Snow, Snow, Go Away.......

Can I just say that I am tired of the snow and tired of the cold weather??? Like I need to add weight to myself by layering clothes and wearing a big coat and scarf everyday!! Ok, it has snowed again today and is only going to get worse tonight. Yes, it is beautiful but it isn't fun to drive in. My commute to work takes me about 25 minutes on a normal day. When it snows it takes me about 1.5 hours! If you know me you know that I am not a morning person and when it snows I have to get up extra early so I am not late to work.

I normally don't beg Derrick to take me to the beach but all I have asked for in a vacation this year was for a place where it was sunny and warm! During the winter months here it stays cloudy and gloomy. Since we have been here I can probably count on one hand the number of days it has been sunny and pretty. Whew, I need a cup of hot chocolate and a blanket and I will be fine!!!

Ok- enough complaining. On the plus side, the snow is beautiful and makes a sparkling white blanket on the ground. I love to sit at work and watch it snow. Ohio is used to snow so they are usually good about dumping pounds and pounds of salt on the roads, so along with the pretty white snow, my blue car is a pretty white car! A carwash is the type of business I should open in Ohio!

Ok- my toes are freezing....it is time for that hot chocolate and fire!!

Goodbye Apartment- Hello New House!!!

So, I am still playing catch up with all my blogs!!

Ohh, can I just say how wonderful it is to be out of our apartment and into our new house!!! Let me just take you on a small tour of the apartment that we lived in. We have already moved out so there is no furniture in the apartment in these pictures.
Entry way stairs that went up into our apartment. We lived on the 2nd floor
Tiny pantry in the kitchen. Looking at the pantry- to the right is the laundry hole and to the left is a storage closet
Kitchen- that is all the countertop I had to work with. It was impossible for me to cook while Derrick did the dishes!
there is our one person bathroom. The shower was to the left in the bathroom. The mornings when Derrick and I had to leave at the same time were quite fun. I couldn't brush my teeth without being in the way of the shower, toilet, and closet! Ohh- fun times!
that is the bedroom door at the top of the stairs. We had already moved out taken all of our lamps and the bedroom didn't have any lights so I couldn't get a picture of the bedroom.
This is the living room and back door to the deck.

I am grateful that we had somewhere to live and a roof over my head, but it makes me appreciate what we had before we moved and what all we have now. God is good and He has taken care of us and provided for us since we have been in Ohio. We moved into our new house on January 19th and I was so excited and surprised when 12 people from our Sunday school class showed up that Saturday morning to help us move. It was the coldest day of the year and they were such troopers. My brother also came up from TN to help. We didn't put any holes in the walls at the new house, but the apartment is a different story! They had a hard time getting our couch down the stairs and out the door so they ended up lowering it over the deck to a couple of guys waiting below. It was a good idea! They were a HUGE help and we apprecite them all so much. I am so mad that I didn't get my camera out and take pictures of everyone moving.

We had the house painted before we moved in and my parents came up the weekend we moved in and they helped us unpack and mom helped me decorate. They were a huge help and we are so grateful that they were willing to come help.
stairs with half bath at the bottom and the bonus room at the top of the picture
Derrick's office
dining room with kitchen off to the right side
my kitchen!! I can cook while Derrick does the dishes now!!
living room with fireplace
another angle of the living room
Master bedroom
master bedroom closet (much bigger than the apartment)
master bathroom with this wonderful tub
master bathroom shower

New Years- 2008

Last year we had an awesome New Years party at our house in TN. This year we had a great time, not as crazy as last year's fireworks and stuff, but still a lot of fun. This year it was Derrick & me, Debby (Derrick's mom), Katie & Jeremy, and Nick & Beth. We all went to dinner and then to Nick and Beth's house for snacks and desserts and games.

Derrick's mom came in town that weekend to spend time with us. We took her to our little party and she pormised that she wouldn't fall asleep, but she did. It was so funny. We just played games and laughed while she slept on the couch. She was asleep when I was taking pictures so that is the only picture of her that I have. She eventually woke up and played a few games with us and rang in the new year with us. When we got in the car to head home, she was back asleep! Poor thing- she was tired. We enjoyed having her in town and she was the first one to see our house. It wasn't completely finished or painted but for the most part she got the picture. Enjoy the few pictures!
Me and Derrick
Nick and Beth
Katie and Avery
Jeremy
Derrick's mom

Christmas 2007

It has been over a month, almost 2 months, since I have blogged. Ruth, I know you are dissappointed in me. SORRY! Life in Ohio is going great- crazy and fast, but great. Here are a few pictures from Christmas when we came back to TN for a few days. It was a crazy few days, but how often does everything go normal and just as planned when the whole family tries to get together? Of course, I had a great time with Allison- she is a little me!! We stayed with mom and dad while we were home.

We opened gifts from each other on Christmas morning and then we went to Grandma's house and had dinner and gifts with the whole family. Before we headed to grandma's house, Derrick and I went to his dad's house to see them for a while. We didn't stay there long. We had to get to grandma's and eat before all my uncles and cousins ate all the good food. After we ate and opened gifts, we left there and made a stop at Ruth and Karl's to give Karly and Madie their gifts. Whew, I told you it was a busy time!! We loved seeing everyone and it was hard to come back to Ohio after being back with my family and friends.
We flew back to Ohio the day after Christmas. Derrick's grandparents were in town so they picked us up from my parents' house and took us to dinner. After dinner they dropped us off at the airport. It was good to see them and we had a great time at dinner.
Me and Derrick in the Ohio airport heading back home
opening gifts at mom and dad's on Christmas morning
I wonder who taught her to make such crazy faces
ohh- maybe that was me! (Allison actually took that picture)
opening gifts at Grandma's house
Tara & Allison at gramdma's (there is that silly face again)
my grandparents (my mom's parents)
cousin Melissa
more cousins- Stephen and Justin
another cousin- Jason
Derrick's grandparents

New House Soon, hopefully!

