Peaches

Miles bought a huge bag of peaches last week at the farmer's market...and then forgot to eat them. So last night, in an effort not to let them all go to waste, I made a peach cobbler. After a quick google, I found this recipe and followed it fairly closely, just adding a little more flour to the mix.

Not to toot my own horn (since all I did was follow a recipe) but toot, toot. It was dee-licious. 

The cinnamon nutmeg-y smell that filled the house was just one more thing that gets me excited for fall.  


Oh, an that book I mentioned in my last post? It really is keeping me up, reading, way past my bed time. So good.

Chick Flick Night

I (unintentionally) tricked Miles into a chick flick night last week. Unintentionally, because he was unaware of the difference between a romantic comedy and a chick flick. The movie we watched was not even remotely funny. It was a still fair trade, we didn't laugh...but more importantly to Miles, I didn't cry. Why do I even try anything else--The Notebook is all I need. But the couch was cozy, my drink was delicious, and my boys were cuddly.

Miles fell asleep at one point, but Ro stuck with me through the end.

I love evenings in with these two guys, its centering, calming and slowly helping this house feel like our home. 

First Cookout

We bought a grill over labor day weekend, because thats just what you do, right? We had Miles' mom and best friend over for our first cook out--not too many people in case Miles ended up being a terrible grill master (he wasn't). Matty brought one of my greatest weaknesses, cheese dip, and I snacked on that like nobody's business. We had delicious corn, burgers, jalapeño dogs, fresh watermelon, salad, homemade fries and good company. Here's to many more cookouts in our future--hopefully soon with a fire pit for my other weakness, s'mores!

 Rowan also enjoyed being the cutest center of attention, obvi.

 I can already tell that finally having a grill has changed the way we think about meals. Miles wants to make dinner every night--hallelujah! And I'm so excited to think of all the yummy grilled veggies we're going to have this fall!

Seven Weeks

And seven weeks later...we close! In an hour I will be sitting in a room with Boo and a bunch of other people, signing all the necessary documents to seal the deal on our house! We can hang pictures and curtains! We can build our fence, and buy a grill, and adopt a pup! We can install our security system, and I can sleep peacefully when Boo leaves for work! We can install a phone jack so we can have internet! We can start thinking about buying a much needed new car! So many things! All involving money leaving our pockets...Ah, home ownership!

I was talking to my mom last night about how relieved we are to be closing. We started this house hunting/buying process in January, so we've been in this mode for so long and are definitely ready to be in a different mode--the home owning kind of mode. I can already feel will be a pretty intense mode, but we're ready for it. There is a long list of immediate to-dos, and a longer list of general to-dos, and a growing list of "what if we did this..." to-dos.  But I love lists, so bring it on (she said naively).

I'm so grateful for everything that Miles and I have learned during this process. And we've learned a lot...mostly a lot to do with being patient. I don't think I've ever had to be so patient for something before. Which kind of isn't saying a lot..but still. And even then, I can't say that I was gracefully patient all the time. Miles has put up with this grumpy/whiney/pitiful wife on several occasions. He had to live in double patience--with the house situation, and with me. So thank you, Boo. You are more wonderful with each new day. You have my heart, home is where the heart is, and so home is wherever I'm with you. But I sure am glad we will own the actual house where our actual hearts will live.

(image via)

Le Sigh, Will I Ever Learn?

I threw myself a pathetic pity party before I went to sleep last night. Miles did his best to cheer me up, but I was deep in it...for the smallest reasons (adding up to something a touch overwhelming). We still haven't closed. I've unpacked a little more of our stuff, but was reminded Friday that this house still isn't ours when the seller's wife came by the house and asked  bunch of weird questions about closing. We've been waiting for a month to close on this house, held up by a lot of things to do with the seller leaving the country (for a family emergency) without signing the proper documents for our closing. And on Friday, his wife basically asked me what the hold up was...

So there's that. 

And then a bunch of little silly things that I let build up in my mind, resulting in last night's tearfest.

