Last night, we had a concert at our church down in "The Cellar" which is basically the venue where all our youth hang out. This concert was definitely going to rock. We had five bands lined up, along with two solo acts, and two stages. One stage for the more acoustic sounding bands, and the main stage for the heavier stuff. And let me tell you, did it rock. We heard music all the way from laid-back guitar strumming to head banging, mosh-pit starting chaos.
But amid all the music, I was struck by something that I usually take for granted. My ex-boyfriend, and now very good friend John was standing on the stage performing some songs. He was on the "acoustic" stage, and as he was singing, something hit me like a wave of hot water. I was listening to the words, and thinking about the past. I was almost brought to tears as I thought, I never thought I would see the day when John would be performing praise and worship songs to our God. And I never thought that I would be there listening to it. John even read a poem he had written about his past and what God has done in his life. I found myself really relating to it, as I was a big part of his past life.
If you know anything about my past, you know that John and I were far from God during our relationship. So far away, that I didn't think we could ever come back. But that's not how God operates. God welcomes us back with open arms and the angels in heaven rejoice when we come back.

Then, later that evening, Evan got up to sing some songs. While Evan was singing, that same wave came over me again. Not only was I getting to see my ex-boyfriend praise the Lord, but I was getting to see my husband do it too. I felt so thankful for everything that God has done in our lives. Evan and I have been together for almost 8 years, and God has brought us through a lot together. I felt thankful for how God has worked in John's life. I have seen him go from your typical "wild child" to a God-fearing man who I am proud to have as my friend.

Skeptics often want proof that God exists. They don't understand the concept of faith, or believing in something you can't see, feel, or hear. You want proof? Look at me. Look at Evan. Look at John. Look at every person that genuinely calls themselves a Christian and truly believes that Jesus Christ has saved them from their sin. God transforms those lives. God spoke to me last night at that concert. He said very succinctly and very simply, "See what I can do?"
I challenge you to go see for yourself...

As promised...here they are.

I have been a very bad blogger lately, and a sincere apology to my readers. But after much anticipation, I am finally bringing you the pictures of the house with all our stuff in it! (These are also on Facebook with a kind of Before & After setup - check 'em out!) And away we go...

Here is the living room, complete with our brand new furniture.

Here is the kitchen. It is overrun with cows. You have to see it to believe it.

Here is the "Eat-In" portion of the kitchen.

Here is our bedroom. We are still in the process of decorating, so if the walls look a little bare, that's why.

Here is the "Spongebob Bathroom" - this is the guest bathroom.

Here's the den, or, computer room. (I'm still not sure how they could qualify this room as a bedroom.)

And last but not least, the guest bedroom.


I did not get a picture of our bathroom, but you know, it's a bathroom. If you REALLY want to see it, well then, you will just have to come over. I hope you enjoyed this virtual tour of our new house, in which we have now survived two whole weeks! Hope to see you all soon!

All Moved In

Can you believe it? We are finally all moved in to our new house!!! We rented a big ol' truck last Saturday and had a whole crew of people helping us move out of 11 Valleybrook Drive, and in to 244 South Lincoln Avenue. It has been grand so far.
We bought some living room furniture yesterday, without really meaning to. We found a great deal on a couch with a recliner, so we bought them. They will arrive here next Thursday.
My first meal cooked in my new kitchen was, what else, fried chicken. It was great. I have so much counter space it's ridonculous (that's the amplified version of ridiculous, in case you were wondering). Yesterday I made chicken marsala...mmmm. (I know what you're thinking, "Chicken two days in a row?" Well, chicken happens to be the only protein we have in the freezer right now, so we're making due with what we've got.)
The cats are slowly adapting to their new surroundings. When we first brought them here, they were PISSED. I mean, pissed. Josie did not even want to come out of the cat carrier. They spent the first night hiding under the bed. But over the past couple of days, they have discovered that they are not at the vet, and this new house is not so bad. Josie even managed to sneak outside on the porch to check out the front yard. Thankfully I caught her and shooed her back inside.
Little by little, the boxes are getting unpacked. The guest room is still a bit cluttered, but we will make sure it is ready for our first guests, which, if I'm not mistaken will be Christian and Kelly (yay!).
We just got internet hookup today, and we are still deciding what cable package we want to get. I sure do miss the Food Network. Thankfully, we have most of the Family Guys on DVD, so we've been watching those before we go to bed.
So far, this house has been great. This was a good thing for Evan and me. Hopefully, you will all be able to come over and visit us! I'll be posting some pictures of the house soon and what we've done with it so far.

