I'm Back!!

Ok, so I think my near 2 month long blogging hiatus is over. 

I can't make any promises. But, I will try really hard. There are big things happening in this crazy life and I want to remember and share them!

[warning, this is a long one]

Things that have happened since September 8th? 

Lets see...

We took down 3 walls in our home!!!!!

Yes, we had DEMO-day less than 24 hours after signing the closing papers. 

It was a fun challenging experience and I am still cleaning out dust and debris from nooks and crannies everywhere. But the difference in the living room and dining room are huge. Totally different rooms. However, those projects deserve there very own post. Just because they are down doesn't mean the work is over. We are so close to completion of those rooms I can taste it. 

Here are before and after/during pictures of the living room and hallway

Painted the front door red.

Because, duh, we are two NC State alum who are ridiculously excited to be back in Raleigh!! And because of all the adorable meanings that red door holds. 

Traveled to Mexico and Arizona for 11 days!

Yes, I finally took an extended (and much needed) vacation to visit my side of the family in Arizona for my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. My family has a beach house in Mexico and we went down there for a few relaxing days at the beach before making a wild trip to the Grand Canyon with all 20 of us. It was so much fun visiting with them, but I missed Jared terribly. This trip also deserves its own post.

We had our ONE YEAR wedding anniversary!!!

Even though I was in Mexico without Jared we still managed to make is special. We skyped that day of and then celebrated at Angus Barn, where we had our first dating anniversary. The couple next to us heard it was our one year anniversary and paid for our meal. We had no idea they had done it until they were long gone and we couldn't even thank them.

This past year of marriage has been amazing and I can't wait for what the years to come hold for us :) 

We won and TV and bought a Tahoe!

While I was in Arizona Jared managed to find a Tahoe he wanted to buy and trade in the Highlander. I have always wanted a Tahoe so it didn't take much arm twisting and they gave us a great deal. Long story short, we won a TV in a raffle at the dealership then bought the Tahoe and my mom traded in her car for the Highlander. 

Mountain Jam 2014!

We traveled to Smith Mountain Lake for 4 glorious days on the lake. It was gorgeous and there was so much to celebrate. Jessie and Trey are expecting a baby in April 2015. Bunn and Paula are expecting Lillie Blue in January 2015. Hillman and Nicole got in engaged! we rented a pontoon boat and had the most fun just cruising and enjoying being around each other!

We went to the NC State Fair as official Raleigh residents again!!! 

So.Much.Food.

We had corndogs, onion rings, fried mac and cheese and a fried brownie sundae.

Everything was so delicious. I love everything about the fair. The foods, the smells, the people, the lights. It seriously is one of my favorite places to be. I am so glad Jared shares my obsession for the fair! No ferris wheel this year because it was 1+ hour wait. BOO! 

Cut and Died my hair!!!

I went to a new hairdresser and I am IN LOVE!!!! A bunch of my friends go to her and I was looking for a new stylist since moving back. I wanted to go all out and do something totally different. She did what is called a balayage color on my hair. It turned out so freaking fabulous. I am obsessed with it and her. It is Olivia at Primp Salon Bar in Raleigh. 

 

We celebrated Halloween and paid tribute to Jared's favorite movie!

we have been together for 7 Halloweens and this was our first couple's costumes. Let me tell you, we goes together like peas and carrots. Yes, we are Jenny and Forrest Gump. Swoon, love my sweet hubs for dressing up and keeping in character. Plus look at my adorable friends: a my little pony, night of the Roxbury and Lorde!! Caitlin, Layne and Emily threw such a fun Halloween party! 

Our dogs!! 

We just can't leave them out of post. That would be wrong.

Look at those boys. Probably plotting on what to destroy and kill next...

Well that is it. I mean there was some work, tailgates, room painting, arguments, mental breakdowns, and sappy stories sprinkled in, but those can wait. 

Homeowners!!!

I have finally found the time to sit down and blog about this very exciting journey we have started as HOMEOWNERS!!!!!!! 

and OFFICIALLY Raleigh, NC residents again!!

Last Friday, August 29th (to be exact) we signed over our lives the papers to our very first home that WE purchased! 

Super exciting stuff here y'all!

I really can't find the words to describe the pride we feel in owning this house. We accomplished this all on our own without any help, well except the bank loan of course. Jared and I have seriously come a long way since we first starting dating. No more mustard sandwiches and air mattresses for these kids :) well, for now at least. 

We feel so blessed and thankful to be able to do something like this and can't say enough about how truly supportive and kind our family and friends have been through this process. We love you all dearly. 

Ok, enough with the cheesy stuff, on to the pictures.

oh you, know just opening our door for the first time ever

After closing we went to a celebratory lunch, because naturally you need something to de stress after signing roughly 5,000 pieces of paper and seeing all those numbers, at Cowfish Sushi and Burger Bar in North Hills. 

We have been wanting to it try forever and lunch was the prefect time because it wasn't jam-packed. This place lived up to every single fabulous review I have heard. The food was out of this world delicious. To top it all off we had been talking to our waitress about how we had just finished closing on our house and she went above and beyond for us. She had all the servers come out, sing a special song, hit the gong, gave us the most scrumptious and ridiculously large piece of chocolate cake AND had the manager comp our entire meal. 

We were already planning on coming back because the food spoke for itself but after service like that, we will for sure be returning soon. 

