Jul 31, 2011

Not much new. Actually, a lot new.

Hello world! Sorry for the lack of posts the last couple of weeks. We've been oh-so-busy!

So we're in a contract to buy a house! We offered, they accepted, and the inspections are under way. Exciting!!! We will close on Sept. 9, and until then we're in a short-term apartment above a garage. It's kinda fun living so simply. We have one big room, complete with a closet, full-size bathroom, and tiny kitchen. I'd like to say it's a little like living in NYC, but without furniture, ha! We do have a TV up here, which it kinda nice. Pride thinks it's pretty cool because he gets to play with the owner's dog, Shadow, in their backyard. Pride & Shadow are bff's. It's cute. I wish I had a picture of the two of them to show you! So sorry!!

Matt starts official work tomorrow! Yay! He's been doing freelance work for ND for the past week, but he's had a little more freedom with that as far as he would work whenever he wanted, instead of the traditional 8-5. Tomorrow starts that schedule, so Pride & I will have to find entertainment on our own now. I'm sure we'll make do.

Anyhow, tonight is short & sweet. Hope everyone is well. And might I say- we miss y'all! It's kinda starting to set in...

Jul 19, 2011

Bob Evans & Jason Street

As I mentioned in the previous post, my parents came to SB to help us move our stuff. They were able to stay an extra day to see the town, and we had a great time!

First we had breakfast at Bob Evans, and I'm sad to say that I don't have any pictures of it. But, interesting information for all of you... my dad once was on a business trip with a co-worker who managed to have the two of them eat at Bob Evans three, yes 3, different times in three days. It was a good breakfast story. And my dad admittedly said he still likes the food, haha.

We drove around town for awhile and got out of the car every now and then to see a park or the river and whathaveyou. We walked around the College Football Hall of Fame (yes, that's in South Bend, but only for about another year since it will be relocating to Atlanta). This is where we found the Jason Street sign.

Pride enjoyed the river, but only after Matt & my dad forced him off the dock to get down to it. Notice the ultimate struggle between Matt & dog. It was quite humerous.


In the evening we had delicious burgers & fries at Five Guys. If you haven't tried it, please do! SO good!! My mom & I split a cheeseburger that was quite possibly the best burger I've ever had. And the cajun fries! Oh, the cajun fries. Yumm!
After dinner, we found ourselves at a "classic" Irish pub in downtown SB called Fiddlers Hearth. It's filled with huge tables and unmatched chairs (or couches like where Matt & I sat), at which you are probably going to be sitting next to strangers. We had drinks & bread pudding while playing board games. There was a group of people sitting around the fireplace playing Irish music the whole time. It was great, because the later the night went, the louder the music became. I assume this was a direct relation of the amount of alcohol which was being consumed by the musicians :) It was a great night!


South Bend Bound

First, I'd like to say a million thank yous to all the people who have shown us how much you all care! We have been surprised and so thankful for all the support and love from our going-away parties. Our first was a family event in Owasso, thanks to Matt's parents. We were able to see many family members another time before the big move. Then our good (and long-term) friends, aka "the girls," threw the party of the year and sent us off well. The beer was aflowin! Our Care Group at church was great to have a celebration in our honor, where we learned many useful facts about Indiana (thanks Bill) and were showered with prayer before our leave. And lastly, my wonderful co-workers at McBride gave us a great get-together at Louie's on the night of our departure. It was so good to see everybody one last time. The parties were awesome! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

So we've made the move! Finally!! We left OKC Friday and arrived in South Bend, Indiana on Saturday night (with a sleep in Owasso first).

The road to SB was long and not without difficulty, but thankfully it was without harm. My parents were gracious to come along for the ride, and my dad pulled our 40' trailer with our home packed inside (for those of you, like me, who aren't all too savvy about trailers, this is as long as a standard semi-truck trailer!). During the supposed to be 12 hour drive, we changed not one, but two busted tires on the trailer, without a jack! Cause my dad knows what he's doin. And between tire changes, we had to stop at multiple Walmarts to purchase replacement spares. Now, as it would be, these stops didn't seem to happen when we were ready for a meal or in need of a bathroom break, or even in need of fuel, so with all the normal stops and not-so-normal stops, and pulling an outrageously heavy trailer the 750+ miles, we finally arrived to SB after 17 hours. Matt, who travelled ahead in case his questionable vehicle had troubles, arrived in SB (with a detour to see the University of Illinois on the way) in the expected 12.5 hours. We were all jealous as we continued to drive, and drive, and drive.... But we made it!

The next day was full of unloading that monstrosity of a trailer into our storage unit. It all fit! And all our stuff to take to the hotel managed to fit into our extended-stay room that is tinier than our bedroom in our house in OKC. It's ok, though. It's a temporary thing. And Pride seems to enjoy it because he's getting to go outside with his people way more often than ever before! Potty time has become quite the adventure for him.