Tis the Season

I have come to the realization that I am horrible with keeping up with a blog! I love reading everyone else's, but it just seems that blogs are more fun with pictures. My camera broke so I never have pictures to put up on here so I just don't blog. UNLESS, I am bored or just need to take a time-out from life! Well, right now is one of those times, so I figured I would update WHOEVER reads this, if anyone! :)

This year has gone by so incredibly fast, I can't believe it is almost Christmas! It is hard to believe that in 2008 I graduated college, got married, and started my career. It is crazy to think about. Life is definitely different...priorities have changed, and life is setting in. Work is wonderfully crazy. When I was originally hired, there was one other HRA. She switched positions so now I am the only HRA for the Seattle Branch working for the adults program and both of our kids programs. I am in the process of hiring another one, but until that happens, it is just me. I absolutely love my job here at SL Start. It has taught me so much. Besides the HR aspect, which I truly love, I have learned so much and have appreciated caregivers and people with developmental disabilities even more. They are truly amazing and have taught me more than I could ever teach them. They make my job that much more fun. I could be having an extremely stressful day and one of the individual's we support can come into the office and put a smile on my face and I am reminded of why I do what I do. It is a true gift.

Cody's job is going well for him to. He is definitely stressed because right now he doesn't have a lot of freedom in his job so it is the same thing every day, which can get old, but he knows that it won't be like that forever so he is working hard and doing everything he can to prove to the managers that he is ready for that freedom. I am so proud of him. He is doing such a great job and is such an amazing husband. I am so thankful for him and happy that we are married. I can't wait to start a family with him in the next couple of years. He is so driven and such a hard worker, I know he will be a great provider for me and our family.

Christmas is definitely different this year. We are used to having a 3 week break. Yes, during that break we work for UPS, but we are at homes, with our families, and it just seems more like Christmas. This year, we will see his family on Christmas day, but only because his uncle lives in Port Orchard. Cody works the day after Christmas so we can't stay the night there either, and this will be the second year in a row I won't be able to see my family on Christmas. I haven't seen my grandparents for so long and I miss going to their house on Christmas day, even if it is just for a few hours. There are a few traditions that I definitely miss, but I know Cody and I can start our own traditions and that excites me.

So, to finish off this post, I just want to say that I am so thankful for everyone in our lives that have supported us. Thanks for always being there. Thank you to my friends, who I never see, for always being there when I need you, and thank you Cody. We may be away from our family, but I know in my heart that this is exactly where we are supposed to be right now. And lastly, thank you God for protecting us and our families and allowing us to pursue our dreams.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Time for an update

Hey guys! So, Cody and I have been extremely busy. We are still loving it over on this side of the mountains. It is just so pretty, I seriously can't get enough of the beautiful scenery here. With all the trees, fall is so much prettier than over in Tri-Cities!

Last weekend was The Battle In Seattle. We ended up not going to the game, but we met up with a bunch of people and hungout in Seattle all night. It was so much fun and it was great to see people that we haven't seen in awhile! I think we are gonna get tickets for next year.

This weekend was so much fun. It was very relaxing and Cody and I were able to spend some much needed quality time together. We have both just been extremely busy with work. We don't usually see eachother until after 7 during the week and then Cody leaves by 6:15 every morning so it is hard to catch up with eachother. It has been pretty stressful actually. I hate not being able to spend a lot of time with him! So, this weekend we just relaxed together ALL weekend. Yesterday we spent the day just hanging out at home and went to the store and then we ordered in dinner and watched a movie. Then this morning, we got up early and went to this cute little coffee house by our apartments. It was so nice...I have been wanting to go and it is just so relaxing in there! I love coffee houses! We also went to the mall and Costco and all those odds and ends you have to get done on the weekends. We also went and played catch with a football today which was so much fun! I think I impressed Cody because now he wants to start a flag football team in one of the city leagues...we will see about that. The downer of the day was watching the Seahawks lose =( They are not doing very well this year!

