Garden update #1

So... Gardening is not very easy I've discovered. At least not for me. It's been less than 48 hrs and our plants look very sad, despite Dave and I giving them the attention we would give a new born baby. ("How do you think they are doing?" "No they prefer to be watered like this." "I think they've grown already!" "What's wrong with that leaf?")

We've learned a few things:

1. When planting for the first time, do some reading- books, the instructions on the fertilizer etc... We were so excited we planted our vegetables right away without doing much planning. It remains to be seen if the plants will survive.

2. Don't transplant your fragile young vegetables into a garden on the hottest day of the year, at mid day, and then leave them in the scorching sun, on the black top, to fry. (Wow, that should have been common sense.)

Thank goodness for mothers and sisters and sister-in-laws that have green thumbs. I unfortunately, was born with a grey thumb. I have often joked that I'm the hospice of gardeners- where plants go to die. But I'm working on it! I'm determined to keep my garden alive!  

3. Fertilizer often = poop. We found this organic fertilizer that we mixed in (we winged it, again, we didn't read the instructions). It looked dry and sort of pellet-y when we scooped it out of the bag, but once watered, it reconstituted itself as poop. And it stinks. And the flies have arrived. And we discovered that our drainage holes work as there is now liquid poop pooling on the floor of our garage that now smells like the sewer. What a pleasant surprise!

At the advice of others we have moved our plants to the grassy/stone area in our yard that will be much cooler than the pavement. Hope it works! Hope they are still alive in the morning!

The Berrys' Mini-Garden

Many thanks to my sweet husband for making my dreams - both big and small- come true!

Earlier this spring we were under contract to buy our first home. It had a sun porch, a pool and a garden, and I was over the moon about having our own little place to  settle in. As I'm sure many have experienced, life doesn't always go as planned. Things with Dave's flying career became uncertain and we had to back out of our home purchase. I was crushed, but I know that there is a wonderful house and stable job situation in our future if we continue to pray and be patient. 

One of my biggest disappointments was that I had already figured out what I wanted to grow in the garden and I was sad to have to put those plans on hold. Our townhouse doesn't get sun in the back yard and the front is governed by a homeowners association so I didn't think I'd be able to plant anything.

But my creative and thoughtful husband was not oblivious to my gardening dream. He surprised me with a trip to pick out some plants and he plans to build me a garden on wheels! We are going to purchase a little wagon so that during the day we can wheel the plants out front for sun and then take them to the back yard at night. 

Here is our first little garden- cherry tomatoes, peppers, basil, dill and mint! Check back in for updates :) 

Ps. It's Memorial Day Weekend, make sure to pause from your BBQs and fun plans to remember the men and women who have lost their lives defending our country, and their families who continue in without them. 🇺🇸

Update

Hey everyone!

So sorry for not writing in such a long time. This has been a roller coaster of a spring so far. Unfortunately in my stress, I stopped following through with my workout routine. I'm disappointed in myself but hoping to feel motivated again to get back into it. 

I won't get into specifics, but in the midst of our stress about the future, God has shown us that He has a more perfect and beautiful plan than we ever could have imagined for ourselves. Trusting and waiting for his timing has proven to be both incredibly difficult, and immeasurably rewarding. God is good, all the time! 

Kendall

Day 1: 2015 Handstand Challenge

Have you ever had a fitness goal hit you randomly and then suddenly become the best idea ever?? This one time I thought I wanted to run the Boston Marathon. Then I remembered that running is literally The.Worst.Way.To.Exercise. (no offense to all you out there who do run, I'm secretly jealous that you're able to find enjoyment in an activity that is pure torture for me). Needless to say you won't be seeing me at the nearest Color Run (do people ever choke on that chalk stuff they throw at the runners? It looks awful. Like I'm already running, and now I can't breathe because there's chalky dye being thrown at my face? I'm not trying to have a full blown asthma attack here.)


Anyways, for whatever reason, I have been hit with this burning desire to walk on my hands. It literally looks like so much fun, and I have no explanation as to why. So therefore, my newest Bucket List item for 2015 is that I would like to be able to walk, or at least stand on my hands by the end of the year.

