in his hand

I took that picture at National Harbor last week, where I was staying for a business trip.  For those of you that haven't been there, that hand is actually part of a statue, and I thought the sun's position made for a very cool photo.

I haven't been away from N for more than 12 hours for a very long time - not since his last business trip, I think, which was last September.  I was not looking forward to being on my own at all, even though it was only for a couple days.  Finally ending our six years of dating long distance was amazing, but I think it traumatized me into thinking that any temporary distance will quickly turn into that horrible feeling of missing him for weeks on end.  We spend so much time together since getting married, that sometimes it feels like I can't exist without him.  It's a scary (and spiritually dangerous, I think) feeling.

Don't get me wrong, I missed N a ton while I was gone, but it was actually a pretty liberating feeling.  I walked down the streets and along the docks, just enjoying the quiet time and having flashbacks to my college life in a city.  I ate ice cream myself on a bench watching the sunset, just spending time in my thoughts like I haven't done in a long time and marveling at the beauty of the red and orange sky.  It reminded me that even though N is my best friend and my partner in life, this is still very much my life to enjoy.  Every minute that I'm breathing is a beautiful gift from God, and I think He wants me to realize that N is not my end-all blessing in this life.  My life is, first and foremost, in His hands.

I was thrilled to return home, and N and I had a pretty relaxing weekend hanging out together.  I'm trying, though, to learn from my short trip away.  I need to be more intentional about setting aside alone time to myself, and more time alone with God.  Not only do I need it, but I think it will also be good for N, who I think could use a female break every now and then. ;)

mondays are better with dessert

The title says it all, folks.  Today was a pretty good start to the week, and work was relatively low on the stress level (which has been rare lately).  Regardless, I thought a little something sweet was in order.

I make these oatmeal raspberry bars all the time, because they are super quick and super easy and super delicious.  Yum.  (I was too impatient to let it cool, so my piece completely fell apart, but does it really matter?  Nope.)

I've got lunches packed and dinner ready for the crockpot tomorrow, and I'm now watching the Bachelorette (guilty pleasure).  I love starting the week off with some semblance of preparedness.  I've got a feeling this is going to be a good week :)

my green(ish) thumb

I've always loved the idea of using plants to decorate, so when N and I moved into our townhouse I decided it was time to acquire some.  N's mom and grandmother are big plant people - and when I say big, I mean that both of them have living rooms that look like greenhouses.  It's not that they just have a lot of them, it's that they have a lot and they are all big, gorgeous, healthy plants, which is really impressive for someone like me who has yet to see a house plant survive.  In college my roommate and I tried to grow a spider plant, a plant that is supposed to practically indestructible, and poor little Spidey never made it more than a couple of days.

N's mom and grandmother have no knowledge of poor Spidey and his fate, though, so when we visited for Christmas, we came back with three small plants, and discovered three not-so-small problems:

1. There is literally one window in our entire house that gets direct sunlight, and it's in our master bedroom, which is pretty much the last room in the entire house where I would want a plant, because we spend very little time in there on a regular basis. 
2. The blinds are usually closed in our house since we forget to open them when we leave before work and it gets dark fairly soon after we get back, before we remember that we should have opened them for the plants.
3. Apparently, in addition to light, plants also need water.

Since our three little plants arrived back in December, they have bounced between almost-dead and sort-of-growing at least four times.  Usually, I forget to water them until they start turning a sickly color.  My mother-in-law suggested when we got them that I pick a day of the week on which I always water, to help me remember.  Pft, I thought, what kind of dummy would forget to water a plant?  Um, hello.

Last week, I was pretty sure that the plants had reached the point of no return, judging by the brown, crispy leaves that were falling all over the plastic bin on which they sit (the other problem with them being in the master is we don't actually have any furniture in there that is next to the window).  This weekend, though, with a little water, they had a major awakening, turned green, and are actually sprouting some new growth.  I'm making (another) promise to myself to actually keep them alive for good this time, and maybe even water them on a regular basis

Especially since my mother-in-law is probably coming to visit in the next couple of months, and the last thing I want her to discover is that I'm incapable of taking care of a plant.  What would that say about my potential future mothering skills? :)

at the beginning

Hello, and welcome to what is, starting right now, my blog.  If you're reading this (which I think I can pretty much assume that you are) - I'm really glad you're here.

I'm sure you'll realize it soon enough, but I'm pretty much your average girl.  Last summer I completed my master's degree (Computer Science), moved to a new state (Ohio), married my best friend (we'll call him N), and started a new job (as an engineer).  I'm pretty much settled into my "new life" now, but it's still a day by day kind of thing and I have a lot to learn.

The goal of this blog is to serve as a journal of my life and thoughts, while building community with other bloggers.  I'm so excited to see what life has in store.  Stick around for the ride :)