Blog Lurker

A blog lurker... That's what I am. I obsessively check about 30 blogs on a daily basis, but I never comment or post. Maybe this should change. I really do want to document the daily simple things in life, but whenever I do sit down to write, I can never think of anything to say. I'd rather just lurk and read about other bloggers' DIY, travels, coffee dates, and recipes. BUT I think I want to give blogging yet another try. We will see how it goes.

Today is going to be a cozy Sunday. So far, it has consisted of lurking on blogs (ha), cuddling with our cat, and trying to wake Daniel up. The to-do list this afternoon is: addressing Christmas cards, laundry, packing for another work trip to Memphis this week, and baking cupcakes for small group. Then church and small group tonight! Hopefully, you will see another post from me soon.

Work World

Now that I have not blogged for almost a whole month, I thought I'd drop in and say "hi!". I can't believe it is February! That means we have been in Virginia for over a month and I have been working for nearly a month. Time sure does fly by!

Since I last blogged, I have traveled to both Cleveland and Chicago for work trainings, and Daniel and I have continued to explore the area, growing to love it more and more. We have joined a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class on Saturdays and are still searching for a church home. We have been cooking a lot (and we welcome any new, fun recipe suggestions!). It's been quite fun. :)

I have had a few weeks in my local office. I am REALLY enjoying the routine of work life; after a full day at work, I get to come home to my husband, make/eat dinner, and then sit around reading or watching some TV. Also, we have both been able to get into a good work out schedule at our new gym. I love wearing business casual everyday. I love decorating my own desk and cube. I love being a real accountant/businesswoman!

Everyone said I would eventually miss school life. Well, with the exception of family, friends, and my wonderful professors, I haven't yet; I don't miss homework and studying and lack of time to do anything relaxing and fun (such as reading for entertainment) or that horrible decision I made most days to not go to the gym because I had too much studying to do. Daniel and I even have the luxury of looking into getting involved in other activities: biking, getting back into piano lessons, joining Bible studies or small groups whenever we find a church home, etc. I know that eventually I'll start to miss classes,planning for future semesters, and being able to nap in the middle of the day, but I'm good for now. Don't get me wrong, all of this free time will go out the window for me pretty soon for about two months because of the dreaded "busy season", but once that is over, I'm pretty sure we will resume life as it is right now.

Tonight I get to meet with my good friend Rachel for dinner in DC! I am so looking forward to it. :)

Bye for now!

Random P.S.- For all you Bachelor fans, what was Ben thinking sending the accountant home this week?? He is definitely going to miss out. Bad move, Ben.

Happy New Year!

Today is my last day in which I am not a full-time employee (at least for a few years). I am actually really looking forward to starting work and getting into a routine, but I also wish I could have a few more days of break to enjoy in our new place. Thankfully, busy season won't kick in for a few weeks, so we will be able to explore the area in the evenings and on weekends for now!

We have finally gotten to the point where we have unpacked all that we can in the apartment until we are able to buy some more furniture for storage. Eventually we want to buy a couch and coffee table too, but those can wait. Right now, we will settle for our comfy lawn chairs in front of the TV!

We celebrated on New Year's Eve by going to IKEA to furniture shop (we got a cabinet, desk, and office chair), eating dinner at Coastal Flats, and watching the ball drop. Then we went straight to sleep. :)

Today I plan to do a little shopping, work out at our new gym (five minutes down the road), and read a book for fun. Daniel is starting his law school/graduate school applications and doing his last day of work for Harris Media.

So far, 2012 has been good. I know it will be a great year. I can't wait to see what God teaches us in this new phase of life!

A New Adventure

This morning I am sitting at my new kitchen table in an apartment cluttered with half-empty boxes. It is New Year's Eve, and Daniel and I are going to be experiencing this day both for the first time together and for the first time in our new town, Oakton, VA. We aren't really sure what we are going to do tonight, but it will probably include splurging on a nice meal and walking around the beautifully-lit streets of Washington D.C.

Last night we took the metro into town, walked around DC, and looked at the Christmas tree in front of the White House. The huge tree was surrounded by model towns and trains driving all around it. Surrounding this were mini trees representing all of the states.




This is the first New Year that we actually get to have a completely fresh start; we are newlyweds living in a new town in a new apartment, starting new jobs, finding a new church and new friends, etc.... I hope to add new hobbies, consistent blogging, new work-out schedules, and new healthy eating habits to that list too.

I feel so, so blessed. We were able to have a wonderful Christmas season with both of our families in the middle of my graduation, packing, and moving. My family graciously offered to make the long drive to DC with us to help drag our stuff in a Uhaul and to keep us company; this ended up being so fun and helpful! We are living in a nice, cozy apartment in a very nice area of town at a very reasonable rate for the DC area. I am starting a job with a great company in which I'll be able to continue learning and developing my business skills. Daniel gets to put much more focus on his thesis, writing about a topic that fascinates him (the Just War Tradition), and he gets to do freelance web design on the side, a new skill that he has picked up and really enjoys.

I hope to be writing more in the New Year so that we can keep our friends and family in Texas and around the world updated! We love you all.

Library Love!

Much like many other lovers of reading, my dream is to have a beautiful room dedicated to my books when I finally settle down into a house. I want this room to be a place of adventure and learning (for fun, not school).... a place of escape from the busyness of life. I decided to look at some of my options (in order to avoid studying for accounting). What do you think?


I love the spiral staircase in this one... and the puppy!












This is and always has been my ultimate dream library!

Flowers and Recipes

My sweet husband brought me home flowers on a stressful day. :)



I'm so blessed.

On another note, I'm really enjoying my new hobby- cooking. I have made Garlic and Lemon Roast Chicken, Tomato Basil soup, Lemon and Garlic Shrimp (well, this one was mostly Daniel's project), and a delicious yellow cake. They were all so good!

http://www.food.com/recipe/garlic-lemon-roast-chicken-thighs-12249
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/tomato-basil-soup-10000000231617/
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Davids-Yellow-Cake/Detail.aspx

On our meal schedule for this weeks, it looks like we will be trying Cobb Salad, Poppyseed Chicken, Bacon Lettuce Avocado and Tomato Wraps, and a Chicken soup recipe I learned last year in Peru. So fun!

Life is so fun!

I am learning that I'm not very good at keeping up with a blog. But I hope to get into the habit soon.

The most exciting news that I have is that I am now Mrs. Daniel Abernathy. We are very happy newlyweds. :) The wedding was perfect--nothing went wrong at all! It was exactly what I envisioned, and it would not have been that way without our wonderful friends and family who were there to support and encourage us.

For our honeymoon, we traveled to Ocho Rios, Jamaica to a the Sandal's Grande Riviera resort. Despite small misunderstandings with the staff there, it was an amazing place for a honeymoon. We spent lots of time swimming, eating great food, and reading on the beach. We did some snorkeling too! Lots of fun.

After the honeymoon and a few days in Aledo with our families, we moved into our new apartment in Waco. We were expecting a tiny little place since our complex is intended for single graduate students, but we were happily surprised! It is a great size for starting out as newlyweds. After a full week of trying to get the place in shape, the living room and kitchen look great. Our bedroom and bathroom have some work, but we hope to tackle those rooms today.

In the meantime, Daniel has resumed working for Harris Media and working on his thesis, and I have started graduate classes and my graduate assistant job. It is difficult getting back into the real world after living in a dream world of weddings and resorts, but it is also fun to figure out a routine as a married couple.

I'm not really sure what this blog will look like yet, but right now, I picture that it will just bring little glimpses into the life of a newlywed!

Daniel and I are really excited to see what God has in store for our lives. Life is so fun!