Yesterday was one of the most tiring days I've had in a while.
It started off by waking up at 5AM to get ready for my first day of nannying. Made it from Puyallup to I-5 with no problems (Luke had taken my GPS so he could get home) but then got lost on post trying to find the family's house. Finally found it, but I was about 10 minutes late. Not a good way to start the day.
The boys I take care of are great - 4 and 6 years old and well-behaved but very energetic. Way more energy than I have definitely. Maybe I will have to start drinking coffee. We started the day with touring their toys, including the new "tantastic four" action figures from McDonald's. Then we walked to the park, played outside for a while, set up the sprinkler to play in, ate lunch in the backyard, played some video games, worked on a puzzle, and started a movie. A lot of stuff crammed into 8 hours.
After I left I had to go meet a family that I am babysitting for tonight. They wanted to introduce me to the children and just meet me overall, I guess. I stayed there about 10 minutes to talk about the specifics of babysitting and tell her about my references. Then I headed to Luke's to rest for a few minutes before we headed to our first pre-marital counseling session.
We left with time to spare since we wanted to be on time. Of course, I forgot to account for the ridiculous Fort Lewis traffic just 2 exits north of Luke's. It took us a full 20 minutes to go 3 exits north. Normally on a Sunday morning it takes us 20 minutes TOTAL to get to the church. We called the pastor to say we were on our way, but we'd be late. We made it there, but we were 10 minutes late.
The session went well. We talked about how we met, why we want to get married, and our backgrounds a little. Then we took a personality inventory type test. The pastor had written it himself about 30 years ago but it's proven effective over the years. He took our booklets and is going to evaluate them and we'll meet back in 3 weeks to start our counseling. I'm looking forward to it!
After counseling we went to the grocery store where it took us almost 2 hours to find everything on my list. I am trying to cook healthy, yummy food for us, and it ends up being a lot more work and a lot more money than just buying a few frozen pizzas and ordering take out. I like to cook, it's just I wish the food was free and I had a clean up crew to help me out.
Finally by 9PM I was serving up dinner - some hastily made spaghetti - but with freshly chopped veggies and sausage in it. As I turned to present the feast to Luke, it all sloshed off the plate and onto the kitchen floor where it splattered everywhere. Needless to say, at 9PM, after a full day of work and errands, I was not in a mood to deal with this. I cleaned it up and then went upstairs to wallow in my misery. Luke came to check on me and convinced me to come downstairs and split what was left of our dinner.
After a load of dishes and two loads of laundry I could finally go to sleep, only to wake up this morning at 6 to start the whole process over again.
I'll tell you this - I don't mind housework because I know it's necessary. No one else is going to come clean the house and cook for me, so I will do it. The thing I don't like so much is waking up while it's still dark, working all day, then coming home to work all night. I know this is adulthood, and I accept it. Here's the thing though - I have picked the best mate in the world. Luke is so helpful and so understanding. Although I am realizing adulthood is really hard, I look forward to my life with him, knowing that he will be my partner through it all.
So I hope today will be a little easier, but if it's not, I've got Luke here to hold my hand, make me smile, and help me mop the kitchen floor.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Settling In
About time I update you all on my settling in process.
First - the weather here has been great. It's cloudy in the morning until about noon and then the sun comes out. At night it's usually down in the 50's and then by the afternoon it's up to the 60's or 70's. This weekend is supposed to be a hot one though - almost to the 90's! Doesn't sound too bad for those of you back home in Virginia who are enduring the 100 degree temperatures, but we don't have air conditioning here, so 90 degrees isn't pleasant.
Second - I have really enjoyed experimenting with cooking! Last night I made Tammy's "Little Cheddar Meatloaves" and Aunt Nancy's "President Reagan's Favorite Mac & Cheese." Both were a huge success and a big hit with Luke and his roommate. The night before I made Creamy Chicken Enchiladas which so far are Luke's favorite. Tonight I am making Mary's Mexican Vegetable Soup, which I know won't be half as good as when Mary makes it!
The downside to all this cooking is the cleaning up. It's not too bad but I feel like all I do every day is cook, do dishes, switch laundry, and put things away. Not too bad, but I can see how after years of this, I might go insane.
Now, the only reason I've been doing all the cooking and cleaning is that I haven't been working HOWEVER.... I got hired to nanny for a family on post with two little boys. I am looking forward to actually waking up and heading to work every morning. I didn't think I'd miss working, but I do. I start nannying on Monday and will probably be with this family through the school year. I am also going to add my name to the substitute teacher lists in the area so that on my days off I can make a little extra money at the schools!
This Sunday I move in with the Hickok family. They live in Puyallup - about 25-30 minutes from Luke and my job on post. The drive won't be pleasant (I'll have to leave the house by 7AM), but I am really looking forward to spending some time with the Hickok's. They have gone above and beyond in generosity and there's no way to thank them enough.
