Closing a Chapter, Opening a New One

I will hit a big milestone this week which is that I will no longer be a twenty something anymore.  When I created this blog it never dawned on me that naming my blog for a decade in my life meant it would retired once that decade ended.  It is both with joy and a little sadness I close out this blog.  

I loved being a twenty something and cherish all the memories but already I'm starting to realize that my thirties will have a lot of wonderful and exciting things as well.  Plus I feel so much more confident in who I am and what I want in life.  I also have a much clearer picture of the types of friendships and relationships that add joy and value to my life.  Accordingly I'm less scared to let the other less healthy relationships fade in the background.  Sometimes you get people for a season in your life and sometimes you get to keep them forever and there is nothing wrong with either.

For anyone who has enjoyed reading along I started a new blog for the next phase.  Little did I know that over the course of one week I'd enter my thirties, we'd sell our first house, buy a new house, and start our life out in the burbs.  My new blog will be the same as this one in a lot of ways.  An informal way for me to capture my thoughts, milestones in our lives, and be a creative outlet for me.  Here is the new URL if you want to continue to follow along:

http://dkj-adventuresofa30something.blogspot.com/

Easter in Texas

We had an nontraditional Easter this year.  We went to Texas to visit my best friend.  Due to all the house activities and expenses our vacations this year are all low key trips to visit friends.  We felt that would be a way to keep travel costs low and get to spend time with people we love that we don’t get to see as much as we would like.  It was such a nice break from all of the house activities to just relax and spend time with friends.  We ate too much food and drank too much beer and thoroughly enjoyed the company we were with.  It was also such a fun treat to get to see their adorable little girl all dressed up for Easter brunch.  Emma is such a cutie pie and I love getting to spend time with her.  It will probably be several months before we get to see them again when they come home in the fall but I always cherish the time we get with them.  Thanks for being such great hosts, we love you guys!

It's happening, it's all really happening!

So my last post was 5 days before pictures and listing our house.  It feels like that was an eternity ago!  We listed our place on March 12^th and got a lot of traffic the first weekend.  The best part was we were under contract by March 17^th, it only took 5 days.  We thought it might go fast but that exceeded our expectations.  There have been a few small bumps but everything is on track and we’ll close near the end of April.  I’ll be turning 30 and leaving the loft in the same week, it is the end of an era but I’m so excited for the future so I’m closing this chapter with fond memories and taking my favorite parts (my amazing hubby, family, and friends) with me into the next chapter. 

In addition to all of that we found our new home.  It hits all the things we wanted in a home and has such a welcoming feel.  For being built in the late 80’s it has been updated and maintained beautifully.  It has a nice flat fenced back yard with tons of potential.  It has an unfinished basement which gives us tons of options for the future whether we want to finish it to include another living room space, another bedroom, an in law suite, a theater, etc.  The master bathroom is about the same size as our current second bedroom and has beautiful natural light!  We close on the new home in May and plan to move in that weekend after we close. 

We did hit one unexpected snag in the inspection with the deck having issues but it’s something we’ll address in our first year or so in the new house.  While it’s never fun to have your timing for an update determined for you we are really excited about designing and building our dream deck space.  The current one is very small and we plan to work with Kyle’s granddad to help design it and then hire a contractor to help us build it. 

We are currently in the process of packing boxes at the loft, thinking about where we want things to go in the new house, and figuring out all the fun details of address changes/utilities/etc.  It is of course complicated by the 3 week gap between the moves but my parents are being extremely gracious and letting us crash with them for that time period.  I have been through so many emotions during this process but above all I’m excited for the future and heading into a new phase of life.  

A flurry of activities: 5 days to go!

We have been non-stop on nights and weekends lately.  We are 5 days from pictures and handing the paperwork to our real estate agent for listing our condo.  It has been a lot of work but it’s coming together nicely.  It’s kind of a bummer that our house will look the best it ever has right before we move out.  I think it taught us some valuable lessons about controlling clutter more proactively in our next house.  We have donated a ton of stuff, moved some into a small storage unit, and organized each space in the house one area at a time.  This past week was the most fun since the results were really visible since we repainted the chalkboard wall, patched a few nail holes, did some touch up paint, and moved the last batch of items into storage.  The next 5 days will be dedicated to deep cleaning everything and devising our game plan for keeping it show ready while we live there. 

I have been fastidiously making lists to help myself feel like we have a game plan and that we are on track.  So far it’s working since I’ve only had one or two meltdowns in the process.  We’ll see if I can keep that number low once we have the added stress of meticulous cleaning and maintenance each day while the loft is on the market.  Kyle and my mom reminded me that I always rise to the challenges presented to me so this will be no different.  My parents have been a godsend during all of this.  We have a ton of music equipment stored in their basement that would have exceeded the insurance coverage for our storage unit.  They have let me vent, given me advice, and helped out in whatever way they can.  My dad came and showed me how to properly chalk, sand, and repaint nail holes.  While my dad and I did that my mom started hand washing our glassware.  They have been so supportive and helpful and it has helped tremendously with managing my stress level.  I’m so thankful for Kyle because he has been such an amazing partner in all of this.  We have laughed, reminisced, argued, made up, and gotten a TON of work done in just a couple short weeks.  He knows me so well and has helped me stay calm and focused.  He also reminds me to take breaks and to focus on what has been accomplished instead of only looking forward to what is left to do.   