Well, when we first decided to move up here Derrick and I came shopping for houses. We decided to build a new house and we signed the papers in August, with the plans saying our house would be finished by the end of February. So, we thought we would save money and get the smallest and cheapest apartment to last us for a few months while our house was being built. Well, here we are in mid-December and they still haven't started on the house we chose to build. The home builder keeps telling us they are waiting for the permits to come back, but we aren't 100% sure what is going on. So, Derrick and I prayed about it and took the time to look around at other houses and other home builders. During that time we found our new soon to be home! It was a home that another family built but they weren't able to sell their current house so they had to back out of their contract. We are scheduled to close on this home in January, if everything goes OK. So far there have been minor things within the house that they have been working to fix, before we can close and move in. This house is big enough for us to grow into and have lots of kids, or guests!! :)
This is going to be the best kitchen ever!
There is one guest room and the other 2 plus the master are right down the hall.
This is the living room with a fireplace
Huge bonus room!

We have been so blessed since we have moved up here. We have a great church and Derrick and I have met some pretty cool people to hang out with! Derrick is doing amazing at his job, when he isn't wrecking a vehicle, blowing a couple of tires, or getting his van broken into (yes- all this happened to Derrick. The poor thing has had some awful luck the last 2 weeks). Now God has blessed us with this beautiful house and we will be sure use it to glorify him. Our doors will always be open to anyone who needs something! There are many times that I drive into work with the radio off and just talk to God. Living up here isn't always easy but it makes me stop and rely on God a lot more. Maybe that is why God moved us up here. I know it is hard for me to let go and trust in God 100%, but since we have been through the whole process of selling a house, moving, buying a new house, and meeting people-- I have had to give it all to God many many times. Keep praying for me and Derrick as we continue our journey up here.

First Snow in Ohio!

So, last night the news was calling for 1-3 inches of snow in our area. I was wondering if I would wake up to snow or if the meteorologists here are like the ones back in TN and we would wake up to nothing but bitter cold weather. Well, to our surprise we woke up to a beautiful layer of snow. It snowed all morning and quit around 2:00 and then started back around 4:00 and snowed for a couple more hours!
My car and Derrick's van covered in snow
A Christmas tree across from our apartment

This was Max's first snow so when we took him out this morning he ran out like normal but when he hit the snow he slowed way down. He walked a little funny and was sniffing around until he got used to it. He would stick his nose in the snow and sniff the ground and when he brought his head up he would have snow all over his nose.
Max playing in the snow!


It took me 2 hours to get to work this morning when it normally takes me around 30 minutes, max! I was the only one who was late- everyone else knew what to expect. Also, I was the only one who didn't wear some type of snow boots and then change into my dress shoes after I got to work. I just wore my normal shoes and had snow all in them as I walked through the parking lot! I guess for Christmas I should be asking for snow boots and a snow shovel!

Derrick and I went out this evening and built a snowman for my niece. It is Frosty the Snowman and he is wearing a "magic hat." It was freezing and our hands are still hurting from the cold! The snow here is beautiful and sparkles but it is a dry snow and doesn't pack very well. We would have to get a handful of snow and hold it tight so it would form a ball. We would make a small ball and then have to run in and wrap our hands in a towel so our fingers wouldn't fall off!
Our snowman!



Enjoy the pictures!!!

Stressful Times.....

Well, I haven't been on here in a while because we have been so busy. We were able to travel back to TN for Thanksgiving and it was wonderful. I will post some pictures later. Hummm, how is Ohio going? Well, the past few weeks have been pretty rough. We are having some problems with the house we chose to build. Derrick and I signed the contract on Aug 31st to start the house and we are still waiting for them to start. It has been one thing after another that has pushed them back. Now we are just waiting for the permits from the city to come back. If they don't get the permits back and pour the foundation before the ground freezes, then we have to wait until April to do anything. In the meantime, we thought that maybe God had other plans for where we were going to be living so we have been looking at other houses with different builders. Ohh, I can't even begin to explain how stressful this has become. We can't stand the apartment because it is so small and there is just no room to make it feel like "home." So it has come down to us desperately wanting a house. We have seen a bunch of houses and there has been a couple that we really like. We haven't gone with them because they are either out of our price range or the inside just wasn't what we were looking for. I know that God has the perfect house for us and maybe it is the one we have already chosen. It may be his plan for us to wait a little longer. I just hate the waiting and not being sure process. If you know me, you also know that patience isn't a strong point of mine.

On a good note, Derrick and I have found a church in Pataskala, Ohio. It is called Jersey Baptist and it is a good size Baptist church. We have been going to Sunday School and we are in a class of married 18-29 year olds! We love it. Guess what??? I have a friend!!! We went to lunch today and she is so sweet. It is becoming easier to get around and by making friends makes it a lot easier to learn the area. If we only had a house--then we could host get-togethers and parties!!

Derrick is loving his new job and is doing great. My job at the bank is going great too. I love learning all the new things that makes a bank run!