I got on Pinterest and have been researching like crazy how to actually go about training for such a feat (suggestions welcome), and this looks like it's going to be a little harder than I was expecting, given that standing on your hands is mostly about balance, of which I have none.. But we all have to start somewhere!


So here we are, Day 1. I did some push ups. and by push ups I mean exactly ten modified knee push ups before I died. Tomorrow I'll make it 12.

I took some pics so you can laugh at my shoddy technique and tucked in shirt:

Yay! Tucked in shirt!  Big smile because I know I'm gonna look goofy! 

Hey! If you turn this photo upside down, it will give you an idea what I am going for :)

One of the first steps is mastering a 90 degree angle to the wall, which I swear I achieved for the split second before this photo was taken. I realize this looks like a bad twerking video, I swear that's not what I was going for- though now that I've tried this pose I have a lot more respect for the physical endurance it would take to maintain this position. 

I think this is the Grasshopper position or something. Funny story, this girl in middle school used to make fun of me by calling me a "grasshopper" because of my long legs and the way I hop when I walk. I'm gonna embrace it now and channel my inner grasshopper. Gotta work on that balance. 

Practice makes..progress!  (Ignore the pile of stuff on the floor behind me, I'm slowly cleaning out my closet for GoodWill) 

I'm thinking I'll give weekly updates as a way of motivating myself to stick to it! Thanks for your support!

The moment you've been waiting for..

Dear friends, 
The moment you've all been waiting for has arrived. Scratch that, the moment I hope none of you have been secretly wishing on me has arrived.

That moment being the moment I stopped being able to eat whatever I want, not exercise, and remain rail thin. Yeah that moment happened about a month ago. It arrived with no advanced warning or explanation, and I probably wouldn't have even noticed if I didn't wake up one morning last week and quite literally could not fit into a single pair of work pants when I was getting ready.  Like, I actually heard something rip in the process of trying to stuff myself in, and it was terrible, I think I cried a tiny bit. I finally found a pair from high school ( back when Mom would only buy things for me with 'room to grow'. such wisdom!) the style was low rise so every time I bent over throughout the day I was holding my shirt down over my crack, not so flattering... (Thank goodness higher waists are in now. Seriously.) With the prospect of having no pants, needless to say, I had to go shopping asap - there's a silver lining to everything.

Now, I realize nobody, probably not a single person reading this, will feel bad for me, but you have to admit it does suck a little! It's fine, I understand you're currently still gleefully giggling over the image of me ripping my pants trying to button them.  ._.

 In reality, I've been trying to gain weight for years now with no luck, and secretly enjoying that I could eat all the fattening foods I wanted- like a whole batch of buffalo dip over a weekend, full fat yogurts, Nutella, cream, butter, cheese on everything, dessert several times a day, and my personal favorite snack- cheese nachos dipped in warm cream cheese with salsa . YUM.

Part of me is pleased. I want to be a healthy weight, especially with the thought of starting a family sometime soon, and knowing that being underweight can cause as many health risks as being overweight. And I do think I look good with a few extra pounds (can I choose which areas will get bigger? No? Darn it).  I'm just realizing that as I turn 25, I need to stop thinking like a 21 year old when it comes to caring for my (aging) body. I need to start and CONTINUE an exercise routine, eat better, and overall just care more about starting healthy habits now that I'll continue the rest of my life. 

~Kendall

Mid-20's Observation #1

So, there's this one thing I have yet to master now that I'm a mid-20s adult (okay, way more than one thing)... 

Folding fitted sheets...

Am I right?! 

I could be having a serene, relaxing evening, doing a little laundry, enjoying the satisfying accomplishment of warm, clean clothes. (Laundry is actually my favorite chore, maybe because it mostly does itself).  Then, I come across a fitted sheet, and I find myself having a moment of rage so disproportionate to the task it's almost comical.

"No big deal", I tell myself when I first see that clump of sheets with elastic corners.

Then, somewhere between picking out the still damp socks that got tucked inside, pairing the corners together, and attempting to make a shape that can be neatly folded, something inside me snaps. 

I let out an "ughhrawarrrr", and violently karate chop that sucker into ball to stuff into my otherwise neat linen shelf.

