Tuesday, May 10, 2011

4th anniversary!

It's hard to believe we've been married 4 years already! Our actual anniversary was on Friday but due to family stuff and soccer tournaments, we didn't actually get to celebrate just the 2 of us, until Sunday and Monday. The original plan was to go to Kentucky but then Kyle's soccer tournament ended up in Fort Wayne, IN and we ended up in Chicago! This was the first time we have stayed in Chicago overnight. It was really nice not to have to cram everything into one day, to relax, and have free parking. Yep, the hotel we stayed at had FREE parking. Not bad!

Without saying too much, here are some of the highlights of our trip.

Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) Skydeck

We went out on the ledge... standing on a clear surface (yes, WE! Kyle did it!)
 Not gonna lie, it is a little bit scary...
 Kyle sits high above Chicago

Monday we walked forever to find this fountain... and this view!
 Getting better at taking our own picture and still getting somewhat of the view... 
 Spring has sprung at Millenium Park! 
 Went all the way out to Wrigley to take a tour of the stadium... only to find out there were no tours that day. If only the lady on the phone had just told us that...
 After walking down and around the Magnificent Mile we ended up with an anniversary lunch at the Cheesecake Factory! This is the remains of our yummmmmmmy cheesecake!

We had a great time celebrating our anniversary and we are looking forward to many more!


Sunday, May 1, 2011

things I love

We've lived in our new house for a little more than a month! It has been great to have some room to stretch out, organize, shop, and yes, even clean. :) I will admit, though, that had it not been for my mom and her mad organizing skills that our house would not be as much a home now as it is. (Thanks, mom!).

So, just wanted to write about a few things I love (ala "a few of my favorite things" from Sound of Music). And, as much as I tried, these are in no apparent order.

1. My kitchen
I can see the living room and dining room and be part of the action. So far, that has mostly been me and Kyle but my most recent discovery... making dinner while watching HGTV... aaaahhh.


2. The garage
Finally both Kyle and I have a place for our vehicles INDOORS. No more "short end of the stick" parking outside in the yucky weather business. Got here just in time, too, this April has been ridiculously rainy.

3. My laundry room and washer/dryer
The laundry room is fantastic because of the organization center (love it!) and my new washer and dryer. Who knew laundry could be so much fun? ... On a side note, I am going to be looking for washer and dryer pedestals on sale because those front loaders are short!

4. The fantabulous walk-in-closet
All I can say it is is a lot easier to stay organized when you're organized from the get-go. Kyle has his side and I have my side and we even have a little Gator shrine going on. This wasn't on our must have list for our house but now that we have one, gonna say it is a must have!

5. The new shower head
Last weekend Kyle and I finally figured out what kind of shower head we wanted in our master bathroom. It is awesome! It's a rain shower head. Such an improvement over the dinky one that was there before. I'm not a huge fan of rain outside, but rain in my shower is great.


6. The new and improved guest room (awaiting visitors)
This weekend's project somehow became the guest bedroom. It had a bedframe, box springs and mattress, bookshelf and some other odds and ends, in no apparent order. Now, it has been spruced up with a fresh coat of white paint (thank you previous owners for leaving the paint, and leaving it labeled!),  our curtain rods that have been in storage for 3 years, bright red curtains, and a new bed set that we found on clearance at Meijer. The room still needs some stuff on the walls, but I love the way it looks now as compared to the way it used to look just 48 hours ago! Here's a quick peek...


7. The excuse to go shopping :)
Ok, we're trying to hold this in check BUT it is nice to be able to go out and browse for deals - like the comforter on clearance! You never know what you're going to find. On our browsing list now... bed side tables for the guest room, wall decor for the guest room, a mirror for the entry way, a mudroom kind of bench thing, a bed for our room, patio furniture, a grill... I'm sure the list could keep growing but I'll stop there. I am seeing too many $$$$$$$. 

So, those are a few things I love. 

On a side note - for those of you living in and about Anderson, we're hoping to have an open house for people to stop by and see our place, hang out, have fun... most likely sometime at the end of May. So, stay tuned and maybe soon you'll get to see the real thing instead of pictures. :)