On Monday, Luke and I start our pre-marital counseling with Pastor Ron Kearns at New Hope Community Church in Lakewood. Last Sunday, Luke and I went to church there, but were 30 minutes late, so we may have missed a decent chunk of the singing and sermon. On our way to church, Luke's car was making an awful noise, almost like a helicopter was hovering over us. I thought it might be a flat tire so we got out and checked, but it wasn't. Luke said his tire was loose and shaky so we turned around, took the car to Jiffy Lube and took my car. I was determined to make it to church, so we went even though we were late. We talked to Pastor Ron after church and set up pre-marital counseling and were really blown away by the welcome we received. We're both really looking forward to spending more time getting to know our new church family.
Luke's mom and brother arrive a week from today. We're both really excited to see them and explore the area together. We are planning trips to Tacoma, Olympia, Seattle, the San Juan Islands, and some other little places around here. Should be fun! There will definitely be a blog post updating everyone on our explorations!
For now, I should go get some fresh air. The sun finally came out and I want to go for a walk... maybe even a jog... around this beautiful neighborhood. Have a great weekend, everyone!
First - the weather here has been great. It's cloudy in the morning until about noon and then the sun comes out. At night it's usually down in the 50's and then by the afternoon it's up to the 60's or 70's. This weekend is supposed to be a hot one though - almost to the 90's! Doesn't sound too bad for those of you back home in Virginia who are enduring the 100 degree temperatures, but we don't have air conditioning here, so 90 degrees isn't pleasant.
Second - I have really enjoyed experimenting with cooking! Last night I made Tammy's "Little Cheddar Meatloaves" and Aunt Nancy's "President Reagan's Favorite Mac & Cheese." Both were a huge success and a big hit with Luke and his roommate. The night before I made Creamy Chicken Enchiladas which so far are Luke's favorite. Tonight I am making Mary's Mexican Vegetable Soup, which I know won't be half as good as when Mary makes it!
The downside to all this cooking is the cleaning up. It's not too bad but I feel like all I do every day is cook, do dishes, switch laundry, and put things away. Not too bad, but I can see how after years of this, I might go insane.
Now, the only reason I've been doing all the cooking and cleaning is that I haven't been working HOWEVER.... I got hired to nanny for a family on post with two little boys. I am looking forward to actually waking up and heading to work every morning. I didn't think I'd miss working, but I do. I start nannying on Monday and will probably be with this family through the school year. I am also going to add my name to the substitute teacher lists in the area so that on my days off I can make a little extra money at the schools!
This Sunday I move in with the Hickok family. They live in Puyallup - about 25-30 minutes from Luke and my job on post. The drive won't be pleasant (I'll have to leave the house by 7AM), but I am really looking forward to spending some time with the Hickok's. They have gone above and beyond in generosity and there's no way to thank them enough.
On Monday, Luke and I start our pre-marital counseling with Pastor Ron Kearns at New Hope Community Church in Lakewood. Last Sunday, Luke and I went to church there, but were 30 minutes late, so we may have missed a decent chunk of the singing and sermon. On our way to church, Luke's car was making an awful noise, almost like a helicopter was hovering over us. I thought it might be a flat tire so we got out and checked, but it wasn't. Luke said his tire was loose and shaky so we turned around, took the car to Jiffy Lube and took my car. I was determined to make it to church, so we went even though we were late. We talked to Pastor Ron after church and set up pre-marital counseling and were really blown away by the welcome we received. We're both really looking forward to spending more time getting to know our new church family.
Luke's mom and brother arrive a week from today. We're both really excited to see them and explore the area together. We are planning trips to Tacoma, Olympia, Seattle, the San Juan Islands, and some other little places around here. Should be fun! There will definitely be a blog post updating everyone on our explorations!
For now, I should go get some fresh air. The sun finally came out and I want to go for a walk... maybe even a jog... around this beautiful neighborhood. Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
He's Home
After waiting for a 359 days, he's home.
We'll start where I left off last week...
Monday I took Dad to the airport. It was sad to say goodbye, especially after 5 days together on the road. Driving away from the airport I couldn't help but cry realizing that this really is it. I am here now. After resting at the house I went to visit Mr. and Mrs. Hickok, the family that I will be staying with until Luke and I get married. I am so grateful to them for opening up their home to me and answering a very important prayer of mine. The rest of the day I spent shopping, exploring the area, and unpacking my things.
Tuesday I woke up and got started on unpacking and cleaning right away. It took me all day, but by dinner time, the place felt like home. Jeff (Luke's roommate) graciously let me rearrange the entire house (except his room) and even helped me move some of the heavier furniture. It seems crazy, but even just moving a sofa around made it feel like home. I hear it's called "nesting." Tuesday night I picked up Allie from the airport. Allie is Mark Seelen's girlfriend. Mark and Luke have been platoon leaders together this year in Iraq. Thank goodness for Allie! She and I kept each other busy and commiserated with each other when we found out they'd be in later than expected.
