Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Coming together...

So after my last post about how awful the kitchen was I wanted to post something positive about the new place. So here it is.... My bathroom!! The upstairs bathroom was pretty plain and boring. I also wanted to get a new shower curtain and change things up a little. So here is the bathroom after we taped it all up.


This is Aubri my angle. She spent from 7:30am -9:30pm with me. She helped me paint, cleaned the bathroom, ran errands with me and helped me start the kitchen. It was so nice to not only have help with my chores but company as well. She's the best!
I was so excited to start painting.
We began with ting heart shapes... thats how all the pro's do it!
The finished project!!
Not to shabby huh?
I love the blue on brown combo.

Don't you just love it? I know I sure do!!

GROSS!! SICK!! DISGUSTING!!

WARNING:
If you get sick easily, don't read!

As you know we are in the process of moving. I've spent almost all day the past 3 days over cleaning and getting it ready. Yesterday I spent all day in the kitchen and I'm still not done! We started it on Saturday night and were going to work our way from the top down. So we started with the top of the cabinets. IT WAS SICK! I was to grossed out to document it but let me tell you they were COVERED in dark black, stick, sick curry filled, grease. It took us and hour 3 magic erasers and 2 sponges to clean it all up. I wish I could say that was the end of the grossness, but it was only the beginning. I spent 4 hours in the kitchen on Sunday and discovered the microwave was not a pretty sight. In total I probably spent 6 hours cleaning the microwave. It still wreaks of curry but I will do some work on the smell today. Here are some pictures of the sick stuff I found i the kitchen.

These are the screens for the microwave. Do you know if you can buy replacements for them?
The vent on the microwave. Notice all the little curry hairs...
Under the microwave...
The light is suppose to be white not orange...
This is what I cleaned it up to look like. A HUGE improvement.
Another under the microwave shot.
What that was SUPPOSE to look like.
Once I was done with the microwave I moved onto the stove... it was just a gross.
Pretty sick huh? I really almost vomited here.
Behind the stove. Notice all the crap in the cabinets too.

So thats it for now. I have to go back today and clean one more top cabinet then all the cabinets on the bottom. Then mop the floor and I'm done! I seriously can't wait for it all to be clean!

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Fat Cat

So I need to preface this story. Ever since I got our second cat a year ago Epps has put on some weight. Her problem is she thinks that because she eats with another cat she is going to get less food. So he eats a TON of it. Poor Rosalie has seen this and in a desperate attempt to get even the smallest amount of food she scarfs it down as soon as I put it out. The bad thing about this is she eats it so quickly that minutes later she is throwing it up and I am back on my hands and knees cleaning it up (It is like baby spit up to mom's I think. Gross. But when you love them you put up with it.) So my friend suggested I try and feed them in separate rooms (which is a whole topic.) The point to this story is that lately I've been so busy cleaning the new place I haven't been home to feed them their second portion of food the past 2 days. So that have only had 1/4 cup of food.... I'm a terrible mother... This is why we don't have kiddos yet, I would forget to feed them :) On to the story...

I came home tonight and saw a funny colors orange stain on the carpet... "Oh no what have the cats done now." I think "Well its orange so it's not pooh or cat food throw up... weird." Then I come into the living room and I see this on the floor. A torn up, scratched up devoured cat treat bag. I slowly piece together the story.

Epps and Rosalie are now starving due to my inattentiveness to their needs. Mom leaves the house and a bag of treats on the counter. Cats being so hungary they push the bag off the counter and in to the dining area. They proceed to chew it all to pieces and eat every last treat in there to fill the void in there stomachs.... Now they have eaten to much and throw a little up, but don't worry... we will lick it up and just leave the mark on the carpet for mom to clean up.
Culprit # 1
Fat cat Epps is looking a little guilty...
Culprit # 2 Rosalie in her best "It wasn't me" pose... (notice the leg behind the head thing.)

Ok guys... help me out. Who do you think was the leader of this mischievous plot? The fat hungry Epps or the skinny starving Rosalie?

Saturday, September 11, 2010

My FIRST Best Friend!

So this is my First best friend EVER. I moved in next door to her what I was 4 years old. Door to door she was maybe 25 yards away from me. We were inseparable till I moved 9 years later. Let me tell you just thinking about that move away from her still brings tears to my eyes. I was so devastated. HOWEVER, we've been able to stay in touch (not as much as I would like, but good enough with facebook.) So when she told me she and her husband would be visiting NYC for a day I was thrilled to go spend some time with her.

