2014 Recap

2014 was one heckuva year.

Highlights

1. Graduated with my Master's Degree (and a 4.0 and a couple of awards....)

2. Accepted my 1st big girl job with benefits and the whole shebang

3. Moved to Floyd County
4. Read the whole Harry Potter series & became a believer
5. Saw Old Crow Medicine Show in concert (twice)

6. Added a new member to our family: Dolly

7. Started canning and composting and took our garden game to  whole new level.

8. Travelled to Pittsburgh & the Poconos in PA, caught a baseball game in Cincy, and spent our anniversary at the beach.
9. Said "see you soon" to friends and welcomed new ones into our lives
10. My sister married her best friend

11. Became godparents

12. Camping & hiking on Labor Day with family

13. Drew got a new tattoo
14. Rented a place and spent some time at Claytor Lake and the New River (thrice)
15. Drew did LOTS of hiking and I did a normal amount: various portions of the AT, along the Blue Ridge Parkway, Deer Cave & Red Fox Trail

 

As always spent a lot of time with family and friends. Lots of time reading and watching the Mindy Project and drank plenty of coffee and wine. Enjoyed my sleep, snuggles with Gracie, and getting to know some awesome teenagers.

 

 

Here's to 2015: a trip out west, a kick-ass garden, and immersing ourselves in this wonderful community. Happy New Year friends. It's a new year and it's never too late to do something you've always wanted. 

Moving On

Past

Well first of all, we've been skunked again. Our poor Ikey still reeks from a skunking incident that happened a week ago tomorrow. It happened the morning of my meeting with my site supervisor at my blocking placement, I repeatedly apologized for the odor.

And worse than that I unknowingly gave my students suckers that both smelled and tasted like skunk on Friday. They had been innocently sitting on my kitchen counter the morning of the incident. However, when they asked me why they tasted/smelled like skunk I told them that the Dollar Tree must not keep their candy very fresh. Yes, I feel guilty. But it was much easier to lie to them knowing I'll never see them again. Friday was my last day in my high school placement.

Present

 I miss those kiddos. I had some sweet kids. I had some kids who were going through tougher situations than any 15 year old should ever have to go through and they made my days brighter. I think of them often and I hope they find their way. They are all so full of strength.

It's too early to tell how I feel about my middle school placement, suffice it to say it will be different. But I'm not yet sure if it's a good or a bad different.

Future

In more life-changing type news: Drew accepted a new position at a company in Salem, VA. We are so excited for him to begin this new job and for this to hopefully be the first step towards us moving where we feel pulled: Roanoke.

I've requested to do my student teaching in Roanoke in the spring and if we can lease our house we could be moving as soon as December. It's been a bit of a whirlwind but it has been an awesome ride. We are so grateful for God's timing and are praying that we can immerse ourselves into the community He has for us.

Also, we are signed up to run the Color Me Rad 5K this weekend with Drew's parents and sister. I'm excited for them to come visit but in the interest of full disclosure, we have done no little training. It should be interesting (read: embarrassing).

 

I hope that fall wherever you are is as beautiful as it is here in the Appalachian mountains.

 

Changes

Change is upon us here in the Moore-Hubbard household. Drew is graduating college in a few short weeks, we are moving into a new place next week, and as if that wasn't enough I've accepted a short term job in Washington D.C. that begins in 4 weeks. We are running around like chickens with our heads cut off. I have been packing up boxes like it's my job (I suppose it sort of is). Drew is finishing up all of his papers and projects (thank God I will never have to hear about that robot again!) and he's also getting into car accidents (okay just one) and making us (at least for a while) a one car household....and by car I mean Drew's truck which I can neither drive nor park so I'm hoping my Cobalt can bounce back. *fingers crossed*

It really is sinful how much stuff we have acquired in less than a year. We are in a one bedroom apartment, where have we been putting all of this stuff? I guess it's true, the more room you have...the more crap you acquire. I have not even begun to pack up our kitchen or bedroom. I'm a little disgusted with myself right now. Why do two people need this much stuff? I suppose the answer is we don't need it but rather we want it.  It never seemed like we had this much until the task of packing it all up fell to me, now I'm ready to take about half of these boxes to Goodwill!

As excited as I am for our new house I am going to miss this place. This was our first place as husband and wife and I still love it. We definitely are not moving for ourselves but rather to have room for company. If this apartment were in Wise County and we never had company we would stay in it for the next 5 years. It has been the perfect first place for us and I will be so sad to leave it.

Also, the mommy in me is freaking out a little bit about how all of this will affect Ike. Yes he is just a dog but that makes it harder. I can't explain to him what is happening and that he will have his own yard. And I know the poor little guy will miss all of his doggy friends here at the apartment. I know I sound like a freak but I hope he adjusts well. I'm also 100% sure he will not like his new shocking collar he will have to wear because we are so close to the road in our new place.

I can't wait to post pictures of the new place and I will give you all and update of my new job soon! I'm excited for the changes but still a little sad.



Things to come....

Lots'o exciting things are happening in our lives right now. Drew starts his new job on Monday, we have been house hunting and found the perfect little place for us and Ikey for the next few years, and I've decided to undertake a "challenge."

Drew accepted a job in Tazwell, Virginia with Caterpillar or CAT as I prefer to call it. For as long as I have known this boy he has talked of CAT and we both knew better than to pass up this amazing opportunity for him. This is a job we feel like he could keep for the rest of his life and it us such a great compay. He has worked his tail off for the past 5 years and we are pumped for his graduation. I'm already in the process of planning that shindig. Gotta love a good partay!

As far as the house goes, we knew we needed more space. Not us personally but our company (namely my sister and Drew's dad) liked to complain about the lack of guest quarters in our 1 bedroom apartment. We looked online for weeks but only saw 2 properties in person before deciding. I'm not one to continue to keep looking after finding what I like. It's a cute little house built in the '40's and we love it. Pictures to come...move in date May 2012 (can't wait to surprise our guests at Drew's graduation party that it's also a moving party, they will be thrilled!).

Now onto my boring life.....or is it? Of my own accord I have decided to undertake a pinterest challenge. It is easy to continue pinning day after day and never actually undertake the tasks you pin. Therefore beginning on Monday February 27 I am doing 30 days of pinterest, both recipes and diy projects. In some respects I hope to use it as an outreach to give some of my little goodies away to neighbors, friends, or strangers but in other ways its a way of making myself do some of the things I've wanted to do but have continually put off. I started out with the really lofty idea of 100 days, ha! I knew I would burn out. Then I went on to 60 but then I remembered we will be moving so I went with the realistic 30. Maybe next time I will up the ante a little. Any tips or pins you suggest would be greatly appreciated. Stay tuned!

I will be going home next week to spend some time with family and play caretaker with my mom for my grandmother and dad so once I return home, let the challenge begin! Until then I'll be choosing which pins I want to do and gathering supplies. I haven't had a real challenge since college so I'm looking forward to it. Bring it on!

Here is the link to my challenge board and the pins I'm considering so far: http://pinterest.com/meghanem1/challenge/ we will see how many of them change before I begin.

 

Jesus Never Fails.