Then back to the towels for some rectangle therapy. 

Sharing the Good News

1 Peter 3:15 : 

"But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have..."

I've been thinking lately about my own awkwardness and discomfort when put on the spot about my faith. I love to talk about my relationship with God, but I can be easily intimidated by the tough questions others may ask. I'm so concerned that I will give them the wrong answer, that I end up fumbling and bumbling around what I am trying to say. I usually end up kicking myself later when I've finally come up with the perfect way to word what I was thinking- too late. I've certainly always been more comfortable with acting out my faith than with speaking about  it. However, lately I've been feeling convicted that I need to stop using my own comfort levels as an excuse.

Last night an analogy came to me that really drove home to me the importance of sharing my faith with others:

If I had foreknowledge of a huge national disaster or tragedy before it had occurred, say for example a tsunami, or a forest fire was coming our way, there is no doubt in my mind that I would be running from neighbor to neighbor warning them.  On my way out of town I'd be yelling out the windows of my car, and running into gas stations to warn total strangers of what I knew was coming. I'd be banging on doors, shaking people awake, and causing a scene - and it would be worth it! I would want to let every single person that I physically could reach or contact know that they were in danger so that they could save themselves.

How is this any different from the situation we face as Christians every single day on Earth? We know and believe in our hearts that the knowledge of our Savior can save multitudes of people for Christ. We believe that hearing and believing the Good News of Jesus is literally a matter of eternal LIFE or DEATH! Forget total strangers for a moment, why am I not at the very least taking every effort to introduce family, friends, coworkers and other people I care about to God? I mean, really, If I say that I care about someone, why wouldn't it be a top priority for me to pray for them and at least plant the seed that could save their life? Going back to people I don't know, if I wouldn't leave a perfect stranger to die or go through a disaster alone, why do I avoid bringing up their relationship with the Creator?

A few years ago I saw a YouTube video made by atheist comedian, Penn Jillette. He makes a profound statement about proselytizing (trying to convert non-believers)  that I think all Christians (an non-Christians) should take very seriously. He says:

“I’ve always said that I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize.... If you believe that there’s a heaven and a hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, and you think that it’s not really worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward – and atheists who think people shouldn’t proselytize and who say just leave me alone and keep your religion to yourself – how much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate somebody to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?"
(The Full Video is here)

What answer can I give him? 


What if one day we stand before God to give an account of our life and we are presented with a number. Not the number of good deeds we've done, or the amount of money we had given to the church, or even the number of times we've used God's name in vain. What if we were presented with the devastating number of the hundreds (or maybe thousands?) of people the might have entered the kingdom of Heaven if we had just talked to them about Jesus? 

It gives me the chills just thinking about it...

(Photo from http://admiralcreedy.blogspot.com/2011/07/wonder-of-cross.html)

When Girls "Bash" their Guys

There are few things I find to be more hurtful to a relationship than when one partner "bashes" the other. I'm not talking about physical abuse, I'm talking about when one partner decides it's okay to speak badly about the other in public.

I'm not trying to stereotype, but I've noticed that women can be especially bad with this. We've all been at a work function, or a "Girl's Night Out" that turns into a complaining session about everyone's boyfriends or husbands. Someone's man is awful at this or that. Someone else's is fat, or lazy or has some other unappealing flaw. Or other women just can't wait till their man is out of town because life is better or easier when they aren't around. Sometimes these gripe sessions turn into a competition of who has the worst situation - each woman trying to one up the others. It's incredibly sad! It makes me want to ask, "Don't you realize that you are only making your problems WORSE by disrespecting your relationship this way? Maybe those things are true, certainly every relationship has its ups and downs, but this is not the solution!" I truly believe that if those things are going to get better, it's going to take love and honesty with each other, not complaining to everyone else or turning it into a joke. Perhaps some of these women have given up hope that their situations can get better... if that's the case, the LAST thing they need to hear is "wow you're right, he sounds as bad as my husband..."

