As of yesterday, Jon and I have been married a whole month, and now consider ourselves experts on all things marriage related. :) Just kidding. It has been a great month, and we love each other more than ever. Since moving to Baltimore, I have started a new chapter in my life. It's called "Unemployment". It's really not as bad as it sounds. I've been looking around a bit, but I haven't really decided exactly what I want to do, or rather, I haven't really figured out exactly what I should do. So I have had lots of time to pursue other interests...like, cooking! I have found out that I actually like to cook! One of our favorite restaurants in Provo is the Bombay House, so for our one month "anniversary", I decided to try my hand at a curry. I have NEVER cooked a curry dish before. I don't even think I've ever had a homemade curry, but I tried to be brave, and it turned out amazingly well. Not that I just discovered the secret to good curry making...I had some help, in the form of the Better Homes and Gardens red checker cookbook, but I was truly impressed with myself. And with how simple it really turned out to be. I have also been sewing, ironing, cleaning and doing laundry. I am reaching heights of domesticity I never thought possible. Today I'm actually going to attempt to make pizza crust from scratch with real yeast and everything. Lofty goal, I know, but I figure if it bombs, I'll just run to the grocery store, buy a pre-made pizza crust, and Jon will never know the difference!
Speaking of grocery stores, it has been quite the adventure finding a good one. There is a place called "Mars" just up the street making for maximum convenience. However, it seems like the closet place is never that great, and this has proven to be true in our case. I've gone there a couple times, but have come to realize that the prices are high, the selection is poor, and the produce is pitiful. I couldn't even find chili sauce or jalapeno peppers there! So on Saturday night when I realized that I desperately needed the chili sauce for Sunday's "pulled pork in root beer sauce" (Yes, that's right, I just said root beer sauce. I'll have you know it was delicious.), we ventured a few more minutes up the street to the "Super Fresh". I was shocked. The superiority of the Super Fresh to Mars was immediately obvious. The selection was amazing, the floors were shiny, and the produce section was huge. I'm sure I would have had no problem finding jalapenos there, and I swore that from then on out, I would be shopping at Super Fresh. But I totally forgot that I needed the jalapenos, and on Sunday, the bishop's wife was telling me about the area, and said that the "Weis" (they call it the We Is, because apparently it used to be really ghetto, but now it's super nice) that is even a little bit further up the street has the best selection and the best prices. So yesterday when I remembered that I needed jalapenos, I decided to check it out. And let me tell you, all loyalties to Super Fresh were instantly swept away. I was seduced by the luscious bakery, the gourmet deli, the "build it yourself" salad bar, the huge selection, the lack of any alcohol whatsoever in the entire store, and the gorgeous gardening section. I mean, the place even had a "dollar section", and we all know that anything that costs a dollar is practically free and need not be accounted for in any budget. Now, I was a huge fan of Macey's back in Provo. I even know personally Ben Macey, grandson of founder Waldo Macey, and feel a certain allegiance to the place...but the Weis gives Macey's, Smith's, Reams and Albertson's a run for their money! I think I have found my match in grocery stores. I hear there is an even nicer place about 20 minutes away (it has been called the Gucci of Grocery), but I'm just not sure I could handle anything better than the Weis.
How life has changed...when I was lost in the middle of research papers and lesson plans I never thought I would think so much about grocery stores. But lest I get over zealous with the whole domestic thing, I do have a job interview tomorrow. It is for a Spanish Teaching position at a private school for students with special needs. It seems like a really neat place, and I'm excited to learn more about it.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Be ye one...
Jon and I are working on "becoming one" and have decided that part of that process is to become one in the blogosphere. I've added him as an author on this blog, so make sure you watch to see who's posting!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Happiness.
We did it! We tied the knot in the Manti Temple on May 23rd. It was absolutely the best day of my life, and I couldn't be happier to be starting a new life with my new (wonderful) husband.
(I'll post more pictures soon, I promise...I'm just waiting to get them back from the photographer)
Since then, we have been in for a wild ride! I'll post a brief timeline of our lives, post-marriage.
May 24-31: We honeymooned on a cruise that stopped in Progreso and Cozumel Mexico. The weather was great and the ship was so relaxing. It was great to not have to worry about anything...no cooking or cleaning or working. One of our favorite things was that the housekeeping staff left a towel animal in our room every evening. We also had a great time on the beaches of Progreso and Cozumel. In Cozumel we got to drive a dune buggy to a remote beach and snorkel. It was a blast! We also just loved lounging on the deck.