January 2015 Resolution Check In

One Month Check-In

• Fitness: 15 Pure Barre Classes, 1 Dance Class, & walks during my lunch break 3 times per week
• Body Image: I am noticing that things that killed me in first Pure Barre class are not as brutally difficult now so I’m feeling subtle changes to my strength.  If I’m honest with myself I still follow too many fitness and model people on Instagram and that is both inspiring and deflating.  The fact that it’s part deflating means I still have a lot of work to do in this area.  
• Cooking: home cooked dinners on average 3 nights a week, I’d like to bump this up to 4-5 in February 
• Books: Hollow City by Ransom Riggs & Wild by Cheryl Strayed
• Declutter: 2 bags of clothes to good will
• Move Progress: real estate walk through with our agent to discuss out timing and staging plan
• Let it Go: I’m still not sure how to measure this one (which using my work brain means it’s not a SMART goal – specific, measurable, achievable, results-focused, and time- bound) but I think it’s important.  I’m hoping to better wrap my mind around what letting go of hurts/grudges/anxiety looks like for me and how to measure my progress.  I will say that regular exercise has helped me keep my daily stress levels better in check.  

Bingo Night!

We are bringing bingo night back into style for young people or at least for our friends.  This was our third bingo night at our house and it continues to be a really fun tradition.  We plan to host bingo nights every other month.  We have people bring a small prize with them to contribute as prizes for each round.  We bought our bingo set on Amazon over the summer and plan to get a lot of use out of it.  Here are a few candid photos from the evening:

Loft Walkthrough

Oh my goodness it’s getting real.  We have talked for years and years about the transition from the in town loft to the suburbs but it’s starting to really happen.  We had our real estate agent come do a walkthrough of our place to make a list of things we need to fix, change, and stage as we prepare to list our house on the market in the spring.  After recovering from a little shock that this is really happening we felt good about having a solid game plan and will start getting to work.  We plan to work on some of the small fixes a few at a time on the weekends.  The next big step is getting a storage unit to store our extra stuff (clutter, personal items, etc.).  Then going through each room and clearing it out to just the basics so people can better imagine living there without our personal items and taste affecting how they feel about the space.

C&A Came Back (for a weekend)

Chad and Amanda came back for Megan's wedding and it was so nice to get to see them.  I know it's only been a month since they moved but we had been having major withdrawals.  We got to catch up on life, their new apartments, and new jobs.  We ordered pizza, played games, and had at least one too many Manhattans on Friday night.  On Saturday we met up with some friends for coffee and then got ready for the wedding.  

As mentioned in my other post about Megan's wedding it was beautiful and so much fun!  It really reminded me that even though they moved away our friendship is very strong and won't end just because of the distance.  We are planning to go visit them in Charlotte in early spring!  

   

Megan & Mark's Wedding!

Their wedding was absolutely beautiful!  They got married in the Log Cabin Community Church - it is a beautiful little church with wooden pews and a very intimate and cozy feel to it.  Her dress was stunning and it was a really beautiful ceremony!

She had beautiful winter inspired details like pine cones mixed in with the beautiful red roses in her bouquet and pine trees on the details like the invitations, programs, and favors.  The whole wedding really reflected their style and personalities.  One of my favorite details was the bright red classic truck that they rode away in driven by her dad. 

Then reception was at the Heritage Center in Sandy Springs.  We ate great food and danced the night away.  These are some of my favorite pictures from the evening!  It was so fun to be with so many our friends to celebrate such a momentous occasion.  It is only bittersweet because the wedding being over means she is moving to Texas but I know she's excited to finally live in the same state as Mark again!

Megan's Bachelorette

We had a really fun day celebrating Megan’s bachelorette!  We started with pottery painting at Splatter’s, then went to Noche for tapas, and ended the night at my house for her lingerie shower.  

Finished Product from Splatters - a set of four plates and four coffee mugs for their new kitchen:

Group Shots from the Shower:

Pure Barre

In the spirit of my resolutions of being fitter, stronger, and more comfortable in my own skin I wanted to try something new with my workouts.  Despite considerable training and effort I still don’t love running and while Zumba is fun it’s not really helping me get stronger.  I was talking to some friends in December and they mentioned barre classes.  I had always wanted to try them since I grew up doing ballet barre all the time I figured it would be fun for me.  However I was really intimidated since when people talk about barre classes it normally goes something like this: “it’s wonderful but it’s really, really hard” or “it is torture but you’ll love it”.  You get the drift.  It makes it tough to take the plunge to sign up for the first class when you aren't sure you’ll come out alive.

I finally bit the bullet and signed up.  People were right.  It is really hard and a glamorous form of self-inflicted torture but I do really like it.  I love that the small movements start working really fast and seem to target all my problem areas.  I love fighting through my shaking muscles and finishing an exercise without having to stop or modify it.  I was crazy sore the next day but I've gone back a few times and while it’s still hard during the class the lingering soreness afterwards is more manageable.  I signed up for a new client special at Pure Barre where I get five weeks unlimited.  I have signed up for 4-5 classes a week each week.  I am really excited to see my strength and fitness levels at the end of the five weeks.  

