Day off

After a busy weekend in Tennessee and a crazy week at work, I finally have a day off. It has been nice to far. I got to sleep in and now I am catching up on all my shows that I have missed during the week. I will have to start cleaning soon becuase we have friends coming over for dinner tomorrow night.

The past couple of weeks has been rough for me and in turn it makes it rough for Derrick too. I love my job at the bank but I am not close to anyone that I work with and it makes the job really stink. I have had many days that I just come home either upset or just angry. That isn't good becuase then Derrick usually has to hear about it and that just builds tension between us.

My personality is the type where I want to make everyone happy and I want everyone to like me. Up here in Ohio that is rare. Most of the time they just keep it to themselves or they only talk to a select few people. Sometimes I feel like I am in high school again and that there are different cliques at work. I don't have time for all that. Please pray that God will give me strength to deal with everyone at work, or he will lead me in another direction- what ever he has planned I will do.

On a good note.....I thought I better quit being so depressing. My parents are always so encouraing and they are good about bringing out the positive in things. So, I have been thinking about all the positive things that this move has done for Derrick and me.
1. It has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and experience a whole new world outside of Rutherford county. I had only visited Ohio a couple of times in my life before moving here.
2. We have a beautiful house that God has provided for us.
3. Derrick has a great job that he loves and he is good at what he does.
4. We have been able to meet new friends in Ohio and they are all very sweet and we are lucky to have met them all.
5. I have learned a lot since being at my new job. My old bank had all the departments to do everything and since this bank is so small we have to do it all ourselves and it is neat to learn.
6. We are only an hour from Kings Island!! :)
7. God has lead us to an amazing church that is about the same size as FBC, Smyrna but we are able to experience it as a new couple instead of one that has been there for years and that is very different.
8. We had the joy of experiencing apartment life, with a dog
9. Since we have so many cool things near us, it give my family and friends a great vacation spot
10. It has made me appreciate, and miss, all my friends and family back home, but when I am able to spend time with them it means more to me now since I know it is only for a short time.

Well, I guess I better get up and start cleaning before I fall asleep on the couch!

Working Out!

Derrick and I have recently hired a personal trainer at a local gym here in Pickerington, the city we live in. Her name is Kelly and she is the daughter of a lady that works with me at the bank. We finally realized that we were not happy with the way we have lived the past couple of years and it was time to do something about it.

We met with Kelly and she educated us on how many calories we should be eating in a day. I had no idea how many calories were in the everyday foods that we would eat. It was so common for me or Derrick to grab a burger for lunch and not think twice about it. When Kelly talked to us about our eating habits, it really opened our eyes to what we put in our body. So, for the past 6 weeks Derrick and I have been eating better and working out 3-4 times a week.

We meet with Kelly a couple times a week and the other times we will just go on our own and do cardio. The times that we meet with Kelly with a one-on-one session (well, I guess one-on-two since Derrick and I go together) she works us until we can barely walk. She definitely pushes me harder than I would ever push myself. Most of you know that I hate to sweat and when we work out we sweat like crazy!!

As much as I like to be lazy, I have enjoyed exercising and spending the time with Derrick! He has been amazing and so encouraging since we started working out. I have the best husband in the world! There was one week that I only lost 1 pound, to his 6 pounds, and he turned it around and found the positive to me losing 1 pound versus gaining. When we workout there are plenty of times that I just want to lay on the floor and quit. Derrick is always there for me and will come over and help me out and encourage me to keep going. I know that having him there with me is what keeps me from not falling over and just giving up!! Every time I finish a tough exercise he is always there to give me a high five or a hug and tell me I did a great job.

I love being with him and I wouldn't want to spend this time with anyone else! Who knew that a new hobby that my husband and I would pick up would be exercising together. He is working his way up to run a 5K and maybe if he is lucky, I will be able to eventually do those things with him. So far Derrick has lost 21 pounds and I am up to 12 pounds.

P.S. I finally worked my way up to bench pressing more than just the bar!!

Allison's Birthday and Easter

Derrick and I made our way back to Tennessee on Easter weekend to spend Easter with the family and also to celebrate Allison's birthday. It was a short trip for us but we managed to spend every moment to see family and friends. We love going back to Tennessee but every time we go back it makes us miss it that much more.
Saturday morning I got up and ran a few errands in Murfreesboro trying to get all kinds of fun stuff for Allison's party. Derrick got up and went and played golf with Karl. That afternoon we had family and friends come over to mom and dad's house and we had a party for Allison. It was great to see all the cousins and to spend time with some of my closest friends at the same time. Of course, Allison loved all the attention and presents.
Me and Allison
Uncle Derrick and Allison
Cake Time!
Family enjoying the cake and ice cream
Jason and Chris
The best kind of gift!!
Grandmomma and Allison
Jason and Whitney
Kristy and Cason
Shandy, Me, and Shelley- best friends!
Some of the cousins!