I can't decide which is worse, talking bad about a loved one behind their back, or making fun of them in front of others. It appears that some women must have really low respect for their men, if they are not only willing to make fun of them when they aren't around, but also to their face, and in front of his friends. I feel myself cringe inwardly when I see ladies publicly humiliate their man in front of others. It's not funny, it's not cute. It just makes the rest of the crowd either feel awkward, or leads to more negative or hurtful poking fun. Not to mention, you are revealing an inner desire to build yourself up by putting others down - in this case, of all people, someone you are supposed to love and cherish.

Some readers may be thinking that I am being judgmental of relationship issues I haven't faced myself. This is probably true to some extent. I am incredibly blessed to have a husband that, in my opinion, is the sweetest and most considerate man on Earth. I don't think I could find a bad thing to say about David if I tried, which certainly makes it easier to have good things to say about him. That being said, we are both human, and every relationship will have problems to work through together. Key word : together. As in between him, and me, and God.

I'm not saying that every issue or problem should be hidden, or that people should put on a false front, pretending they have the perfect relationship. If there is something personal that is bothering me in any aspect of my life or relationship, I think it's okay to share those thoughts with my "nearest and dearest". Meaning, I have a select few best friends and family members that genuinely want to encourage me to make things better. These are the people that care about both me and my husband.  I can rely on them to keep the conversation confidential, to offer suggestions and advice, and to tell me when I am actually the one with the problem (which is frequently the case)...not those people that are just looking for some juicy gossip to pass on, or want to egg me on in my negative thinking. Plus, when my coworkers or acquaintances meet David for the first time, I want to have paved a way before the introduction - a path of reasons that I love him and am proud of him.

In my wedding vows to David I said :

 "...I vow to uphold you in prayer, and submit my heart to you; to always be by and on your side, that the presence of the Lord reside in our home..."

I said it, and I meant it. No matter how satisfying it may feel to gossip... No matter the desire to have frustrated/negative feelings justified by others.. No matter how easy it is to want to be part of the crowd or conversation... I will only say positive and uplifting things about David behind his back and in public.  

I am a firm believer that my marriage will not flourish if David and I don't stand by each other, and for each other. I cannot explain the peace and reassurance it is to know that David will only say good things about me to others. We trust one another to build each other up, and at the same time, we are cementing our strong bond so that we can survive any conflict that comes our way. 

I would really encourage all of my readers to think about the message they are sending to others about their significant other. Is it loving? Is it kind? Does it strengthen your relationship, or weaken it? If you can't say something nice, be silent. 

 "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." Ephesians 4:29 

 

(Photo by Sherei Jackson Photography)

Spoiled

I'm feeling incredibly spoiled this morning.  Dave makes me breakfast every morning before work even though he could sleep in. This morning while I eat my bagel and sausage, Dave is shoveling out my car after last nights snow storm.  I just looked over and noticed that he had laid out my coat in front of the fire place so that it would be warm when I put it on. He's a sweetheart <3 

My thoughts about Santa Claus and Elf on the Shelf

Even though the leaves are just now starting to change in my area of Pennsylvania, Christmas is already on a lot of peoples' minds. I am already hearing how many weeks are left to shop and "get ready" for Christmas festivities. (I could get into a monologue about the true meaning of Christmas, but I'll leave that for another post)

If you know me, you have probably figured out that I have a hard time keeping quiet when I feel like there is something that needs to be said. With all of this talk about "playing Santa", and finding new hiding places for the "Elf on the Shelf", I would like to add my own thoughts. I realize this will probably be an unpopular post, and, disclaimer, I am NOT trying to offend anybody who reads this, but I feel the need to share why David and I will not have our future children believe in Santa Claus or Elf on the Shelf. 

First of all, society is obsessed enough with material possessions as it is. It feels like every Christmas must be more and more extravagant than the last, and we have to start shopping earlier, and, hey, lets add a creepy new tradition of putting an Elf on the shelf to spy on our kids for Santa...and as if that's not enough, let's move the elf around the house each night and have it do mischievous things like break a dish or knock over a container of flour and leave foot prints (not kidding, some people take it that far)...

You may be thinking that I don't know what I am missing, but you're wrong.

