Still Alive

Hi my bloggy friends!

I know, I know, it has been entirely too long since my last post, yikes! I just checked, over a month! oops! In my defense, I was in the midst of packing, and then moving, and then unpacking (which is still in progress by the way...blech)

Anyway, we are settled here in the Bay Area, family comes over all the time! I love it!!! I have missed my sister, who is also my Best Friend, my bigger than me little brother who is working on hauling over the back yard (landlords said we could do whatever we wanted!!). I am getting even closer to my sisters in law because I actually get to see them on a regular basis! I have seen multiple old friends who I haven't seen in entirely too long.

Our little duplex is almost put together, I wish I could show you pictures, but the camera cable is still MIA. I have painted a couple (big) pieces of furniture and they turned out sooooooo pretty! I really like the colors, which is good, because I really didn't want to have to repaint them just yet!

Since I am home all day I hope that I will start being able to get crafty again, Kyle takes the car to work, so I am stranded (sort of) here all day. I have quilt squares that I have been cutting out, just to cut them out, a dress pattern that Kristen posted that I want to make because apparently it looks good on everybody and I really want a cute summer dress!

I will try to get on and post pictures sooner than another month from now. Hey! Maybe since I am home all day I will blog more... although, if all I do is stay at home, I won't have much to blog about... unless I do some back blogging... that could work! we will see... stay tuned!




PS. so it looks like I am a big fan of parentheses and ellipses today.

2 years...

...have flown by.


It seems like only yesterday we were barely dating and so very very young!
This picture is from my Jr. College graduation... (we had been dating for only a year!)

And then just after I graduated from Cal Poly you asked me to marry you and I said yes!


And then a mere six months later (and 2 years ago today) we became Man and Wife, linked together forever in our love and God.

It has been such a fun ride, and I love looking back and seeing just how much we have grown in our relationship, our walks with God, and in ourselves.

I love you Babe! Here's looking forward to the new adventure we are beginning!

PS. We have been together as a couple for over 6 years now!

Master's Degree

Did I mention that my husband graduated with his Masters Degree in Computer Science?



There were doves that flew out and over the crowd after the "Big" ceremony in the football stadium. This is the best picture I got of them...
The Computer Science graduates (at least the ones that participated in the departmental ceremony) Can you find Kyle?


I am so proud of you Babe!!!!
Love you and all your quirkiness!

5 boxes

We have decided (meaning I suggested it would be a really good idea and Kyle figured he would go along) that we are going to pack 5 boxes minimum each day for the next 1.5 weeks. If we do that we will be more than ready when the movers come to load up our truck and we will be able to get everything out of here and have a wonderfully empty apartment to clean for a week before we officially move out on July 5. We got 9 done last night in about a half an hour (just books, DVD's, video games, and CD's so it went quick). I would say we would be packing all weekend, but we have a wedding to go to, that Kyle is in, so no luck there, will just have to pack extra hard before and after to make up for it!

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

So, Kyle has his thesis defense in the morning (prayer would be appreciated, it starts at 10) then a final from 7-10PM (what kind of a horrible time for a test is that?!?!) and then graduation on Saturday with both of our families coming out!! Wow, 8 years after he graduated from High School (He graduated when he was 16, little smarty pants!) he is graduating from college with his Masters Degree. Two years after we got married we will finally be done with school and we will move forward with our life...

That moving includes literal moving, from our life here that we have come to love in SLO back to the Bay Area where our families are. We move in 3 weeks, crazy! Between graduation, moving, a wedding Kyle is Best Man in, and packing, there is just so much going on in the next 3 weeks. The stress definitely piles up on me, I have been trying to slowly begin to pack things up and because Kyle has had so much work to do for his thesis it has pretty much been all me. Can I just say... Packing sucks!!!! I do know that this is going to be one of the easiest moves of our lives, still only the two of us, moving out of a two bedroom apartment, easy, right? in a sense... but it still is no fun.

::okay, apparently this is turning into a poor Carrie post, please disregard my whining; I will try to be a bit more upbeat now::

So, we are super excited to be moving back near family! We will be about 10 minutes from my family and about 30 minutes from Kyle's family. My brother's school is about 1 mile from us, so he can come over and hang out after school! ...when school is back in session that is...

Searching for a new church will be a bummer, we have really come to love Grace!!! Kyle's parent's, and my parent's churches are both 30 minutes away from us, and we have really loved being in the same community as our church here, so we are going to look for something as close to our new home as possible. The nice thing though is that we know the area already, and know the names of some churches that are good in the area, so it won't be too hard (I don't think...)

I can't wait until I get to decorate my new home! I have all these wonderful ideas in my head, we will see how many of them translate well... Lindsey and Lisa have some amazing eyes for simple and chic! I love their style! I want them to come and help me garage sale and flea market and make my home look fabulous! I already have some great ideas for painting a couple pieces that I have. Someday I will have brand new couches and a dining room table with matching chairs and a "real" bed frame and matching bedroom furniture, but until then, I will dream and plan... ^_^

Miracle Miles For Kids

Next Saturday, May 30, I will be participating in the Miracle Miles for Kids 10K Walk/Run (it will probably be more of a walk for me...) along with my good friend Cassie.

