After the wedding, Jake and I went into Raleigh and made Build-a-Bears for Lily and Colton to say thank you for being such wonderful helpers at the wedding; it was a spontaneous date filled with fluff, fun and factory. Cheesecake Factory that is :)
Even though this is WAY out of date, I just wanted to show everyone how AMAZING my brother is. He came over for THanksgiving and stayed the weekend. We made a wonderful meal together: portobello- stuffed pork tenderloin, cornbread stuffing, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus, baked mac and cheese, homemade citrus and cranberry relish and pumpkin roll/chocolate eclair for dessert. We could barely move afterwards but it was such a treat to be together.
Jake and I went to Kinston with Mary, Derek and Allison to try out a new brewery called Mother Earth. It was a little strange because it was set up like a lounge; you could only purchase beer in house, but you could bring in anything from outside. We ordered a pizza, bought some pop and played euchre all night. It was good to get out with friends and just have a good time. Of course, I didn't drink any beer but Jake really liked it and bought a cup to remember the occasion :)
While we were home for Thanksgiving break, Jake and I went to Frankenmuth with my parents. Jake and I anihilated some Cracker Barrel breakfast and rocked out Bronner's -- my mom bought us an ornament for a our first married Christmas, Jake surprised me with some inside joke ornaments and I bought a big snowman sign that says The Howland Family. We had a great dinner at Zehnders and laughed so hard at my parents that we cried on two different occasions. I guess hickies are not proper dinner conversation... who would have thought? We walked around town and took some pictures, checked the lights out and drove over the covered bridge. On the way home we had to stop in EL to get gas, and it made me so sad! It always slips my mind how much I came to think of EL as my home... if it hadn't been 10:00 at night, I would have gone knocking on old friends' doors and perusing about on campus.
During Christmas break we had a great time. Jake finally got to spend some good time with Brayden, he had been missing him so much! We went sledding, watched movies, played with Stinky the Garbage Truck... and laughed. So cute :) It was good to be home with family, even with all the rounds we tried to make to see everyone. Hard to believe it will be June or July until we're back.
When we got back from break, I moved into the Media Center at work. I'm still interpreting, but it's a much welcomed change of pace being in the library. The days go by faster, I don't feel as confined and I get to spend more time socializing with the kids and my favorite work buddies. I busted my balls for the past two months to get the yearbook done - yes, one person doing a 56 page yearbook featuring nearly 1000 people - it was such a headache and there were a couple of occasions where I really thought I was going to lose it. No one wanted to cooperate or help, I was stretched thin with the 50 different hats I wear and the deadline just kept coming. I sent the final proof in yesterday, so the books should be here within a month. Everyone who saw the book gave it raving reviews and really showered me with compliments... I have to say it felt good because I EARNED THE PRAISE. Jake is doing well in his classroom. He's almost through with his first year of teaching and I know he's learning a lot. The kids challenge him every day - whether it's discipline, not doing their work, etc. Even though it seems at times that he is at a disadvantage being somewhat inner-city, he really is changing the lives of some of these kids. I will never understand where his patience and compassion come from.
March is underway and it should prove to be a good month: NM visit, parent's coming down, final stages of the honeymoon countdown too! Jake and I bought the INSANITY workout DVD set... and it legitimately is insane. We want to tone up and feel our best when we hop on the big boat, so we figured diving head first would be the best plan with working out. The first night we did the work out, we were panting within 45 seconds... sweating within 3 minutes... and absolutely DRIPPING within 10 minutes. It's just non-stop movement, high HIGH intensity cardio and toning. We're pushing it, hopefully in a few weeks I'll have some good results to share.
Nothing much else is going on. We're starting the house hunt this weekend (have to get away from this townhouse) and will probably be joining a church within the next month. For the most part, taking it slow and soaking in all the experiences are our main priorities. We're waiting to see what doors will be opened next, and just trying to appreciate each other every day. We miss our family and friends so much that it's obscene, and we can't wait to spend the summer with you all.
Alright. Stop nodding off while reading this. I'll holla back soon <3>