I DID grow up believing in Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy etc... To a child, what could be more exciting than a magical being that gives us gifts?! I got some great gifts from "Santa", and was always amazed that I could never catch a glimpse of him, no matter how hard I tried.  I still remember the evening that I found out Santa wasn't real. I was furious, not just because I was mad that in the universe there did not exist a jolly fat man that brings children presents, but also at my parents for lying to me about it. "If you lied to me about this, what else did you lie to me about? How do I know anything you say is true?". Yes, I was a very dramatic and inquisitive child. Now, this experience didn't scar me for life or anything, but it did ruin that innocent belief that I could trust everything my parents told me.

David did not grow up believing in Santa. He knew that Santa was a "fun pretend tradition" for the holiday, and that it was not his place to tell other children the truth, it was their parents' job.

In this cruel and unpredictable world we live in, I believe children should be able to trust their parents. It's our job to be their teachers, and to set the example for them to follow. I just don't feel right about carrying out a lie year after year, and having to make it more and more extravagant so that they continue to believe when their intelligent minds start to question its validity.

This leads me to my next reason:

I don't want to ever have a moment where my children say to David and I, "If you lied to me about Santa being real, did you lie to me about Jesus too?" It would be hard to restore my credibility after a question like that.

Even if you aren't a Christian, you can see how lying to our children destroys their ability to have faith in what we say. Not only that, but using Santa or the Elf on a Shelf as a threat to make children behave, is, in my opinion, just a crutch for proper parenting (Not to mention I find Elf on the Shelf to be incredibly creepy - I don't want my kids worrying that a little doll is watching them all day and reporting their behavior to Santa). Children shouldn't behave just to earn gifts, or out of fear from the threat that gifts will not be given if they are bad! I don't want my children thinking that they "deserve" or are entitled to a reward for being good or obeying their parents either.

Finally, my most important reason: Christmas is about JESUS! It's the celebration of Christ's birth, or at least it is supposed to be. I want to make sure that the traditions my children take away from Christmas are: celebrating God's Son coming into this world to be our Savior, being together as a family, a beautiful candlelight church service, and sure, exchanging a few gifts with each other - in that order! Yes, we will still do presents on Christmas, but they will be addressed from their proper gift givers - David and I -  the people who actually do care if they behave, and who love them, and want them to have good things in life - NOT Santa.

As far as addressing your fears that my children will ruin Santa for your children. David and I hope to raise friendly respectful children that will be told not to ruin other families' traditions.  No promises, but we really aren't trying to spoil everyone else's fun! 

So there it is, the reasons that our future children will not believe in Santa Claus or Elf on the Shelf. Again, this is my own opinion and belief. It is not meant to upset anybody who does enjoy the tradition of Santa. This post is not supposed to start an argument either. It's just my own outlet for my opinion. It's supposed to be  food for thought. 

A Beautiful Walk with my Bible App

Dave is at drill today, flying till very late tonight. I've got a listening ear to the skies for the "wop wop wop.." of a helicopter, in case he flies over the house (we live in the flight path of Fort Indiantown Gap's helicopters). What do I do when Dave is gone on a beautiful Saturday? Cleaning for most of the day, since the place usually needs it after a week of me working - somehow I always get a lot more done when Dave isn't here. However, today the sunshine was calling to me, and finally convinced me that I needed to be outside. I sat out in a lawn chair for a while tanning, and listening to the Book of Esther in the Bible. Then I decided that I should go for a walk, and get some exercise even though it's a lot less fun without Dave.

I did several laps around the park and down Main street, saw my brother and sister in law who were also out enjoying the day, and listened to most of the Book of Job. The Bible app on my phone is AWESOME. It has audio versions of the Bible, and the reader is excellent. It's helping me get through the Old Testament and finally meet my goal of finishing the Bible that I set over a year ago. 

So there I was taking care of my body and my soul, on a great walk, on a perfect afternoon... it struck me that listening to Job was really powerful. Sometimes when I read I am not getting the full impact of the words, but listening to the story, and Job's lament really caught my attention. It was like he was walking next to me, pouring out his troubles.