This was also a big step for me because it was my first time taking the train in and using the subway on my own. I felt very grown up and only felt self aware a few times. I met Brittany and Donald at the 72 st west side entrance of Central Park.
(Britt and I)
(Britt and Don)
We waked all through the park. I think the great lawn is one of my favorite places in the park.
This was my first time going to the Beverly Castle but it was pretty cool.

What a pretty view of the NYC skyline.
We saw them taping an episode of Law and Order:SVU
I was sooo entranced
The two leads Christopher Meloni and Mariska Hargitay
...I went a little camera happy
We spent about 3 hours in the park and finally exited by F.A.O. Schwarz
I loved the Harry Potter section and even tried on a sorting hat to see what house I was in... Obviously my loyalty is to Gryffindor so thats where it put me... Obviously!
After that we walked down 5th Ave, through Rock Center down to Time Square. I love being with people in who have never been to the city before. They love TS... I just see it as dirty, load, crowded and bright. But they all still see it as magical, which is cute.
After TS it was time to say goodbye, which I was so sad about. But they needed to get one more place before catching their bus back to Philadelphia and I need to meet with my good friend Mary for dinner. So goodbye it was, but hopefully not for long - they hope to come back in the winter.
My dinner with Mary was a fabulous as time always is with her. So it was fantastic to catch up. She moved to the city 2 months ago and I've really missed our lunch dates so this was long overdue. We ate our dinner in the park and chatted till dusk. Then she was such a dear and walked me all the way to my subway stop and showed me what train to get on to get me to grand central. It was wonderful.
This is one of the subway cars painted like a house. I thought it was way to cute I had to get a picture. Anyways so that makes 2 days in the city in one week. Pretty fun stuff. I now feel a lot more confident in my ability to manage on my own in the Big Apple. So maybe my addiction to CSI: NYC hasn't ruined me yet.

KRISTIN= 2
NYC SUBWAY= 0

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Answered Prayers

So lately I've found myself in this position (on my knees) more often than usual. I hate to admit that I am the most humble and prayerful when I am struggling or in need of blessings. I really hate that but think {maybe} a lot of people are like that too. I've been really stressed about a few things and it was effecting my sleeping, my attitude and normally cheerful mood.

1.) We've been looking for a new apartment since March. When our 60 days came in June to let our current complex know if we were moving or re-signing we still didn't have anything, so we re-signed. Then 2 or 3 weeks ago I saw this listing for a place I really liked. It met a lot of my criteria (C/A, 2 floors, 2 beds, 1 1/2 baths, W/D, Dishwasher and still in the downtown Stamford area. {here is the listing if you are interested in more pictures}) So we made a quick (and risky) decision to brake our current contract and move. The place we are currently living said we would have to pay rent till it was re-rented but assured us it wouldn't take to long and they would let us know when it had been re-rented. I was calm and confident until later that day I saw just how many of the same type of apartments we for rent! I was really worried. I'm not working and so we don't have my extra income (worry #2.) So I naturally jump to the worse case scenario... Us paying rent on two places for a few months!!! I mean we pay $1,625 a month... can you imagine paying that on top of a slightly higher rent for a few months? I would be fine one minute then be so stressed and uptight the next that I could feel the stress pounding through my body. It was awful. I prayed so hard that out apartment would be re-rented and that I needed to just have faith and trust in the Lord. I was doing all the things I could to live righteously so I was worthy to receive the blessings I needed... right? Or was this meant to be a financial trial that we needed to humble us? Today I couldn't take it anymore and went to talk to the complex about how the re-renting was going. They told me it had already been re-rented and they just hadn't told me yet!!!! I was so happy. I went home, called mike, then fell to my knees in the deepest gratitude I've ever had.

So here are a few (bad) pictures of the new place. I plan on painting and cleaning it up a bit. It'll look great when I'm done!