May 31: We got back from our cruise just in time for our open house at the Leininger residence in Texas. It was beautiful, and it was great to see all the Texas friends and family. We spent the next day hanging out with Jon's family, and we had a blast. We wished we could have stayed longer.
June 2-4: We flew back to Utah to pack up our things, say a few last goodbyes, and load the U-haul. I don't remember much of what happened in the days we were there besides cardboard boxes and junk food, but we apparently accomplished what we set out to do.
June 5: Moving day! We got up early, hugged my family goodbye, and started our journey east. This was the worst day of the trip...we were on the road for about 15 hours. Jon drove the whole way and was a trooper about it. We finally reached our stop in Omaha at about 11:30pm. It's amazing how tiring it can be to sit in a car all day!
June 6: After a good night's rest in Omaha, we spent the day with Lisa and the boys. We went to the Omaha Zoo, which is excellent, and had a fun time hauling around the twins and little Benjamin. That evening, after a great meal (Lisa spoiled us!) we all headed to Nauvoo, and got in around midnight. Jon and I checked in to the Hotel Nauvoo, a historic home that has been transformed into a hotel. It was small but really cute, and was our home for two nights.
June 7: We saw the sights in Nauvoo, starting with a wagon ride through the historic part, and then met up with Lisa, Bill and the boys for lunch. Our favorite was the brick yard because we got a free Nauvoo brick. After lunch, we drove to Carthage, which was a really incredible experience, and then we attended the Nauvoo temple, which was probably the highlight of the entire trip. It is absolutely beautiful, inside and out!
June 8: We went to church in the morning in Nauvoo, and then we headed for Indianapolis, Indiana to visit Joseph and Megan who are working there for the summer. We had a great dinner with them, and took a fun trip to a river and an artesian well near their apartment. It was a great stop!
June 9: We packed up our air mattress, and headed for Kirtland, Ohio. We went on a tour of all the Church's historic sites, like the Newel K Whitney store and the School of the Prophets. I really liked the ashery and the lumber mill too. We got there too late to tour the Kirtland Temple, but we walked around the outside. We stayed in a Day's Inn that night. I wouldn't recommend it.
June 10: We headed downstairs to a continental breakfast that was by far the worst one I have ever seen. To top it all off, another guest spilled an entire pitcher of milk, the image of which will be forever engraved in my mind as a white tidal wave covering Jon. It was sad but hilarious. We got out of there as soon as we could to start the last leg of our journey. The trip was punctuated with anxious phone inquiries about Maria's labor process, which only served to make it more exciting. We arrived in Baltimore sometime after 4pm, went straight to the leasing office, and signed a year lease on an apartment that we had been looking at. It was about 100 degrees out, plus humidity, but we somehow hauled all of our earthly belongings to our second story apartment, just the two of us. In the process, we made friends with our downstairs neighbor, Byrne, and his cat, One-eyed Willy (I added the "one-eyed" part to his name, but he deserves it...he really has one eye).
June 11-14: We began the "moving-in" process on little sleep...at 3:30 am our time, we got a phone call that Maria had given birth to Brooklyn Marie Oka. We were so excited that the lack of sleep didn't bother us. I can't wait to go see her! We have been unpacking, shopping, and acquiring furniture. We came here with zero furniture, and through many great blessings known as Ikea, Wal-mart, Value City, and especially Craig's List, we have now fully furnished our 2-bed 2-bath apartment for under $1500. It's been amazing to see things come together so quickly and so econimically. I LOVE our apartment, and it is really starting to feel like a home.
June 15: We attended church in our new ward, the Chesapeake ward, and felt very welcomed. It is a really diverse ward, and we are excited to make new friends.
June 16: Jon's first day of work at Lockheed-Martin. Since we currently only have one vehicle, and since I am looking for a job, I dropped him off at 8am, and kissed him goodbye. I then proceeded to spend a very long nine and a half hours by myself. My only human contact was with the customer service help line at Target.com where I ordered a vacuum. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, and we had a great dinner and first FHE in our new home together.
June 17: Pretty much a repeat of yesterday, except I went to Wal-mart and didn't fall asleep on the couch for two hours. And I applied for some jobs. We'll see how that goes...Hopefully this has been an adequate update. More to come on our adventures in the great state of Maryland. Tonight's exciting activity? Discuss and sign up for health insurance!
(I'll post more pictures soon, I promise...I'm just waiting to get them back from the photographer)Since then, we have been in for a wild ride! I'll post a brief timeline of our lives, post-marriage.