That's the awesome thing about The Bible. These stories are real. They are about real people who had emotions, struggles, and who lived lives that didn't always go as they had planned. Many of these people did amazing things through their faith in God. When I was listening to Esther and Job, I was noticing similarities to my own life, and identifying with some of their emotions. I'm so thankful to have The Bible, not just for it's instruction, or for God's Word, but to read the stories of people who lived thousands of years ago,  who struggled with the same things we struggle with today, and who believed in the the same God. 

Lately my goal has been to work on renewing my mind by changing the things I am putting in it. Listening to and reading the Bible, Worship and Praise music on my commutes and while I exercise, deciding against a vulgar popular movie on Netflix, and trying to be more positive in my outlook and interactions with others, and trying to pray more often throughout the day. It has made a huge difference for me, and I would recommend trying this for anyone who has been feeling negative or "down in the dumps".

FYI - this is what the Bible App I use looks like

Summer 2013

Summer 2013.... quite possibly more life changes than Summer 2012!

The last time I had a chance to post, David had graduated Flight School, and we had moved back to PA to live with his parents until we found jobs and a place to live. 

In May we had fun buying our first furniture sets, but we had to post pone delivery as we didn't have a place to live yet. Job hunting was stressful and we were anxious to get our lives figured out (if that's even possible - lol). In June we began apartment hunting, and found a townhouse that we really loved. We wanted to sign the lease but were afraid to do so since neither of us had jobs yet and we didn't want to blow through our savings just to have our own place again. Just when we thought we were going to have to give up the townhouse, I was called to interview for a job I had applied for months earlier. The interview went well, and as I was getting in my car to go home, I got a call back that they wanted to offer me the job! God's timing was perfect, not only did I get a really great job, but we were able to move into a beautiful home before I started work! 

Dave was gone the week we moved to Linglestown, so his mom helped me clean our new place and move everything in. We spent the week scrubbing and unpacking. Lucky Dave, he returned home and all the unpacking had already been done!   

Our cute little place! It's perfectly situated to be about a 15 minute drive for each of us to get to work (give or take traffic), close to shopping centers, and across the street from a beautiful park. We are also right off the main street that has cute little shops and places to eat. Dave and I take a walk every night, and enjoy seeing all of the sports teams practicing at the park, in what seems to be a very active community. We can see ourselves staying here long term and raising a family! We are also 5 minutes down the road from David's brother and his wife! Another reason to love the area is that we get to see helicopters flying overhead - not as many as at Fort Rucker, but still enough to get excited about! 

Dave's Mom was a huge help to me during our second move of the summer. She even mowed our lawn! (Real world...having a lawn to mow)

 Living/dining area (not fully unpacked in this one)

My adorable and very helpful husband in the kitchen. 

Unpacked living room. It's very cozy!

Here's our bedroom. We bought our bedspread more than a year ago and I was absolutely dying to get it set up. It looks great with the bedroom set David surprised me with :)

We have a guest room, so friends and family are welcome to stay!

On one of our walks we found a church that is just down the road from our house, we decided to check it out since we were church shopping. We absolutely loved it, and are happy to have what we think will be our church home. For someone who grew up driving an hour to church on Sundays, being able to walk to church is amazing! 

First day of work! Kendall Berry, BSW! 

Now to say a few things about my new job... I love it! I had a difficult transition back to working, but it has absolutely been the best thing for me. Like they say, "For everything there is a season". I spent almost a year not working when we were in Alabama. I needed that time to relax and de-stress after burning myself out senior year of college, and being incredibly stressed all summer planning our wedding and dealing with some difficult things that happened. That time was precious, I gained back all the weight I had unintentionally lost from stress and anxiety the previous year, and I was able to focus on my new role as a wife. I cooked, cleaned, supported David while he was in a critical part of Flight School, and got to read more than thirty books! I volunteered at a senior center, but didn't need to worry about working yet. All of this was great, but I became very inactive. I didn't have a car, so I mostly stayed home, slept in late, read books, took naps, and got to be really lazy. I noticed that I didn't have much energy, and I didn't want to do anything when Dave got home from school either. I honestly thought there was something wrong with me that made me feel so tired and antisocial (there was! it's called inactivity!). I worried that I wouldn't be able to work because I was so tired all the time!  I've discovered that attitude and environment are everything!

