Morning!

I woke up extra early to relax with my breakfast and the Bible.

This is my Southwest Omelet: So basic, so delicious: black beans, eggs, & milk for the omelet. Topped with melted cheese, salsa & sour cream.

Such a great start to my day!

Monday, Monday

I just had to add some pictures of our kitchen, because it has never been this clean. I felt the need to document while it was in such perfect condition....of course then I made dinner.

We are super excited because tomorrow we have 2 guests coming, Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Gilzean! Andrew was J's best man, and at Andrew's and Carrie's wedding was and only day J & I were calling each other boyfriend & girlfriend. His parents were here a few months ago, so now we just need his brother to stop by, and we will have hosted the entire Gilzean family! Unfortunately both J & I have to work so we won't get as much time with them as we would like.

Today also had some news about the job J is interested in getting. It looks as if our timeline will definitely be pushed back a bit. We thought we would be moving back to the states November or December, but it will probably be later. We have not gotten our orders or anything, but basically since J wants a different job than he currently has, he has to forgo moving by November so he has a change at this other position.

I will keep you posted.

On my career though, I turned in my notice last week and I will be quitting in September. If we end up staying here longer than originally planned, I will use all of that free time to work on a course I am taking. I am training to become a Certified Financial Planner, and I need ALL the time I can get for this intensive course. I know that whatever happens, whenever we move, whichever job opportunity J gets, it was all written before we were born. God's sovereignty gives me great comfort and joy.

12 Miles, 12 Beers & 12 Hours in line

This weekend was our town's biggest fest: SANDKERWA!! Which really just means our town gets ridiculously crowded with people waiting in line for beer for the weekend. My mom was here last year for the fest, and she could probably give you a good idea of how crazy it was.

Jonathan took me to a romantic dinner b/c I had requested quality time, and then we went out to the join the party Friday evening. Both Jonathan and I were pretty beat after our full week of work, so we decided to turn in relatively early.

Saturday, Jonathan told me he wanted to go on walk (which mean a march in Jonathan terms). He wears his 70lb rucksack and I just try to keep up. When he said he wanted to go 6 miles, I said, "sounds good" & we headed off. We kept up a pretty good pace speed walking b/c Jonathan has time goals, and I was proud of how we were doing when we hit our 3-mile-turnaround-point. When we kept going, I questioned Jonathan when we would turn around. His reply was: "I meant 6 miles out, then 6 miles back, obviously." OBVIOUSLY?! I said. You crazy....So that's how he tricked me into doing a 12 mile, speed walk/run that left me with all of my joints aching and a nice farmer's tan as mementos.

After our "walk" we relaxed a bit to recuperate and prepare for another evening at the fest. We got downtown just around dinner time and enjoyed some bratwurst & beer with our friends. The night before I had really wanted to get some popcorn, because this one place has this delicious smell that fills the street & the line goes around the corner. So, I know it's gotta be good. That stand was there last year too, and I had never gotten my popcorn, so I was ready for it now. When we got to that spot the line was around the corner again, but I committed myself to waiting so I could partake in what was creating that heavenly aroma. After about 20 minutes of going NOWHERE in that huge line, I gave up and found the group. I went back to the stand a few times throughout the evening and the line was still ridiculously long. After complaing that I was so ticked about that line a few times, I just kind of gave up. Another year of Sandkerwa without my popcorn.

Then...magic happened. I was sitting at our fest table enjoying a drink with our friends, when Jonathan came back with popcorn for me!!!! Our good friend Stan had smelled the pleasing aroma & decided to stand in the line, and when Jonathan saw him midway through, he waited with him to get me some! If that's not true love, I don't know what is ;).

So the fest ended well, and we have had a nice, rainy Sunday. I made peanut butter cookies, Jonathan and Stan put up some light fixtures (finally!!) and we had dinner together...there might have also been Christmas music in the background while I was baking.....and right now too.....don't judge me.

And now it's off to bed! If I can leave you with one thought, it's what the sermon was about this morning: In Luke 13, Jesus healed a crippled woman. She was transformed from a miserable, dejected disabled woman to one with an upright body and heart. She left glorifying God. In what ways has Christ transformed you to the person you are today, and in what areas do you still need changing? What sins and miseries do you hold onto and thereby reject the transforming grace of God? I was thinking about myself & I am terribly judgmental & selfish & lazy...and those are just the obvious ones. I suggest you (and I) do the following: "by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable & perfect." (romans 12:2).