Then, I woke up this morning feeling like a fool and my eyes still stinging from crying over...nothing, basically. Nothing that should hold any real weight in my life. Yes, we haven't really felt like we're at "home" for a couple months now, this process his dragged out longer than I could have imagined. But we're freaking buying a house. Its so amazing that we even have the opportunity to do that. And I have several other things to be thankful for about my life right this moment. I spend too much time dreaming of the future, even if its only seven days into the future, my mind is there and my heart longs for it, and then I miss out on what is right in front of  me. These things are right in front of me:

• for one year and one week, I have been married to my sweet man
• he bought me this book for our anniversary. I'm only a few stories in, and I've already cried several times 
• even though we now know I am not a top of the mountain vacation girl (whereas Miles was 100% in his element), Boo still loves me
• I trimmed by bangs last night and I don't look like a total dweeb (win!)
• even though its not "my" kitchen yet, I still lovelovelove cooking in it
• Boo got his hair cut for the first time in over a year last week, and it looks so. good.
• He also decided that he's going to cut his hair more often now. Glory halleluyer!
• my nanny baby was so happy to see me after over a week off work
• my heart nearly exploded when I saw le bebe after aforementioned work break
• Singin' in the Rain 60th anniversary showing on Thursday night (doh, thats in the future. but still)

No more pity parties, Bethany. Stop it.

On another note, I have so many photos in my camera from the past month. For the life of me, I cannot find my USB cord in any of our boxes!  I'm sure I'll end up ordering a new one, and then finding my old one immediately thereafter.

Real Life

(I am really hoping these photos aren't as wonky as they look in my editing thing.) 

1. The last morning in our apartment. The last time I will look up to this old ceiling

2. Empty living room in the first place we called home.

3. New bedroom, bare walls

4. Our new way home

5. Deliciousness

6. Sink buddies

We haven't unpacked a lot of things at the house yet, since we don't officially own it yet. And I seem to have packed my camera cord somewhere that makes no sense at all, because I can't find it in any sensible boxes. It will take a while for us to find/make a place for everything, but I'll post pictures along the way--as soon as I find that cord!

Miles and I are so happy we hired movers to get all our stuff out of our apartment and into the house. We could never go back to moving everything ourselves again--it was amazing and well worth our money. Once we got everything in the house, the house actually seemed bigger. So far, everything we have fit perfectly. Our bedroom is so cozy and not at all cramped like we were worried it would be. I can't wait to start putting things on the walls and finding/making/buying new furniture for the house. We're planning a little Ikea trip this coming weekend as we head to Georgia for our mountainous getaway. That will be the first of many homey purchasing extravaganzas in the months to come, and I can't wait!! Miles has even taken a liking to The Container Store! Glory, hallelujah! Organizing gives me belly butterflies and I go nutso in that store. I think home ownership will suit us well. We'll finally have something we both love together to buy for! Now if only we could sign those danged closing papers already..

Moving Day

We're moving into our house today!! Only, its still not technically our house... We have yet to close, the seller is out of the country--which makes an already complicated ordeal about a million times more complicated. But the end of the month is creeping up and we weren't going to have a place for all our stuff! Thankfully, the seller is allowing us occupancy until all this mess is sorted out. So we're moving! But not really unpacking or settling in, in case something really crazy happens and this whole deal falls apart. Don't stress, right?

This whole process of looking for a house has been completely insane. From the first house we fell in love with having major issues, to sellers raising the asking price of another house just as we were putting together an offer for it, to completely changing up our whole approach and finding this house. We won't be in East Nasty, like we always assumed we would be, we won't have a "big" house that we can grow in to...but we will have everything already renovated from top to bottom, a huuuuge back yard, a wonderful back deck and front porch..I'm excited, y'all. This house will be so good for Miles and I. So good. We constantly talk about projects and gardens and organizers and meals and friends coming over. Right now, we're still stressing' over the ever elusive closing date, trying not to mope when every. single. step. in the closing process takes about 10xs longer than it normally would..

We are starting something new, definitely not the way we would ideally prefer, but starting nonetheless. I am so excited to take this huge step with Miles, we feel so blessed to be able to take this huge step together, and so early in our marriage. Thus begins our Mays Days. Obviously, if you live on a street named Mays, you have to rhyme it with days...This week, house buying (fingers crossed), next week, ANNIVERSARY!

Record Screech

You know...to a halt? The music is playing and everything is fine (or overwhelming) and then the record screeches and you're like, whaa? Thats me. Probably us, I just haven't spoken to busy, working Miles yet. Our closing date was pushed back a week, the night before we were scheduled to close. As in, last night. 

Its not really anyones fault, per say. We actually originally wanted to close next week, but the seller pushed for the 12th and we didn't really mind. But lo and behold, ya can't get everything mortgagey and appraisally done in 3 weeks! I've been super stressed about packing and having moving nightmares, and sad that we don't get to spend our last week before moving in our apartment (we're dog sitting in the burbs). And now...we'll have that last week in our apartment. Our completely packed apartment. Kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, tv, clothes, internet. I guess I got what I wanted? Less stress, time at the apartment, one last week in Hillsboro Village, one last week walking everywhere...But I still feel a little sense of a wompwomp growing somewhere inside. We'll figure something out. Unpack a few pots and pans, two dishes, two glasses, and maybe the wireless router. We'll have a bigger paycheck under our belts (in our bank?) next week, so I probably won't have nightmares of the movers asking for $5,000 after they've finished their job. This will be good!! It was just unexpected. And very last minute. The lastest minute possible. But this will be good. I will make it so.