So, besides that pretty boring and lazy weekend, we have a lot coming up. We are going to a Halloween party this year and I am so excited for it! We still need to figure out what we are gonna be but it is going to be so much fun! I am leaving for a work retreat on the 5th and 6th of November, and my work is moving offices so I will be working a ton of extra hours probably and Cody has been staying late every night. We are so excited because Cody just found out that he has the day after Thanksgiving off (he was originally told he didn't) so we can actually go home for the weekend! That will be the first time we go home since we moved here and I am really excited to see everyone! I am hoping that Laurie will be showing...she is due in April and hopefully by then they will know the sex of the baby!

So, all in all, Cody and I are doing just fine and are starting to get used to the city life and the work life. I hope everyone is doing great!

HAPPY FALL!!

Time for an update

So, I think it is time for an update. Cody and I are settling in quite nicely to our new home and our new jobs. We both really love our jobs and our apartment feels more and more like home every day! We have officially been here a month and Whit has been here for a few weeks. It seems like everything is happening so fast! We are quickly learning about bills that we have never had to pay and how hard it can be to combine your incomes. It really hasn't been that hard but it is definitely something that we haven't had to talk about before. I think we will be okay though because we have everything budgeted out, and while it might seem tight at first with the beginning costs of everything and my student loan, we will HOPEFULLY be debt free by April which will be nice!

I also apologize to everyone who has been waiting for their thank you cards! I swear they are coming out and they are all written, but I lost my address book somewhere during the move and have slowly been accumulating them again! They will be going out this week!

I really wanted to post tonight because I was sitting and thinking during dinner and I realized how lucky I am. I have been stressing over the simplest things lately and tonight I came to the realization that it all didn't matter. For example, it has been stressing me out lately that I have gained a little bit of weight since the wedding. I went from working out every other day and eating pretty healthy to not doing either. We have just been so busy starting out and the gym in the apartments isn't done yet...it is supposed to be done by the end of this week. Well, it has really been getting me down and I know Cody has noticed my moods changing because of it. When I am working out and eating healthy I am happier so I know my grumpiness has shown. I know Cody doesn't care what I weigh or anything like that, but I AM A GIRL and that worries me. BUT, tonight as I was sitting there eating a healthy dinner =) because I made it my goal to start making them again, Cody looked over at me and just the look he gave me said it all. He probably didn't even realize he looked at me the way he did, but thats why I love him. One look and I somehow realized that who cares if I gained a little post-wedding weight. Thats just life! I will work out again when I can and even if I couldn't, I am married to someone who couldn't care less! He loves me through and through and nothing will ever change that! It just makes me feel so blessed to know that I don't need to stress myself out about it. I can definitely worry, but why worry to the point where I am unhappy or making him unhappy. I have a GREAT guy and even the money situation. We may be living tightly but we have everything we NEED. I realized something else...I hear and see a lot of couples who fight a lot or let the little things come between them...and I may be a newlywed, but every day I am happy. I REALLY am. There may be parts of the day that I am not, but I feel blessed everyday, and that look I got today made me realize that even more! Cody, I know you never read this because you think it's silly, but THANK YOU and I LOVE YOU!

So, that is my blog for the time being....I just want to tell everyone that just be happy and don't let the small things get you down. Count your blessings and don't let the people you love and that love you go unnoticed!

LOVE SEATTLE!

So, I think it is time for an update. Cody and I had a blast on our honeymoon...eventually I will put pictures on here but I forgot our camera in Tri-Cities so that will have to wait. Hawaii was amazing...we tried surfing, we went snorkeling, sight seeing, and just relaxed and laid by the pool and on the beach. It really was amazing! We were sad to leave but we were excited to come home and move into our apartment.

Last week we moved to Bothell and we absolutely love the apartment and the area! It is so beautiful here with all the trees and there is so much to go and do! My dad and Audrey came last weekend and stayed and we went to a Mariner game (and they actually won!), we took the ferry to Bainbridge Island, and we went out to dinner. It was so much fun and I was excited for them to see our new home! We also both started our jobs last week and we both really love them. I really love being in the HR field...there is a lot you have to deal with but for some reason I love it all. The people in my office are so nice and welcoming to!