May 24-31: We honeymooned on a cruise that stopped in Progreso and Cozumel Mexico. The weather was great and the ship was so relaxing. It was great to not have to worry about anything...no cooking or cleaning or working. One of our favorite things was that the housekeeping staff left a towel animal in our room every evening. We also had a great time on the beaches of Progreso and Cozumel. In Cozumel we got to drive a dune buggy to a remote beach and snorkel. It was a blast! We also just loved lounging on the deck.
May 31: We got back from our cruise just in time for our open house at the Leininger residence in Texas. It was beautiful, and it was great to see all the Texas friends and family. We spent the next day hanging out with Jon's family, and we had a blast. We wished we could have stayed longer.
June 2-4: We flew back to Utah to pack up our things, say a few last goodbyes, and load the U-haul. I don't remember much of what happened in the days we were there besides cardboard boxes and junk food, but we apparently accomplished what we set out to do.
June 5: Moving day! We got up early, hugged my family goodbye, and started our journey east. This was the worst day of the trip...we were on the road for about 15 hours. Jon drove the whole way and was a trooper about it. We finally reached our stop in Omaha at about 11:30pm. It's amazing how tiring it can be to sit in a car all day!
June 6: After a good night's rest in Omaha, we spent the day with Lisa and the boys. We went to the Omaha Zoo, which is excellent, and had a fun time hauling around the twins and little Benjamin. That evening, after a great meal (Lisa spoiled us!) we all headed to Nauvoo, and got in around midnight. Jon and I checked in to the Hotel Nauvoo, a historic home that has been transformed into a hotel. It was small but really cute, and was our home for two nights.
June 7: We saw the sights in Nauvoo, starting with a wagon ride through the historic part, and then met up with Lisa, Bill and the boys for lunch. Our favorite was the brick yard because we got a free Nauvoo brick. After lunch, we drove to Carthage, which was a really incredible experience, and then we attended the Nauvoo temple, which was probably the highlight of the entire trip. It is absolutely beautiful, inside and out!
June 8: We went to church in the morning in Nauvoo, and then we headed for Indianapolis, Indiana to visit Joseph and Megan who are working there for the summer. We had a great dinner with them, and took a fun trip to a river and an artesian well near their apartment. It was a great stop!
June 9: We packed up our air mattress, and headed for Kirtland, Ohio. We went on a tour of all the Church's historic sites, like the Newel K Whitney store and the School of the Prophets. I really liked the ashery and the lumber mill too. We got there too late to tour the Kirtland Temple, but we walked around the outside. We stayed in a Day's Inn that night. I wouldn't recommend it.
June 10: We headed downstairs to a continental breakfast that was by far the worst one I have ever seen. To top it all off, another guest spilled an entire pitcher of milk, the image of which will be forever engraved in my mind as a white tidal wave covering Jon. It was sad but hilarious. We got out of there as soon as we could to start the last leg of our journey. The trip was punctuated with anxious phone inquiries about Maria's labor process, which only served to make it more exciting. We arrived in Baltimore sometime after 4pm, went straight to the leasing office, and signed a year lease on an apartment that we had been looking at. It was about 100 degrees out, plus humidity, but we somehow hauled all of our earthly belongings to our second story apartment, just the two of us. In the process, we made friends with our downstairs neighbor, Byrne, and his cat, One-eyed Willy (I added the "one-eyed" part to his name, but he deserves it...he really has one eye).
June 11-14: We began the "moving-in" process on little sleep...at 3:30 am our time, we got a phone call that Maria had given birth to Brooklyn Marie Oka. We were so excited that the lack of sleep didn't bother us. I can't wait to go see her! We have been unpacking, shopping, and acquiring furniture. We came here with zero furniture, and through many great blessings known as Ikea, Wal-mart, Value City, and especially Craig's List, we have now fully furnished our 2-bed 2-bath apartment for under $1500. It's been amazing to see things come together so quickly and so econimically. I LOVE our apartment, and it is really starting to feel like a home.
June 15: We attended church in our new ward, the Chesapeake ward, and felt very welcomed. It is a really diverse ward, and we are excited to make new friends.
June 16: Jon's first day of work at Lockheed-Martin. Since we currently only have one vehicle, and since I am looking for a job, I dropped him off at 8am, and kissed him goodbye. I then proceeded to spend a very long nine and a half hours by myself. My only human contact was with the customer service help line at Target.com where I ordered a vacuum. But absence makes the heart grow fonder, and we had a great dinner and first FHE in our new home together.
June 17: Pretty much a repeat of yesterday, except I went to Wal-mart and didn't fall asleep on the couch for two hours. And I applied for some jobs. We'll see how that goes...Hopefully this has been an adequate update. More to come on our adventures in the great state of Maryland. Tonight's exciting activity? Discuss and sign up for health insurance!
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