And thus, my mental transformation in a paragraph's time.

 image from this amazing blog

Pintrest Home

As our closing date quickly approaches, I'm trying to be more excited about making this little house our home, than stressed about the closing/moving/transitioning time period. I tend to...how shall I say, over think situations. It took me a long time to not be annoyed at myself for over thinking on our wedding day and kind of being in a daze the whole weekend as a result of said over thinking. I'm so excited to have a space to make all our own. I kind of refrained from settling all the way into our apartment because I knew the space was temporary. That being said, I think I speak for both of us when I say that we'll really miss that quirky old apartment and living in Hillsboro Village. It will probably be better for our bellies when we don't live within walking distance of some of our favorite eateries.

I went through some of my pins earlier today and got really excited to soon be able to make them a sort of reality in our home, with our stuff. And think we're going to go to Ikea for a hot second when we head to the Georgia mountains for our anniversary trip! The last time I set foot in an Ikea, I was probably 16 years old, awkward, and could care less about decorating and organizing a home. Miles has no idea what he's in for.

Little details, oversized frames, books and vinyl storage, big mirrors, a place for everything, lots of light & lots of love.

Source: designsponge.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Source: gallery.apartmenttherapy.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Source: theselby.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Source: smileandwave.typepad.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Source: blogs.babble.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Source: georgiegirlnyc.com via Bethany on Pinterest

Oh, June

Thinking about this month and all that it holds is pretty overwhelming, thankfully in a good way. 

We begin with Miles' birthday on the 5th. My husband's birthday. Thinking about it in those terms, "my husband's", makes me feel butterfly-ey all over again, almost a year later.

The day after his birthday, we head down to the burbs for a dog-sitting stint. Hopefully we won't be working too much to be able to enjoy the pool and actually enjoy being outside in the heat. While we're dog-sitting, we are also scheduled to close on a house!!! Yep. June 12th, if all goes well, we will become home owners. Two weeks from yesterday. Phew, thinking about it in that time frame makes my stomach turn. Really, with the dog-sitting, we only have a week left in our tiny apartment. Our first little home. And that thought fills me with excitement and a little sadness at the same time. 

So we finish dog-sitting and are planning on moving in Father's day weekend. I love the house and can't wait to start unpacking and finding a place for everything, but I think that will be a looong process. Since we know we'll be in this house for a while, we can really settle down and find things that are specific to the spaces we want to create. And we'll have some small bedrooms to work with--so imma have to get super creative. We're so excited to make this house our home; to eventually turn all our talk into reality, to have a backyard and a deck, a washer, dryer and a dishwasher (!!!). And we'll of course be so happy to be done with house hunting, offer making and contract reading. Fourth times a charm?

At some point during this month I will get to see my mom for the first time since August! I can't wait to just sit down and have a face to face conversation with her. Maybe in our new home? Probably. Which just makes it all the more special. 

Then at the end of the month we will be skipping town, and probably leaving a very cluttered un-organized house, to celebrate our one year anniversary! How has it been a year already? I remember last June and all the wedding build up so well, I can't believe how quickly this year has flown by--and how much has happened within it. So June will be full of moving forward to new, exciting, scary grown-up things, and looking back on an amazing year (or 26, for Miles).

This was a wordy post. But June is going to be ridic!! I'll have to relish in the (imagined) peacefulness of the last day and a half of May.

Womp#3

I guessed I kind of wished for a decision to be made for us, and it kind of was. Turns out that we would basically need cash for the renovations on that Victorian. And no, we don't have 50k sitting around in our bank account. I know, right? Who wouldn't have that? Pssh.
So it's the new house. I guess? I say that, now watch us lose that one too.

Its fun to dream of a house to make a home, but we're now on our fourth possible house. That's a lot of rearranged dreaming. My dreamer hurts. (boohoo, poor little me)

Womp#2

As I predicted, we were out bid on that house. So now we're faced with the decision of a great deal on a victorian home that needs super renovations, or a good deal on a brand new house. Risk with possible amazing (ah-maazing) outcomes? Or the safety? We think we know. But, gah! Why must we be faced with such decisions!*

*to be really honest, I am completely grateful that Miles and I are even in the position to be able to buy a house while we're still so young. We feel honored and blessed to have this amazing opportunity, whatever the outcome. So all negativity is just my terrible sarcastic humor coming through.**

** why did I even asterisk that last paragraph?


(Womp#1 is when we had to cancel our first contract on the very first house)
(wow, this post....)