The owners before us had these adorable wooden gliders on the front porch that we fell in love with. Of course Jared wanted them written into the closing deal. He just loves negotiating. Perfect for him to sit and harass the neighborhood kids about his lawn. Dreams really do come true ;) 

The movers came on Thursday and I couldn't of been more excited to see that gigantic truck carrying all f our belongings! They picked our stuff up in Kernersville on August 18th. So we have been living on an air mattress (oh the irony) and out of suitcases for nearly 3 weeks! I shed a tear when I saw our bed come off that thing. 

We caved and bought this fancy French champagne that I have been wanting to try forever. It lived up to all my champagne dreams. I don't know if I can ever go back after tasting something so yummy. Guess I will have to find more things to celebrate...like, finally deciding an area rug. I definitely think that deserves a bottle, or two. 

Jared said it was absolutely necessary that we used our wedding toasting flutes 

A little bit about the house? 

Well, it is a traditional North Raleigh split level home. It has 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths with the most insane back yard and deck you could imagine. It is located in the North Hills area in an old established neighborhood with the most gorgeous trees. I am obsessed to say the least. I get so giddy and happy-teary-eyed  thinking about all the exciting and expensive things that are going to happen in this home. 

Did I mention I love our backyard...?

yep, this is right behind our house. Never would guess a massive shopping center is a mile away. 

the slide will be removed soon, we all know it is a liability with some of our friends. 

this is not our stuff or our picture, but the best way to show off our back deck. 

can we technically say we have waterfront property? 

Apologies for the long post. I am clearly freaking obsessed with our house. 

We love it so much that we knocked down three walls, ripped up carpet, and busted tile the day after moving in, but more on that later in other home update posts. 

Milestone!

Yesterday marked the completion of Jared's Masters of Business Administration from Wake Forest University!!!! I seriously can't even put in to words how proud I am of him. I can't explain how big of deal and what an accomplishment this actually is for him. 

While he was completing his MBA and working a full time job: we got engaged, I finished nursing school, planned a wedding, I started a new job, we got married, we moved, we got a second dog, bought a new car and Jared started a new job. 

Phew...And through all of that Jared still managed to support me and all the crap I had going on. 

He really is just the best husband ever!

Jared, I love you forever and more! I am so excited to see what this new journey has in store for us. I am one lucky gal that I get to share this amazing life with you! 

In-Law Visit

The in-laws were here for an extended weekend and we couldn't of had more fun with them! 

Before getting married I had always heard these sayings about people not getting along with their in-laws. But, I seriously love mine and we always get along. They took me in and made me feel part of the family since Jared and I started dating. I am so lucky to have such great people to add to my fabulous family :)

Their weekend here was so jam packed, mostly with food...We took them to all of the local Kernersville hot spots as well as some yummy places in Raleigh when we took a day trip there

there is no such thing as an ice-cream-less-weekend with the Rice Family 

why yes, those are fries covered in pulled pork, BBQ sauce, and jalapeno melted cheese.
my stomach is growling thinking about it.

 This is what happens when The Rices hit up C&H Cafeteria. It got real. Real good.

My mother-in-law and I did what we do best...shopped! We shopped so much that our feet were killing us and you could hear them crying to stop. But, we are so similar when shopping and love a good bargain it was hard to say no to some really killer deals.

Can't wait to share some of the projects I have planned coming up! 

My father-in-law did what he does best...slept ;) Just kidding...kind of. In his defense he was on vacation so his pre&post lunch naps were totally reasonable due to said vacation. I think he had fun for the most part getting to relax while the chatty women were out of the house. Plus it meant he got some quality one-on-one time with his grand-dogs. 

On top of shopping for clothes and home-goods we also did some power tool shopping! I have never in my life been so excited to buy a "pancake compressor" aka mini nail gun and a drill! My mind and pinterest board is busting at the seams with stuff to destroy build! 

Sadly, it is back to the real world and work. This is how I feel about that. 

According to a Facebook quiz I am in the wrong nursing field...I should be a school nurse? They probably queued into my love of summer, but clearly did not get the memo that snotty, booger, noses from screaming kids is not my favorite. 

Something scary for this Monday night before bed. This is what I would look like old.

Thanks Caitlin. 

Here's to a good week! 

Excited for it to fly by and spend an extended 3 day weekend with my hubs! 

Catch Up

Oh Boy.

So last week I worked five days in a row. I will never ever ever do that again. It wasn't that bad until the fifth day when shit hit the fan. Literally.

This week however, I have managed to squeeze in a little fun with all the housework I have to do. 

Tuesday we "did the Dan." 

There is a river about 40 minutes away and you pay to rent a tube to float down the Dan River for about 2.5 hours. Drinking is involved of course. With pit-stops along the way to explore caves and climb rocks and sit on the beaches it ended up taking about 4 hours total. 

It was ridiculously pretty up that way and of course it oh so much fun with my amazing co-workers. I know I mention often how much I love them but I really do love them :) 

The rest of this week will be filled with cleaning and organizing this dang on house! 

Jared's parents are coming in from Texas next week for an extended weekend stay with us. I could not be more excited to have them since they haven't been out to NC since the wedding. And the last time they were here to stay with us we were living in a dump. So it will be nice for them to see the much larger rental we have up-graded to.

Just need to make this house look somewhat presentable by then.

When I am not cleaning, this is what I am doing. 

Jared may be gone two nights a week, which is incredibly lonely. But, I still get my kisses in from Beau and Maverick guards the house from ducks on TV.

 Also, the single gal lifestyle a few nights a week leads to meals like this. Lots of wine and sushi to keep me company. [frozen meals not pictured]

I miss my husband and can't wait until all this back and forth is over for good! 

Oh well, soon enough. 

For now, back to sorting laundry and cleaning out the ever-so-cluttered garage.