Abode in progress // Home for sure.

For us,

the feeling of home had never been a place, it’d been just that; a feeling, a moment. It had been every time we were together and every second we finally got to get each other at the airport after months.

So it makes sense that each of us are still wrestling with the physical and concrete idea of home,

in all the best ways.

There’s so much I want to say to explain the way that I’m feeling and all the ways that I know he feels the exact same. But looking at each other after we hang up something permanent on the walls or buy some silly chair cushions and when we can’t stop saying,

“I love our home,” 

that’s how I know.

That’s how I know that we’re home, that the very permanent nails in the wall hanging our memories and possessions mean that this place is permanent, that it’s more than the weekends or summer leave we’re used to. That it’s ours for now, to make a life and a home and memories in.

And that is just so stinkin' meaningful to me

I don’t know how to put it into so many words.

My favorite part of marriage so far are all of the simplest, most normal moments. Certainly ones we’ve never had the blessing to experience before. Finishing dinner, then taking the puppy for a run. Coming back, cleaning up. Doing dishes. All the really really mundane boring stuff. Maybe I’m just speaking like a newlywed, or someone who’s just finished a four plus year relationship where seeing the other person with a wait anything less than two months time was something to shout about, it’s all just really normal now. We’re starting to get our rhythm. And I’ve never realized how much I am absolutely in love with these moments of normal, boring, mundane, comfortable things.

Lilly Girl.

Over this past weekend, we welcomed Lilly into our little family! 

Lilly is a 10 week old black lab from Texas. She is the sweetest, gentlest, most "chill" puppy I have ever seen. She loves sleeping the day away, she's getting used to her crate and she sleeps through the night with ease. 

We've always talked about having a "Lilly." Since dating, Kevin and I have been talking about "when we get married," the next breath was usually, "and get a dog." We've even already gotten chided about getting a kitten and then a puppy so quickly! 

(Within two weeks of being in the South, but what does it really matter!?)

Getting "used to" the car...I don't think it will take much practice!

We are growing to love our Lilly girl so much and cannot wait to introduce her to Leo (we're holding off for a little bit, each have vet visits lined up). It's so much fun to spend time with them and see their little personalities grow more. 

Leo is an absolute clown. He attacks and plays and hides and scoots just under your feet and into our closet the second the door is open in order to hide amongst the shoes, play with the laces and clothes. I think he is much more mischievous than Lilly will ever be. Although, together, who knows.

Lilly is quiet and gentle. She sleeps anywhere and everywhere and loves to play when she wants to play and looks at you like you're bothering her if she does not at the moment. We've taken to "keeping her" awake past 8pm at night in order to "make" her sleep through the night. So far, for the past three nights it's worked perfectly, but our hearts feel a little bit bad when we're pestering her with toys and playtime and all she wants to do is lay down and sleep at 9pm. 

It's kind of pathetically funny though. 

Getting used to her crate

We fell in love with her face online and absolutely had to have her!

I am so glad that I married an animal lover and am eternally grateful for his patience when it comes to adding fur babies to our little family, though he is as much to blame as I am! We're pretty excited to grow and adventure with these guys as it is.

But we promise, we're done for now!!!

Together at Last.

Whoa. 

Life has been insane the past three weeks!

First off, we got married! As lame as it sounds, it was "all I could hope for and more." The day seemed to speed by in a matter of minutes and I hardly remember a thing! (In the best way, I promise!) Luckly we have pictures and videos coming in any day now. I am getting very impatient to see those...

Shortly after, we took off for Newport, Rhode Island where we spent our honeymoon browsing shops downtown, going out to dinner and relaxing on the beach. It was perfect for us, perfectly 'us.' Lowkey, relaxing, and a vacation to just soak in each other's company and our new Mr and Mrs titles. Just what we needed indeed. 

After we returned from our honeymoon, we spent a long weekend home in Connecticut. We spent time with family and friends, packed up my entire wardrobe and the rest of my belongings, sent out my car to be shipped, then flew out together for the first time. 

Kevin and I have been here together for over a week now 

and we are quite enjoying making this place home. 

The South welcomed us late last Monday night with an incredibly terrifying lightning storm…while we were still in the plane landing. I was scared half to death and gripping Kevin’s hand like mad. The flight attendent announced that we might even have to land at a different airport because of where we were and where the storm was, and they circled for a half hour longer than the flight was actually supposed to be. It’s funny (now), but I will always remember that as being the moment we flew here for the first time together. Kind of starting this chapter with a giant bang. Iconic, I suppose. Somewhat symbolizing my emotions too and this final transitional stage (of right now at least and in this chapter of our lives and relationship). It was brillint and terrifying, amazing and powerful, and scary and beautiful; very metaphorical indeed.

Our first full day, we stopped by our favorite pet store that gets in rescues. We told ourselves we would just browse (classic animal-lover mistake) and fell in love with this cutie. As soon as he stared up at us from the glass with those big ole' eyes and fell asleep in Kevin's arms after he was handed to us to hold, we knew he was ours. We have names him Leo and he is an absolute terror, in the best way. He was six weeks when we got him and rescued from a car dealership where the workers there were going to throw him in a dumpster. That alone makes me livid because honestly how do you ignore that sweet face at all?


This past week has sped by and I already can’t believe we’ve been married over two weeks, that we’ve had our baby Leo for a week and a day, or that we are finally finally finally together. I am only just now beginning to stop thinking about when the next airport scene will have to come or when I’ll have to give him back.

It won’t, 
I don’t.

We’ve been getting cozy here, furnishing and decorating our abode (which I will post pictures of eventually when the cardboard boxes lessen, I promise). My parents came down with the rest of my things and they’ve been visiting and helping, which is yet another reason I’ve been so scarce. I have mixed feelings about this. While I crave some form of normalcy that I will unfortunately get when they left and Kevin goes back to work next week, it makes me sad. Letting go; again and more so. But it all has to happen. It’s all inevitable.

This chapter is dedicated to us together and starting our life.
Together.

Building our life here makes me feel something so unexplainable, something so utterly satisfying and complete. So much so that our years of distance already feel like a forgotten-dream (or nightmare?).

So far, I really love being married. Not just married, but married to this amazing, forgiving, compassionate, passionate, patient, man. (Who looks pretty good swiffering floors if I do say so myself).

Though it, our new routine, our habits and lifestyles are taking some adjusting (we don’t claim perfection), I am continuously thankful and blessed to be married to someone who is also my very best friend. Speaking of that guy, we got some EXCELLENT NEWS the other morning in the form of a phonecall we’ve been pretty much waiting for for about six months; Kevin got an awesome job opportunity (still military) that he will start in a few weeks. While I can’t go into too much details (mostly because we don’t know them) he has the opportunity to work in a new shop, more of a testing facility…more importantly one that DOESN’T DEPLOY. This makes my heart so incredibly happy because of the rough date we were given a few months ago of when he was supposed to deploy again. Let’s just say it was going to be soon. And let’s just say, I was not thrilled about being so alone in such a new place not knowing many people… Regardless, God is good and this is the answer to months of back and forth prayers, as well as an awesome opportunity for him career-wise to be where he will be.

I’m still learning this wife role. I’m really liking it already, but we are far from any kind of routine right now, which is difficult for me. We are finally settled and moved and I cannot wait to continue making this home feel like home.

Regardless of the building we reside in though, I have never felt more home.
Finally.

New and exciting things are happening around these parts though 

and we are so excited to see what God and life has planned for us!