Oy Vey

How ungrateful can I get? I get so frustrated with terrible drivers, when Miles can't read my mind over the phone, when I have to spend my evenings away from aforementioned adorable awful mind-reader. How can I not see how incredible it is that I have the opportunity to make extra money whilst watching super adorable kids who cuddle and profess their "wuf" for me? When Miles and I even have the privilege to be in the process of possibly buying a house--even if it doesn't work out...? That Miles got the promotion we've been waiting months for? Thats right, he got his promotion and I don't ever mention it and I go straight into complaint mode. Talk about ungrateful. Oy vey.

I got home about 6 hours ago, still just as frustrated with the day/week as experienced in the previous post. And really trying to fight off a bitter mood. I knew there was nothing to be bitter about. But you know those moods? Just so over everything under the sun? And so hard to shake? 

I had planned with Miles to go out and have fun tonight, but the mere thought just sent a deep sigh of exhaustion through my whole body. I am a pretty introverted person. I feel quite drained around large (even medium sized) groups of people. And having already had such a weird week, going out was not what I desired. Then a sense of utter dread filled me at the thought of confessing to Miles and backing out.  I didn't want him to not go out just because of me, and I didn't want to be guilted in to going out. Lo and behold, I never even had to bring the subject up. Miles saw me cuddle up with my duvet promptly after dinner, and told me I could just stay home and he'd be back at a reasonable hour. Amazing! Top moments of wifery (? spell check does not recognize) gratitude thus far. So soon after he left, I walked to the nearest redbox and got 50/50. It just so happened that the nearest redbox was in a grocery store, so I also bought snackz.

It looks weird, I know. But its Ritz baked chips (crackers?), [my attempt at] roasted butternut squash (it was mushy), and San Pellegrino. And everything was delish. It was so hard to stop with the baked chips. I mean, yikesabee (name that awful[ly amazing] movie). 

I wanted to watch something that would make them tears flow. And I succeeded! 50/50 was better than I thought it would be. I mean, Seth Rogen? I love him, but not when I want to cry...

There was one point in the movie when Joseph Gordon-Levitt's character (who is 27 and has cancer) is so frustrated and has reached his emotional breaking point exclaims something like, "I just want this to be over"! And dang, that cut me deep.  Who am I to really complain about having to deal with closing (or not) on a house? But really. I am so blessed. I have an amazing husband of 7 months who already knows when his wife needs an evening at home alone. 'Nuff said. (I also cried for his character's mom who had to deal with a husband with Alzheimer's as well as her son with cancer)(cannot fathom)

All that being said, movies, even completely fictional ones, can be so wonderfully humbling. And I knew all I needed was a good cry. 

Screeching Halt

So, maybe I jumped the gun with my extreme enthusiasm over the house. We had our home inspection yesterday and they found cracks in the exterior walls. Wompwomp. So we're meeting with our Realtor to see what our next steps can be. At least Miles and I agree that we're not going to buy a house that could have something wrong with the foundation. That would just be dumb. So now, we're just trying to let go. Not of the house entirely, but just of the situation. If we're really supposed to buy this house, then it will work out. If not, we'll just have more time to save money  and find something else. And I'm really trying to be okay with that. 

At least I have not one, but two kiddos to cuddle with today (and that its almost nap time for both of them)(Don't judge)

House Times

So, remember that time I was weird and vague? (See post directly below) Well I can now say without feeling like I might spoil something, that we are in the process of purchasing a house! We stumbled upon the house on Sunday and fell head over heels in love with it. We made an offer on Tuesday and they accepted it without any counters yesterday! I can't believe this is real life. We can't believe this is real life. We're so excited with the potential that the house has. We will have so much room to grow as a family and so much time to create our dream home. We feel so blessed to not feel like we've settled for anything less than what we wanted--which with our budgeted price range, is truly amazing.

If all goes well, Miles and I will be home owners on February 22nd! Our first goal, before we move anything in, is to paint as many rooms as possible to colors that suit us better. Starting with the golden yellow kitchen, and the moving onto the lime green laundry room. I can't wait to have this giant, house-sized project to work on!

Also, this is the third Thursday of the month and therefore a mini-thanksgiving day for this family. If you couldn't already guess what we're most thankful for this month...then...I have no words. But honestly, Miles and I can't believe everything that has happened since Sunday. We are so thankful that our offer was accepted, that the home inspection isn't going to be as expensive as we thought, that we really feel like we're meant to buy this house.