This is the outside, it is a condo complex.
The kitchen (I love the fridge!!)
The living room
the dining room (which is connected to the living room)

2) Unemployment. YUCK!! I know leaving my nanny job in pursuit of a more professional job was the right thing to do, but it's been hard not working. I feel so guilty staying at home all day with no children to care for. I feel guilty to be the one who is at the store buying food but not helping earn the money to pay for it. (These feelings will all change when I'm a mom and my job is to raise the kids) For now I feel pretty worthless (which I know is Satan trying to get me, but I still let him on accident sometimes.) I've applied for several jobs but with the economy the way it is and budget cuts in the schools its hard to find work in the public school systems let alone with out a teaching certification! I just feel really rejected a lot of the time. There is this AMAZING private school in the town Mike works in that I love. I heard about it from our former primary president. I have been in touch with the headmaster since March keeping updates on what the staffing situation is. He finally told me he had need for subs and had me in for an interview today. The interview went great. He was such a nice man and the school campus was beautiful. They have a wonderful curriculum and class sizes under 15 with 2 teachers in the room. It is incredible! He offered me the substitute job on the spot and it has the possibility to become a more permanent position as well. I will go back in 2 or 3 weeks for some training then dig in! I'm so excited. I know it isn't steady work but it is at the school I've been dying to get my foot into the door with. It will be a great chance to learn and work with the students at all grade and achievement levels.

So today I had another great tender mercy that the Lord does love us, listen to us and wants to bless us. He heard my prayers and he answered them. I am so grateful for the gospel and for the power of prayer!

Monday, September 6, 2010

Labor Day Outing

These past few weeks have been pretty exhausting emotionally and physically on both Mike and I. Mike's been busy at work and I've been busy looking for work. Not to mentioned all the stresses that come with moving. It's just been a little rough for us. So this weekend we really wanted to go out and do something fun. However, our exhaustion really played a part in our commitment for nailing down a plan and going with is. We threw around several ideas; Long Island beach, 6 flags and even Ohio.. However, we couldn't commit to anything. So finally I put my foot down today and said "we ARE going to do something" So we stayed close and just went to the city for the day.

First off I have to say how proud I am of Mike and I. We drove down to the city and parked in our normal parking garage and then worked the MTA metro. We rode 4 different lines and switched subway cars several times to get to our final destination which was.... The Brooklyn Bridge.
It was a beautiful day to walk the bridge.
The downtown city skyline
Lisa and Moroni met us on the Bridge and we got to walk around with them which was fun.
Us with the skyline.
Lady Liberty
Mike left his mark on the bridge
The midtown city Skyline with the Empire State building and Chrysler building.
Entering Brooklyn. I like that it says "How sweet it is."
After our walk we needed some food. We've been hearing amazing things about Grimaldi's pizzeria. Let me tell you it lived up to EVERYTHING I've ever heard about it.
And don't take my word for either... the line to get in was way long. We waited about a hour and 15 minutes. Surprisingly though it went really fast. If your going to wait in a long line you might as well do it with friends.
We were so excited when we were finally seated!
A really cool thing was that you could watch all the pizza's being made. It was cool to watch but also nice to see how fresh all the ingredients were.
Lisa, Moroni and baby Noah.
When our pizza came I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. It was extra cheese (which was fresh mozzarella) and pepperoni. Seriously it was by far one of the BEST thin crust pizza's I've ever had!
Mike and I also enjoyed some root beer out of a bottle (which we all know taste better.)
We ate every last piece of pizza and here is the crust to prove it.

After lunch we said goodbye to Lisa and Moroni and headed up to the Washington Sq Park area. I found this certain street sign I've been looking for... WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE!
After a great dinner we needed a treat to top it off. So we went to the popbar. I heard from a few sources that this place was to die for! It was also true, it was basically my own personal heaven on earth.
You simply chose your gelato pop ...

Then they will dip it in dark, milk, and white chocolate and roll it in coconut, almonds, pistachio and nuts.... then you have....
A delicious treat. I had a coconut gelato dipped in 1/2 white and 1/2 dark chocolate covered in coconut and almonds. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Mike thought it was pretty good too. He got banana dipped in chocolate and it was gone REALLY quick.

After dessert we headed home. We were so tired from all the walking (and the heat.) It is so nice to live so close to an amazing city. I don't take advantage of it as much as I should. There have been several Saturdays Mike has mentioned going into the city for the afternoon and I've just wanted to stay close to home. I'm kind of hitting myself for it now. Luckily we don't plan on leaving the area anytime soon so I still have time to make up for this. I really look forward to it! All in all it was a good Labor day weekend.

Backtrack:
Friday Night we had dinner with some really fun friends of ours at this great restaurant called Kona Grill. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who has one close. It is a little more expensive but the food was AMAZING. I can't say enough good things about it. Plus our friends had us laughing the whole night.
Saturday Night we had a BYU party at a friends house and watched the game. Which was a lot of fun and I wish I would have taken some pictures of us in our BYU gear... but I'm sure there will be more tim for that later.

Overall, even with our indecisiveness it was a great Labor day weekend!