Moving Day!!

Yes, moving day is almost upon us. I took off from work today, tomorrow, and of course over the weekend to start moving into our new home. We took today to paint the bedroom and the den. We went with a color called "Whispering Wheat" which looks much nicer than that ugly pink color they had going on before.
Tomorrow, we get the water turned on in the house, so now we will be able to use the bathroom. We have slowly been moving things out of this house and into our new house. I didn't realize how much stuff I have for the kitchen! Before you know it, it will start to look like a home.
Saturday, my mom, step-dad and my brother & his fiancee are coming down to help us move all the big stuff. By Sunday, we should be pretty much moved in!
I really appreciate everyone's love and support in this long and tedious process. We have waited so long to find a house, and we have finally found one. (I just hope all of our stuff fits inside!) If anyone is in the area in the next couple of days and wants to stop by, please feel free!

Memorial Day Meme

1. What is your favorite thing to eat at a Memorial Day BBQ? If there's ribs, definitely that. If not, a hot dog with mustard and baked beans on top.

2. Do you have to work on Memorial Day? No, thank GOD.

3. If you answered no to question 2, how late do you plan on sleeping on Memorial Day? Probably until about 11am. We'll see.

4. What is the most number of BBQs you have ever been to on Memorial Day? Umm, I think 2. I'm usually the one hosting the BBQ.

5. Do you do the grilling at a Memorial Day BBQ? Heck yes. Well, I do the cooking. Usually I make Evan do the grilling...with my close supervision.

6. How many hamburgers do you think you can eat? Probably just one. I know Evan and Josh will put me to shame.

7. How many hot dogs can you eat? Definitely 2, if I don't eat anything else.

8. Do you believe that summer begins on Memorial Day and ends on Labor Day? But of course! I am from New Jersey after all.

9. What's you favorite thing to put on your hot dog? Chili & cheese!

10. Who does Memorial Day make you think about? All of our men and women in the service.

Now go have a hamburger and a hot dog!!!

On Moving...or, Moving On. You decide.

As many of you know, Evan and I are moving to a new house by the end of the month. I can't tell you how excited I am to finally have a house that we can call our own! And if you have seen the pictures of the kitchen, you know that I am beside myself with all the room I am going to have. Who knows what culinary creations will come out of my new kitchen?!
I had to laugh when I started unpacking some of the kitchen stuff, because there are tons of things that have essentially been unused since we got married 4 years ago. As I was taking things out of the boxes, I would think to myself, "Wow, I forgot I had this!" or "Oh man, I have one of these!" It was great. I realized that I have pretty nice stuff!
However, amidst all the excitement and happiness, I am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I know I have to pack, but I don't even know where to begin. We have so...much...stuff. We have already thrown out a lot of stuff, and yet there continues to be more of it! There is nothing like moving to help you weed out your essentials. I just realized yesterday how many stuffed animals we have. How and when did we acquire so many stuffed animals? (The cows don't count, they're part of my collection.)
All I can say is, thank God our new house is all one level. I hate trekking things up and down stairs, as I'm sure many of you can attest.
I am thankful, too, that we will be able to put the box spring back under our bed. This whole time, we have "ghetto rigged" our bed by putting sheets of plywood on the bed frame and praying every night that it doesn't cave in on us. Don't get me wrong, it has worked fine until now, but I am looking forward to having my real bed back.

Evan and I will be spending next Thursday through Sunday (May 28-31) moving in to our new home. If anyone has any moving tips, or would like to help out, feel free to stop by. You know where to find us. We may even treat you to a Rita's Italian Ice.

Per requests from Josh and Kelly

Ok, I apologize for not posting more pictures, but you understand if I didn't want to jinx it by getting excited too early. We all know how that ended with the last house.
So, that being said, here's the pictures that are available online, but hopefully not too much longer 'cuz the house is ours now!!

Here's the living room. It's a bit small, but we'll make it work.

Here's the kitchen. WOO HOO!!!!

This is the "eat-in" portion of the kitchen. Nice size.

This is bathroom #1

This is one of the bedrooms

Here's what I am calling the den. That floating door is a closet/secret portal to another world :-)

This is the master bedroom (yes, we will be painting over that horrifying pink. Any ideas??)

and the master bathroom. By the way, both bathrooms are full baths, with standing showers.

And last but not least, the yard!


It's a cute little house with a lot of potential. I can't wait to move in, and have you all over!!!