Have a great week!

Our crowded streets during Sandkerwa

I am SUPER excited about the popcorn

The long line in the rain for popcorn

Peanut Butter Cookies

We finally have a light fixtures in the living room!

Congrats to my sister-in-law!

J & I just found out that his sister is pregnant! We are SOO excited for them! We are both hoping we will be much closer to home as our families all start growing.

And this is us in Vienna, Austria in front of the Hapsburg Winter Residence. Going to a ball in a real live palace was pretty much a dream come true. It felt like Christmas how you are sad when it's over because you don't know when you'll experience something that beautiful ever again. J reassured me that now we "know a guy" and will be able to go back if we ever want to. Here's hoping!

Please be thinking about J this week as he'll be freezing his butt off in the USAREUR Best Sapper Competition. I think him and his partner have a really good chance of doing well, but it's going to be tough.

Other than all of that, have a very happy Monday & rest of the week!

New year news

An idea of what we'll be doing this weekend

So, last 2 posts were all of 2012 – so what’s going on in 2013? You ask.

Well, 2013 started out with a few changes. I hate resolutions, but some changes I wanted to make happened to coincide with the new year, so I don’t know what else to call them. I have decided to try to cook more for J, work out more for my health, and read the Word more for my relationship with Christ. So far, my resolutions are going pretty well, but they usually do at the beginning, so I won't get cocky.

I also got promoted! Woo-hoo! I am now officially a “Loan Service Representative” for Service Credit Union. And I will hopefully be upgrading to full-on LOAN OFFICER soon- that’s the goal! It is perfect timing too, because it seems I will be able to get it before we PCS (ie: move – “permanent change of station”).

J is in training for “Best Sapper Competition” which will take place in February and he is waiting to find out which path his career will take. Thankfully, both of us are pretty good at going with “whatever the Lord wills…” or else being in the army and not knowing our future plans would be a HUGE stress. Thankfully, I am 99.9% sure will be in the states by next Christmas! J is pretty excited about being close to all of the conveniences of America, but I am going to miss Europe.

We are getting ready for the Austrian Officer’s Ball in Vienna (the above pictures is what I am POSITIVE it will be like) and some of our good friends deploying over the next few months.

We both work full time, but with the New Year have come new plans to keep organized. I have been planning meals for J and I;  and J has been planning our family worship. It’s fun to see us coming into the husband and the wife that we want to be.

Well, that’s all for now!

Love, K

Oh Christmas Tree

Our First Christmas Tree - A Nordmanntanne

We had people come over and string the popcorn & cranberries and decorate the tree with us; a perfect Tree-Trimming Party!

 

J & I bought this in Poland when I visited in February 2012

J bought this for me when he took his parents to Poland this past December '12. He thought it was really ugly and knew I'd like it.

Memento of my time in Jerusalem- Sept-Dec '11

My sister bought me this when we were together in Hilton Head- Sept '12!

I got Little Mole when we went to Prague for the Christmas market Dec '12

A witch from Slovenia June '12

Everyone's favorite castle! Nov '12

A gift from Gemma when I visited her for my birthday in 2011. And I do love London :)

A Swiss little bird J & I got at a Christmas sale in Geneva - Dec '12

2012 in Review

I thought when I first got married that I wouldn’t keep a blog because it wasn’t just my life anymore that I was sharing with the world, it was now mine & J’s life. Unfortunately, I could only stay away for a while. Well, I guess it’s been a year. You must excuse me from not blogging about my wedding planning. It probably would’ve seemed like a bitter epilogue most of the time, and the rest of the time I was busy doing a thousand other things. I was actually re-inspired by one of my best friends who is blogging her prego belly pictures (and the rest of her great life). I agree with her that it isn’t very classy to constantly post pictures of your pregnant body on fb, but people like me who are on the other side of the world REALLY want to see them. Ergo, she blogs. I feel like I have missed out on a year of sharing my life, but that doesn’t mean I can’t start again fresh. So, since it’s the new year: let’s do a year in review via pictures: