More Random!

More randomness! I know, I really shouldn't have...In the past month I have:

Sang 'Take me out to the ballgame' and watched several Gator baseball games with Matt, his dad and stepmom-I was very proud to see my Georgia Southern Eagles take them down a notch or two.

Fallen in love with the farmers market across the street from my office that is once a week-it's fantastic!

Caught up with the Sis-in Law and all of Matt's cousins as we said goodbye to his Grandaddy

Bought a new bike complete with a rack and panniers (bags) for the back so I can carry groceries home from Publix without having to get in my truck. I love that Gainesville is so bike friendly!

Enjoyed watching crazy fast cars at the drag strip during my first Gatornationals

Random Bits of Everyday Life

These are the contents of my purse before I cleaned it out tonight. I know things have been busy, but is it really necessary for me to schlep around 4 different lipgloss/lipstick options, 5 different colored pens, 2 sharpies, my lucky koozie, ipod, tylenol, reusable bag, a ridiculous amount of receipts, 3 hair clips, and 3 ponytail holders?!? I have got to get better about cleaning it on a regular basis-I just got in a bad habit of keeping everything semi-important in here before/during/after our move so that I wouldn't lose it. And now I have a purse that feels like a ton of bricks!

Are We There Yet?

Sometimes I have a really hard time comparing myself to where other people are at in their lives. I know in my heart that everyone has their own journey (as cheesy at that may sound) and we don't all do things on the same timeline. I hate to say it but I get a little jealous sometimes thinking about my friends that are already homeowners, for example. Granted, we didn't buy a house in Augusta for multiple reasons-we weren't sure about job security and the housing market. In the end we moved and didn't have to worry about selling a house, so it turned out to be a good thing. I'm so ready to move into a place that will be our place for a very long time. A place where we can paint the walls, and I won't have to pack my stuff up again for a while and the kitchen will be my kitchen. And still sometimes I wonder why we don't own a home yet, or when it will be time to start a family. Does anyone else ever feel this way?

I know that we are at where we are right now, because of the choices that we have made and the plans that God has for us. I believe that everything happens for a reason. I feel like we are on the right path to being where we are supposed to be. It was kind of a leap of faith to pick up and move to Gainesville and I'm really glad that we have. I just have to be patient and keep praying and know that Matt will find a job soon! It feels like our kind of town here, a place where we could stay for a very, very long time and be happy.

Now, I just have to remind myself to be happy where I am at and quit worrying about all the details, and where everyone else is at. It's a piece of cake, right?

Last Week

Life in Gainesville isn't exactly what we expected...most things are better than I expected. The only hiccup so far has been living with family. It's really not that bad, it's just been a little weird and the situation has been exacerbated by the MIL a little bit. She is super stressed out and sad since her dad isn't doing so well health-wise. I totally understand that it is tough, I just wish she would let us help out and encourage her a little bit more.

Things are definitely picking up at work, which is great! I was a little bit anxious at first because I didn't know what I was supposed to be doing or where I should be at all times, but it's getting better. I am really enjoying it, especially meeting new people in town and learning what everyone else is doing. The other part of my job that I really love, is that I get to see what is happening all over town and experience everything like a tourist. Don't get me wrong, I do miss home, but it has been so exciting seeing so many new things that I haven't been homesick in a while. Some of the highlights of last week were:

Savoring Cadbury Egg season

Sipping buckets of beer on the patio with the Hubs and enjoying the beautiful weather

Enjoying tons of Florida strawberries

Eating lunch at one of my favorite pizza places in town-Satchel's

Checking out all the goodies in the the junk shop

Visiting an herb and vegetable farm and then buying some of their products at the farmers market the next day

Trying oxtail for the first time ever, it was amazing!

Eating dessert downtown-Double Trouble Brownie, Chocolate Mousse Cake, and Cheesecake

Gainesville So Far...

Random thoughts on Gainesville so far...

• The weather has been gorgeous since we've been here. Sunshiney, beautiful days. I'm a little anxious about my first Florida summer this year, but right now I'm enjoying the spring. It's even been so nice that I usually eat lunch outside.
• Speaking of lunch, I love that there are so many restaurants within walking distance of my office downtown. Last week I tried Big Lou's Pizzeria for a slice at lunch and I wasn't disappointed.
• I also discovered a frozen yogurt shops two blocks away from the office. The hardest part is not visiting mochi every day. They have red velvet and cake batter yogurt for crying out loud. DELISH! And it's even healthier if I put fruit on top, right?
• I haven't had as hard a time finding my way around town as I thought I would. I'm still getting used to all the numbered streets instead of named streets.
• I'm also liking that town is so bike friendly. We might not be biking a ton in the summer when it's so warm, but right now it's nice to be able to bike up to Publix and down to the Mexican restaurant. I already feel healthier!

Cedar Key, FL

After our first few weeks in Gainesville, we decided to head out of town for a bit and get some rest and relaxation. One of our favorite places nearby is Cedar Key. It's a small fishing town on the Gulf Coast. It's a perfect place to chill out and get away from everything.

We spent most of the day walking around, taking photos and checking out the little shops. The weather was perfect, and it was so nice to get out and enjoy some sunshine and fresh air.

We weren't really in the mood to go out for supper so we stopped by Cedar Key Pizza to pick up a pie and head back to the patio of our hotel to enjoy it. We weren't disappointed! One thing I really like about Cedar Key is that there are no fast food or chains in town.

While we waited on our pizza we walked around the edge of town and enjoyed the sunset.

The rest of the evening we enjoyed wine on the patio under the stars. Downtown is so small that we were able to take a few 'laps' walking around the main street to people watch and listen to some of musicians playing that night. Before we left town the next morning to come back to reality we walked around downtown a little while longer.

I'm always just a little bit sad the leave the coast, but we'll be back soon, I'm sure.