groundhog days

I have seen nearly 20 groundhogs so far.

They wander the grass around the freeways and side roads, munching on grass, with their little chubby cheeks and beady eyes. At first, I thought they were beavers, and was really excited, but my friend Denise set me straight. Her and her husband call them "Fat Babies". I really want to pull over and take a picture of them -- but their favorite hang-out spots are always along fast-paced highways, and it probably wouldn't be a wise decision to attempt it...we only have one car, and no money, so...I'll settle for an internet-found photo of them, to show you. Because my gosh!!, are they cute. So chubby! I want one. I want one bad.

Anyway, things are going great!!

Last night, we had our first experience EVER ordering Chinese food delivery. We had a "How I Met Your Mother" marathon, and it was one of the best nights we've had here so far! Jade Palace brought us some great chicken, and I gotta say, ordering Chinese delivery (for some reason) is something I've always wanted to do!



Dusty has had homework every night this past week during orientation. Class hasn't even started yet, but he's getting quite accustomed to the nightly homework ritual!

I was able to go to our first Law Wives meet & greet Thursday night, and I was able to meet some really great women. It was wonderful to hear their testimonies and words of wisdom. I love that Liberty is so committed to families, as well as the establishment of mentor-mentee relationships, and woman-to-woman support. There were two things they talked about that really spoke to me.

The first was the idea that for these three years, life doesn't go on hold.

It does no good to say, "I can do anything for three years..." or "AFTER these three years, we'll be able to do the things we've been wanting to do..." etc. etc. Because there will always be something that threatens to bring you down into the mindset that at the NEXT milestone, life can finally start. These three years are a vital part of our lives AND our relationship, and there's no reason that a marriage relationship shouldn't be stronger after the end of this experience. It's a challenging, growth-inspiring time, and my husband and I will be taking advantage of every minute of it. We will enjoy this time, savor each new experience, and commit even more to each other every day.

The other bit of wisdom was that God doesn't open a door for one spouse, without opening a door for the other spouse. So, in short, I also have a job to do! I'm not just a house ornament for Dusty, while he's hard at work. God has a plan and a purpose for me, as well. I am extremely comforted by that!

And our home is really beginning to feel like home now.

Slowly but surely, we are finding ways to organize all of our stuff. I wish this tilty apartment had more built-in storage! But I would like to bring you in to our upstairs. Our bedroom is finally cleaned, decorated, and everything is put away. Our guest room is fairly disastrous, but I will post pictures as soon as we get it all sorted out. :)

Our bed frame still hasn't come in, so our mattress is still on the floor. But it's cozy!

I love our little details, like the wine glass candle holders on our night stand. When shopping at good will, this little romantic decor was less than 3 bucks!



These next few things are some of my favorites. We call our dresser the "Chronicles of Narnia" dresser! It reminds us of one of Narnia's many passageways into the magic. Haha.



I absolutely love my vanity. My own little corner to get ready in the morning! Our bathroom is fairly small, so it's great that we get to split the space.



My mom, grandma and I found these fabulous windows our first week here, when we took our trip down to the Covesville antique shop. Ten bucks a piece, and they're finally up on the wall. I love them! One window is a little shorter than the other, so I fashioned a cute little paper banner to make up the difference. I can't wait for our bedframe to come in, to complete the room!



Thanks for stopping by. We will enjoy the rest of our weekend, and Dusty will be anxiously awaiting his first day of school, I'm sure!

We went to a small Nazarene church this past week, and we really enjoyed it. They have a small group of married couples on Sunday mornings that we plan to go to tomorrow morning. We're excited to get plugged in!

Love you all.

P.S. If you're in a pinch, (financially or otherwise!), and want something sweet...try some toast and jam. WITH vanilla yogurt. Might sound crazy, but it's absolutely delicious!!

In love, Cait