that what they call "Service Excellence" I call "Home Training" --- needless to say I will be avoiding any more of these "trainings."

Our first DGF experience we had here was when we were apartment hunting. (And let me just say it was a nightmare....the next time we move it will be back home) We had few choices of apartments here (because the area of North Liberty has about 3 acceptable options for apartment living), we contacted a leasing agent for this one apartment we found online and set up a viewing time of this one unit we were interested in subleasing...and let me just say this experience was A-W-F-U-L. First she was late for the appointment (which we now know is par for the course here), then the tenant who was living there was home (SERIOUSLY?! could you not walk your super huge dog around the block so we could look through your apartment in peace?!) ...not to mention the apartment smelled like the current tenant's huge dog. I immediately showed my disgust and we high tailed it out of there. This my friends is our "go-to example" of Iowans and their innate ability to DGF. This experience back home would have consisted of the leasing agent asking the tenant to leave for a viewing (taking his dog with him), and sprucing up the place (i.e. hiding all ghetto-ness, and at the very least spraying freshener). But alas, DGF prevails....take it or leave it....we DGF.

My final example comes from our experience in entertaining/being a guest in someones home. It is to our standards as guests that we atleast get offered a beverage (which I will polietly decline until it is appropriate to drink because let's face it that's how us southern belle's roll)...or a seat without dog hair becoming apart of our wardrobe (everyone here has dogs...which is great...I love dogs...but seriously...it's called a lint roller). It is simple etiquette that most "party hostesses" lack here. I mean seriously, you can't provide a cutely displayed appetizer or some creative beverages?? What?! It's fend for yourself I'm afraid...even in someone elses home...which to me is just weird/boarderline rude (unless you're of course family...which we are most certainly excluded from here). My mother even says that (in winter especially) in some homes where you are a guest....it's custom to take off your shoes at the door...WTF people my shoes go with the outfit...and they're not comin off (I saw that episode of Sex and the City where someone stole Carrie's cute pair of Manolo's...and I won't be a victim of shoe thievary)

While DGF most of the time absolutely gets on my nerves to no end....it may actually be quite liberating to DGF every now and then. On the day's I'm feeling lazy....I might have to admit that I will (within boundaries) DGF slightly. But the second I go full fledged DGF...someone stage an intervention! I will always be polite, I will always ask if someone needs help if they look lost, or appear to have trouble breathing (like an old lady in the fabric store just the other day..seriously it was scary)....I will smile and say excuse me if I walk in front of you in the grocery store while you're obviously trying to scan the shelf for something you may desperately need.  I will offer my apologies if I am in your way/cut you off, or in any way make any social situation uncomfortable for you. I will courtesy wave when you let me cross the cross walk (this includes looking both ways before traipsing out into traffic--which people also have a hard time comprehending here), or if you simply go out of your way to let me go first at a 4 way stop. I will always be on time, or early, for any event in which other people are depending on my punctuality...because I like to show people I value their time too.  I will always bring the hostess a gift (as it is proper etiquette) and/or offer to bring something to contribute to the overall experience of the event you are hosting. I will always send Thank you notes and I will always show my gratitude when someone goes out of their way to do something nice for me. While all these things and more have been ingrained in me since birth....I too must also try and bend the rules, let go a little, and DGF (with limits)

                                                                               

The Weather in Iowa....

....wait 5 minutes it will change.

When I first moved here EVERYONE said this to me....and I thought "people say that everywhere...how true can that statement really be?" --- it might have taken me almost a year...but I now believe whole heartedly in the validity of this statement. 

Take for example the weather forecast for today.....KCRG TV9 Weather.

(A summary of the above video in case you just want the cliff notes-- weather people here don't know squat)

Please allow me to elaborate.

During the winter months especially, I feel like meterologists should just take the season off because there is absolutely zero predictability of the weather here!  In what alternate universe do you reach your daily highs at midnight/1am?! And just fyi I can look out my window and predict a better forecast than these crazy people....like right now...they're predicting a 90% chance of rain....it's sunny out with blue skies. I'm pretty sure that's an indication that I should indeed take my fellow Iowan's advice and wait 5 minutes for the rain/snow mix to scare me into some sort of winter apoclaypse oblivion where I rush to the grocery stores and buy all the milk and bread on the shelves. (I kid I kid...people don't do that here...they could care less about snow/and or any sort of winter apocalypse---but that's another blog)

So go ahead...try and plan your day based on the weather forecast here....it's impossible! Allow me to offer some practical advice in braving the days here....grab the biggest bag/purse you can find...throw in an umbrella, a scarf, some gloves, a coat, a hoodie, and some snow boots (and hell while your at it you better pack a change of clothes too...because after all you never know!)....and give the day your best shot. ---- Or you could take the easy way out....curl up with some coffee, klgandhoda, and your knitting and have a guaranteed  best day you've had in weeks! Now that's what I call a forecast!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



This may be an exaggeration....but I still found it pretty funny....