Derrick and I were able to eat dinner with mom and dad before we had to run out and meet our old small group at Toots. I had almost forgot how much I enjoy being around our old small group. When we lived in Tennessee they were a second family to me and Derrick and I loved having them around. They are a wonderful group and we still keep in contact with them and their families.

Sunday morning we all went to church together for Easter. Rachel's husband, Dan, was able to come in town for the weekend so it was nice to have everyone together- minus Matthew. He was in Colorado skiing with a friend. As soon as we got home we had an Easter egg hunt for Allsion. Mom and I had a good time hiding eggs for Allison. I think we all got a good laugh at Allison running around the yard, like a crazy girl, trying to find all the eggs.
Mom hiding eggs
Shhh- don't tell her where I put them!
Dan, Rachel, and Allison
Allison trying to get all the eggs
She ran right by my secret place- we had to call her to come back and get these eggs!
I am pretty sure that Derrick put that one way up there!
She was having so much fun
I think mom went a little overboard with eggs for one litle girl!!!

Shortly after we ate lunch Derrick and I had to make our long trip back to Ohio. The drive was long and I toko a few naps during the trip abck. When I finally woke up Derrick and I talked about our visit back home. We were glad to see Dan made it back for the weekend and we were glad that we all had a good weekend together. I wish Matthew could have been home and enjoyed the weekend with all of us.

Ohh- did I forget to mention that we were able to visit Max at Rachel's house?? She has given him a new nickname of Dugger! He likes to bury things and unbury things and Rachel doesn't think it is too funny!

More Snow!!! Ahhhhhhh!!! The Big Snow of 2008

You know when you heard the meteorologist say that you might get 10-15 inches of snow, you kind of laugh it off. Well this time they were right! They were warning us about the Winter Storm that was coming and we all thought we might get a few inches, but that would be it. Not true. It is now a little after 5:00 on Saturday and it has been snowing non-stop since yesterday around 11:00 am. There have been times when the snow wasn't falling as hard, but it was still falling. I went out around 1:00 today and measured 9 inches.
Our House during the snow

After that, Derrick and I decided to go out and shovel the driveway since it was just getting deeper (plus all the neighbors, who are Ohio natives, were out doing it so I thought we should be too). So, Derrick and I spent nearly 2 hours shoveling the driveway and having fun in the snow. While we were out there we saw little kids playing in the snow and it was almost to deep for them to walk. There was a man with a 4-wheeler and he had a plow on the front of it and he was driving to different houses plowing the driveways. I have also seen a John Deer lawn mower with a snow plow on the front (that guy must have been from the south).
View from down the street
another view from down the other side
Me helping Derrick shovel the driveway
Derrick shoveling
Derrick taking a break
I decided to stay in the fence and get away from the work

While we were clearing the driveway, I made Derrick take pictures of me helping him shovel the snow becuase I knew my dad wouldn't believe that I helped him! Derrick decided to started a snowball fight when I wasn't paying attention. I don't know what I was thinking becuase I knew it was coming- I just didn't know when. That was fun and we laughed so hard! Of course Derrick won the fight, only becuase he took the snow shovel and threw a shovel full of snow at me.
Derrick getting ready to throw a snowball at me
Derrick actually throwing it at me!
Me with my present for Derrick
Me delivering my present!

After we worked hard clearing off the driveway, we decided to make snow angels. The snow angels today were bigger than I remember them being when I was a kid- not sure why though! :)
I was done working- time to have fun
It was cold down there- but I couldn't resist making a snow angel
Derrick took a different approach to getting in the snow
I guess he thought it was as soft as it looks!
He hit hard- but was still laughing
His snow angel was REAL big!
He is like a kid- he is done playing and ready to go in after just one snow angel

So, whenever it wants to quit snowing and the sun wants to come out and melt all this mess- I will be okay with it. In the meantime, enjoy the pictures and pray that it quits soon so we will be able to leave the house tomorrow!

Most recent pictures-
Derrick went back outside and I snapped these pictures. I said we got a lot of snow!!
It just keeps coming down
Ok, so really it is only this deep!!

Updated snowfall amount as of 5:00pm was 12 inches.

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