The Family Care Network of the Central Coast works to provide much needed services such as Therapeutic Foster Care; Family Support Services; Prevention and Early Intervention Services; Transitional Housing Services; and Community-Linked Services, the agency works in collaboration with the community to strengthen and preserve families and individuals.

All proceeds earned through pledges at the event will help support direct services that benefit the community's youth and families!

* $100 buys school supplies and clothing.
* $500 helps a youth join a sports team or purchase a musical instrument.
* $1,000 helps furnish an apartment for an older teen about to transition from foster care to adult independence.

I have never participated before but I am so excited to do it this year! If you want to support me and help raise money for this organization and cause, you can go here it is my personal pledge page. I am trying to earn $100. Thanks so much!


and if you think about it, you might want to pray for me the day of the race that I don't die!! ^_^

marrow

I just got a call from the National Marrow Donor program. I signed up when I was 18 at my community college, they were having a donor drive and it was about 6 months after 9/11 and I was trying to do all I could for my country. I haven't heard anything from them since... but apparently I am a potential match for someone! This is all kind of sudden, exciting and scary all at the same time. I give blood all the time, just about as often as I am eligible, but marrow is just so much more daunting, they stick big needles in you for that one!!! Maybe my nurse-y friends can soothe my rattled nerves? Emily? Lindsey? is it as bad as I am making it out to be?

I won't know for 1-2 months if I am an exact match, so there is definitely time to get calm about this, and it may be that I am not a good match for this person anyway...

Wow. I never really thought that they would call me. But if I can help, I am glad to do it. This is one of those things where I feel that if you are eligible to do it, you should be signed up and doing all you can, ie. donating blood every 8 weeks... That's just my personal stance on it, although I understand if you are terrified of needles.... that would just suck! (haha! vampire pun!!! sorry. I will stop now.) *stepping off of my soapbox now*

Pray for this person that they will find a match, and that I might be a match for them, and if I am that it would all go smoothly.

::EDIT::
This post just brought back to mind one of my favorite Rascal Flatts songs, Skin (sarabeth). Makes me cry just about anytime I hear it!!!

Rebecca's Shop

One of my dear friend's sister (who is becoming a dear friend as well) has a sweet blog called Traveling Light that is so sweet with pictures of her and her husband and families. Her name is Rebecca and she has just started her own little Etsy shop called Rebecca's Shop where she is selling sweet pendants, frames, magnets and notepads.
The reason I am telling you this is because she is having a giveaway right now where you can win a necklace and a frame in honor of SUMMER!!! coming! So go! Now! check out her blog and store follow the directions and maybe you could win (but I hope I do...)

NEEDED...

A local pickup truck to borrow for a couple of hours...

Do you have a truck we can borrow? We have a loveseat we want to get (it's FREEE!!!!!!) but the owners can't move it for us, and all we have is a little bitty Honda Civic....

Please let me know!
Thanks....
Hugs and Kisses!!

~Carrie~

PS. A minivan with removable bench seats might work too...

Taylor the Latte Boy

One of my favorite Singers/Actresses Kristen Chenoweth, singing one of my favorite songs. I recently rediscovered it, and it makes me smile every time that I listen to it. Hope you enjoy it too!



Here are the lyrics too, in case you want them... ^_^

There's a boy who works at Starbucks
Who is very inspirational.
He is very inspirational because of many things.

I come in at 8:11, and he smiles and says, "How are you?"
When he smiles and says, "How are you?"
I could swear my heart grows wings!

So today at 8:11
I decided I should meet him
I decided I should meet him
In a proper formal way.

So today at 8:11 when he smiled and said "How are you?"
I said "Fine, and my name’s Kristin"
And he softly answered, "Hey."
And I said "My name is Kristen, and thank you for the extra foam…"

And he said his name was Taylor,
Which provides the inspiration for this poem:

Taylor the latte boy,
Bring me java, bring me joy!
Oh Taylor the latte boy,
I love him, I love him, I love him…

So I’d like to get my nerve up
To recite my poem musical.
He would like the fact it’s musical
Because he plays guitar.
So today at 8:11, Taylor told me he was playing
In a band down in the village in the basement of a bar.

And he smoothly flipped the lever to prepare my double latte,
But for me he made it triple! And he didn’t think I knew
But I saw him flip the lever, and for me he made it triple,
And I knew that triple latte meant that Taylor loved me too!
I said, "What time are you playing? And thank you for the extra skim…"
He said, "Keep the $3.55," because this triple latte was on him.

Taylor the latte boy,
Bring me java, bring me joy!
Oh Taylor the latte boy,
I love him, I love him, I love him…

I used to be the kind of girl who'd run when love rushed toward her.
But finally a voice whispered "Love can be yours, if you step up to the counter, and order."

Taylor, the latte boy
Bring me java, bring me joy
Oh Taylor the latte boy
I love him, I love him, I love him.

So many years my heart has waited,
Who’d have thought that love could be so caffeinated?
Taylor, the latte boy,
I love him, I love him, I love him.
I love him, I love him, I love him.