Wednesday while shopping around Target with Allie I got a Facebook message from Luke saying they would not be in on Thursday as expected, but probably on Saturday. I was sad, mostly for them, but I knew he'd be home soon anyway. Allie took it harder, since she has to go back to Connecticut on the 4th. She switched her ticket though, so now she can go back on the 6th. Yes, two more days are worth the $264.
Thursday and Friday was just more time-killing. We shopped, explored, cleaned, cooked, and watched movies and TV. All in all, it was nice to have a "battle buddy" (as Luke calls it) during the wait.
Finally Saturday arrived... the day I'd been waiting for for a loooooong time. It felt like Christmas. I woke up with a stomach ache from the nerves, but I got to work doing some final prep work for the boys' return. I chopped veggies for fajitas, Allie iced the cupcakes and started the guacamole, and I did some final cleaning (vacuuming to be exact - yes Mom, I figured out how to vacuum). Then around 2 we headed to the gym on post where we were to meet them. We stopped for lunch at the PX but I was too nervous to finish my lunch. We got the gym and sat in the front row near the band. Only minutes after we got there a live feed of the plane landing came on. I teared up right away knowing Luke was on that plane and he was really home now. We watched the plane land, watched them deboard, and then watched them stand in lines to do some inprocessing. I saw a close up of Luke in the medical line and teared up again. Finally we heard the bus was on it's way and the music started. When they got there they walked in, stood in formation, and I immediately spotted Luke. Seeing him in person didn't even feel real. Finally there was a 3 minute little "welcome home" speech and they were released. I have never seen him shove people out of the way like that! (For those of you who'd like to see, there is a video on Facebook). We hugged for a while, mostly because I couldn't believe he was home, but as soon as we found Mark and Allie he was ready to go home, take a shower, and rest in his own house. I don't blame him.
So now he's home and I couldn't be happier! Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. We're both grateful. More updates later. Love you all!
We'll start where I left off last week...
Monday I took Dad to the airport. It was sad to say goodbye, especially after 5 days together on the road. Driving away from the airport I couldn't help but cry realizing that this really is it. I am here now. After resting at the house I went to visit Mr. and Mrs. Hickok, the family that I will be staying with until Luke and I get married. I am so grateful to them for opening up their home to me and answering a very important prayer of mine. The rest of the day I spent shopping, exploring the area, and unpacking my things.
Tuesday I woke up and got started on unpacking and cleaning right away. It took me all day, but by dinner time, the place felt like home. Jeff (Luke's roommate) graciously let me rearrange the entire house (except his room) and even helped me move some of the heavier furniture. It seems crazy, but even just moving a sofa around made it feel like home. I hear it's called "nesting." Tuesday night I picked up Allie from the airport. Allie is Mark Seelen's girlfriend. Mark and Luke have been platoon leaders together this year in Iraq. Thank goodness for Allie! She and I kept each other busy and commiserated with each other when we found out they'd be in later than expected.
Wednesday while shopping around Target with Allie I got a Facebook message from Luke saying they would not be in on Thursday as expected, but probably on Saturday. I was sad, mostly for them, but I knew he'd be home soon anyway. Allie took it harder, since she has to go back to Connecticut on the 4th. She switched her ticket though, so now she can go back on the 6th. Yes, two more days are worth the $264.
Thursday and Friday was just more time-killing. We shopped, explored, cleaned, cooked, and watched movies and TV. All in all, it was nice to have a "battle buddy" (as Luke calls it) during the wait.
Finally Saturday arrived... the day I'd been waiting for for a loooooong time. It felt like Christmas. I woke up with a stomach ache from the nerves, but I got to work doing some final prep work for the boys' return. I chopped veggies for fajitas, Allie iced the cupcakes and started the guacamole, and I did some final cleaning (vacuuming to be exact - yes Mom, I figured out how to vacuum). Then around 2 we headed to the gym on post where we were to meet them. We stopped for lunch at the PX but I was too nervous to finish my lunch. We got the gym and sat in the front row near the band. Only minutes after we got there a live feed of the plane landing came on. I teared up right away knowing Luke was on that plane and he was really home now. We watched the plane land, watched them deboard, and then watched them stand in lines to do some inprocessing. I saw a close up of Luke in the medical line and teared up again. Finally we heard the bus was on it's way and the music started. When they got there they walked in, stood in formation, and I immediately spotted Luke. Seeing him in person didn't even feel real. Finally there was a 3 minute little "welcome home" speech and they were released. I have never seen him shove people out of the way like that! (For those of you who'd like to see, there is a video on Facebook). We hugged for a while, mostly because I couldn't believe he was home, but as soon as we found Mark and Allie he was ready to go home, take a shower, and rest in his own house. I don't blame him.
So now he's home and I couldn't be happier! Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. We're both grateful. More updates later. Love you all!
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