Right around four years ago I realized that I kind of liked this guy that my roommate and I hung out with all the time. I remember the hushed confession to my roommate, her elated response and the many (perceived) awkward moments between he I, until we realized we felt the same way about each other. And here we are, four years later, married and buying a house. Doing really grown up things. And feeling like we're bluffing our way through everything. But four years later, this is our life, our little life that really started growing four years ago. I am so thankful that I'm faking all these grown up things with my very best friend. I  can't imagine being happier with any other life than the one we have right now. 

And you know I've been pinning like a crazy lady.

Apparently We Did Take Pictures...

I've gotten really terrible about taking pictures for the sake of documenting moments and memories. I even thought that I had only imagined taking pictures on/around Christmas, but I hadn't! Miles' mom is going to Italy in a few days and we're letter her take our camera along for the ride so it can finally be put to good use taking pictures of Rome, Verona, Milan, little Italian roads, the Colosseum.....okay, I'm jealous that our camera gets to be there with Miles' mom and we don't. But all that being said, I had to empty out the memory card last night and discovered a few pictures (as in like, 15) from Christmas. So I still didn't do very well at documenting, but its better than nothing!

our tree decorating party was fueled by pizza from our fave, Bella Napoli,

and White Christmas (this is my favorite part of the whole movie)

Miles' first ever attempt at a paper snowflake turned into our tree topping...star?

And at some point, Boo made the most amazing chess pie.

Obvious Christmas morning record choice.

The spread.

The other spread (way too much for two people)(I later learned)

And we still need to work on taking pictures of ourselves. 

Wait, Its A New Year Already?

Oy vey! I feel bad for not having blogged the obligatory new years reflection/resolution post. I loved reading everyone else's. Over the weekend, Miles and I had so many conversations about all that happened in 2011 and all that we hope for 2012. I feel like I had a huge blogged reflection on my birthday not too long ago, and not too much happened in the month between the bday and new years. Except a wonderful first Christmas with Boo. Woonnderrful.

The biggest thing in our lives right now is our pre-approvedness for a mortgage! Until a few months ago, Miles and I thought buying a house wasn't anywhere in our near future. Then we realized that was a false assumption. We're in no rush at all.  Our landlady is so sweet and we know she'll be more than willing to work with us if we don't find a home before our lease is up at the end of March, so that gives us enough breathing room to take our time to find the perfect house to buy. All that being said, houses are definitely  on the brain in our little family. Miles and I will email each other multiple listings throughout the day, and then drool and dream over the ones we love when we're home in the evenings. 

So its budget crunch time. As in, actually stick to our budget. Mostly me sticking to our budget. No more $3 coffees or strolling through Target. Also, say yes to any babysitting gigs. Which is so hard for me to do . I'm so protective of any time with Miles. And I basically babysit 50 hours a week as it is. I guess that also goes for working all my retails shifts instead of giving them away. Insert pouty face here.

Okay, heres one resolution for this blog--at least have some pictures to go along with wordy posts. Starting next time. 

Oh, Long Christmas Weekend

We had such a wonderful first Christmas. Spent a lot of time with Miles' mom & sister, saw White Christmas in the theater on Christmas eve, ate so much food, went to the movie theater too many times (and never took photobooth pictures, ahem, Miles), played phone tag with my family, finally skyped with them a day late, and cuddled up on the couch and watched all our new movies. Did I mention that we ate a lot? I mean, wow. All the pictures on my phone are of food, I really hope we got some good pictures with the camera. Otherwise, that first Christmas will only be remembered by the pie holes we stuffed.

Other than being out with Miles' fam or at the movies, the couch was our home for four days. I'm totally okay with that holiday tradition. 

Also, Miles left his online gift ordering until the last possible minute and everything got to its place on time. Whereas I ordered my gifts almost three weeks ago and they have YET to arrive!! Bitter. 

Long Weekend

Three glorious days of being completely lazy with our new Roku, Dexter, cuddley duvets, Rummikub and lots of food.

And I only managed to take four pictures the whole weekend. Target run, game playing, finally hanging pictures up, and the first day I could wear tights! I was so happy to be walking around in tights and thinking to myself "hmm, I should've layered". GLORY BE! Fall is in the air. I know we're bound to have some dumb heat wave or two to come back through Nashy but yesterday got me so excited. It was wet, rainy and cold all day but Miles and I both agreed that yesterday was the best real life married day so far (even if Dexter season 5 was a major let down). Hurray for cool breezes! Hurray for turning a/c units off and opening up the windows even though the rain is sprinkling in.

Also, we have puppy fever. Halp!