Besides that, nothing really new and exciting has happened. We will finally have cable and internet on Friday! I am so excited! We have been watching all of our dvds and I am ready for some real tv, especially since all the seasons are starting up again! Whitney moved in with us this week as well. She will be living with us for a few months so she can save up some money and find her own place. She got a job at Nordstroms working at the YSL counter where she will be making some pretty good money. She also starts school on Monday at the Gene Juarez Hair Acadamy..or however it is named! She is pretty excited about that and I am excited for her! Well, my lunch is over and I figured I would try to update this while at work since I don't have the luxury of accessing the internet from home yet! I hope everyone is doing well and I will eventually put some pictures up!

WE ARE MARRIED

We finally did it! It finally happened! Yesterday was such an amazing day! The wedding went wonderfully and the reception was a blast. Cody and I didn't see each other until I walked down the aisle and we were both a bundle of nerves all day long. It is such an amazing and overwhelming feeling right now. Everyone told us that we wouldn't feel any different really but I really do. I mean, nothing has REALLY changed yet...I haven't legally changed my name or anything, but I do feel different.

The ceremony went really well. I was so nervous, my bouquet was shaking like crazy! I held in the tears until after the ceremony but once we got out of the room and I hugged Cody, the tears came pouring out. I just couldn't help it. All the emotions and nerves and stress....it is so hard to hold all that in! The reception went amazingly well too. It was a little sketchy at first because the pictures weren't going as planned, but it all turned out okay, and once I was able to take a deep breath and relax, I was able to enjoy everything. It was so nice to see everyone and if we didn't get to catch up with someone we are so sorry! We tried to make the rounds!

I think everyone enjoyed the reception...maybe a little too much haha. I posted a few pictures from the reception to show how much fun everyone had!

So what happens next? We are ready to move to Seattle. We are going to go sign up for an apartment Tuesday in Bothell and then we leave for Hawaii on Wednesday morning. I can't wait to get there! It will be nice to relax before we start work!

Everyone, thank you so much for all the support, the gifts, and the advice! We are so blessed and I am so blessed to become a part of the Grant family and I know Cody feels the same way about my family!

God Bless and we will post when we get back from Hawaii!

Great news!

8 days till the wedding! It is coming up so fast! We are both getting so excited! Tonight is both of our bachelor and bachelorette parties. It should be pretty fun! I cannot WAIT to be married!

So, the good news (besides getting closer to being married) is that I got a job! Cody got one in Bellevue about a month ago as a Sales Rep for InSite Global. It is an IT contracting firm. Then, I went in on Wednesday for a final interview for a company called SL Start & Associates. It is for an HRA postion (Human Resource Associate) and they called me yesterday to offer the job to me. It is in Shoreline, so we are going to live in Kirkland. We are going apartment hunting on Monday! I am so excited! It will be nice to be able to start our married life out with two incomes...especially in the Seattle area...Very Expensive over there!!!!

Any who...back to the wedding...things are really coming together. I got my final fitting for my dress done yesterday and I was so excited to put it on again! All that is left is the last minute meetings that need to be done next week. I am getting kinda nervous...more about the actual wedding then being married. I have been having weird dreams every night and each night something goes wrong...like we forgot to do the rehearsal, no one showed up, the lady doing our hair showed up 5 minutes before the wedding started, it was raining...etc...I guess thats pretty normal though...as long as none of that happens!

Well, I am off to go do some more wedding stuff!! Have a great day!

We are blogging!

Cody and I have officially started blogging! He doesn't really like this sort of thing, but he thinks this will be WAY better than myspace...He thinks I should delete mine BUT I am having a hard time doing that because it keeps me in touch with people!

So, this is our blog...hopefully we will be able to update as much as possible. A lot of changes are going to be made here in the next month...our wedding is only 25 days away! I can't wait for it to come! Then, we will move to the ever so popular Seattle area and begin our new chapter!