2015 Resolutions

I love New Years.  I love the representation of a blank page in a new chapter and the opportunity it gives to reflect about the past year and prepare our minds and attitudes for the coming year. 

This year I have a few resolutions:

• Working on becoming fitter and stronger
• Working on reducing my negative attitude about my body and feeling confident at whatever point in my fitness journey I’m at
• Cook at home more often – I admire what amazing cooks my parents are and I need to put a bigger dent in my 10,000 hours towards being a great cook!
• Letting go of grudges and past hurts – they are only weighing me down and have no effect on the people who inflicted the wound.  For my own sake I need to allow myself to feel hurt and then move on.  I have too many wonderful people in my life to focus energy and effort on the ones who don’t.
• 2 books a month
• In the words of Tracy Chapman “buy a bigger house and live in the suburbs”
• Declutter

This year along with my resolutions I also wrote a New Year’s poem that reflects my prayers and hopes for the coming year.

I’d like to live like a tree
Arms reaching into the sky
Basking in the sunlight
Adept at changing seasons
Beautiful and natural in each stage
Braced and prepared for any storm
Roots nestled firmly into the earth
Growing stronger with each passing year 

Christmas Celebrations

Here are the group photos from our many wonderful Christmas celebrations this year.  We are blessed beyond belief to have such wonderful families and friends!

Christmas with Colin & TMNT Ornaments

We had our Christmas celebration with Kyle’s mom, his sister Heather, her husband Clayton, and our nephew Colin.  We decided this year to start a new tradition of making an ornament each year at our dinner party.  I saw this idea on Pinterest and knew it was the perfect choice for this year.  We made our own teenage mutant ninja turtle ornaments.  Colin also improvised and made his own alien turtle creation in addition to the regular crew of Raphael, Michelangelo, Donatello, & Leonardo.

2014 Year in Review

This has been an incredible year for us and I continue to be extremely thankful for the many blessings in our lives.  We are preparing for some big changes in the New Year including moving so we’ve both been very reflective this year.  We can’t wait to see what 2015 has in store!

• Kyle changed jobs and moved to Lanier High School to become an Academy Lead and to continue teaching in the classroom
• Kyle turned the big 3 0
• We celebrated our 6^th wedding anniversary!
• I finally got my SLR camera and have loved learning more about photography
• Kyle presented at GCTE & NCTE
• I celebrated my 4^th work anniversary with T-Mobile
• I started a book club with an amazing group of ladies!September – The Giver; October – The 100 Foot Journey; November – Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children; December – Let It Snow

Weddings:

• Chad & Amanda on 6/7
• Emily & Wes on 9/13
• Blair & Jenna on 11/15
• Heather & Kyle on 12/28

New Additions:

• Kim & Austin had Owen in April
• Brian & Brant had Lucas in August
• Amy & Josh had Savannah in September
• Keri & Brandon had Lucas in November

Trips:

• Expedition Everest 5k in Orlando
• Colorado – Denver, Vail, Edwards, Glenwood Springs, & Golden
• Our 5th Annual 12 Mile Trip for the 4th of July
• Washington DC for the NCTE Conference

Races:

• iRun at the Bridge Church for the Lawrenceville Food Coop- 5k
• Dawg Jawg for the UGA Auxiliaries - 5k
• Expedition Everest at Disney World - 5k

Jenna's Beachelorette

This is another post that is out of sequence but I wanted to make sure to write about this fun girls weekend celebrating Jenna!  We rented an amazing house in Santa Rosa Florida.  It was just a mile to the beach and the neighborhood had a beautiful walking trail and sitting area with stunning views of the marsh.  I really enjoyed getting to know Jenna's friends better and can truthfully say after the weekend I consider all of them friends of my own as well.  We took turns cooking meals, had late night kitchen dance parties, enjoyed two lazy days at the beach, and a fun night out dancing in Destin.  It is a trip I'll always remember with some amazing ladies!

NCTE in Washington DC

This post is out of sequence but back in November we went to Washington DC for the NCTE conference.  Kyle stayed pretty busy listening to speakers and participating in his round table session but we managed to fit in a lot of sight seeing and fun as well.  Our favorites by far were:

• Getting a private tour of the Capitol building from an intern for one of the representatives. It was so much more fun and informative plus we got to move at our own pace.  We also got to go out on the Speaker's balcony which hands down is the best view of DC.  Big thanks to our friend Jeff for hooking us up!
• Newseum
• Walking the National Mall (the Lincoln and Jefferson monuments were my favorite) - the emotion in Lincoln's face and the beautiful architecture of the rotunda on the Jefferson memorial
• National Air & Space Museum
• Holocaust Museum - very powerful and emotional
• Karaoke with Nick's friends - sometimes the most fun things are experiencing places that locals that live in the area frequent
• Brunch with Kyle's Uncle Mark & Aunt Itura - they live in the area and were so sweet to come meet us for breakfast while we were in town.