I started my new job in July- Social Worker at a nursing home in Harrisburg. The first several weeks my body hated me. It was used to sleeping in, naps and lounging around. I felt sick, and tired for a few weeks. My heart rate felt like it was constantly elevated because just walking around all day was exertion for a body that was used to being at rest. But my body adjusted! I started coming home with more energy than I ever had after a day of relaxing! I spend my day on my feet running back and forth between my Dementia/Alzheimer's floor, and my Long Term Care floor. I'm surrounded by great people. I make an effort to be positive and smile when I am at work, and listen to positive and uplifting music on my commutes. This has made a night and day difference for me - now that I am active, positive, smiling, doing something meaningful, and being mentally stimulated - I feel like myself again! I haven't felt so wonderful in at least a year, and I feel so incredibly happy and blessed to be back to the positive mindset I've always had. 

The real world is definitely a little scary. This is my first real job, and I am slowly figuring out what I am doing. Sure, I have a degree, but there are so many job specific things that I am learning. I can't wait till I feel like I am on top of my work responsibilities! Dave has been a huge help. He has a sporadic flying schedule, so he has been supporting me by making me breakfast in the morning (I am NOT a morning person), and getting dinner started before I get home. With my new-found energy we have been a lot more spontaneous with our free time too! 

 We went on a trip to Memorial Lake on base to watch the sunset one evening. 

 Last night we met David's parents at their camp site at Gifford Pinchot State park for a camp fire, Mountain Pies, S'mores and a nice relaxing evening with family. 

 See the Mountain Pie maker in the coals?

Dave is super excited about Mountain Pies!

We are coming up on our ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY!! Stay tuned!

This Summer flew by! As the mornings have gotten chillier, I am remembering that this is the North, and I will have to deal with a Norther winter soon :( Good thing Fall comes first. I can totally get into sweater and boots season!

Annual Training

Dave is at AT right now - his two week summer training for the National Guard. Sometimes I feel like the worst army wife in the world. I know so many brave, strong ladies that have months to wait for their soldier to get back from a war zone, and I can't stand Dave being gone for his monthly drill weekends, let alone two whole weeks! I have a lot to learn from those women if it becomes my time to truly be apart from my husband.

Though most of our relationship had been long distance, the last 9 months of marriage (yes! NINE already!) have really spoiled me.  Particularly this last month and a half, where we literally were with each other every second of every day.

I can't wait for Dave to get home! Thankfully I have great friends, and a mother-in-law who is now on summer vacation, and will do stuff with me to take my mind off of missing Dave! Today we went on a Girl's Day trip to Lancaster county, where we went to some of the places we have read about in our favorite Amish series by Beverly Lewis. It's so fun to share interests and to be so close with my mother-in-law, I know that not everyone is so blessed.

Mom Berry and I at Good n' Plenty eating an Amish style lunch before checking out quilt shops and hand crafted furniture! 

I love this picture from Amish Country! 

Our life since Alabama - This one is gonna be lengthy!

Here are a few updates about the crazy month since we move back from LA (Lower Alabama -haha!) It's going to be a lengthy post! :

I pretty much cried every day leading up to moving away from our first home in Alabama. Yes. This Yankee wishes she was a Southern girl! I love all of the people I met down South, and I want to stay in the beautiful weather! Not to mention I got offered my dream job at the Senior Center I was volunteering at, and we were about to head into the great unknown of having no jobs.

Graduation week was crazy, and awesome, and busy!

Here is a picture from the military ball before graduation. Photo Credit: Ross Rippy

 Dave's parents came down for the week. Here we are enjoying Family Day!

 Dave flying and me shooting :)

We had a lot of fun seeing the Apaches up close, and Dave even got us into the simulator to practice flying them!

Dave's dad is a bit of a celebrity in the flying community.  Back in his Navy Fighter Pilot days, he and another pilot were the ones who actually flew upside down over an enemy plane to take a picture of the cockpit. This move was made famous in the movie Top Gun, but they were not credited for it. He enjoyed giving out autographed copies of the real picture to Dave's flight school friends. He was even able to give one to the Aviation Museum down there! 

I was the proudest wife alive when David was made Distinguished Honor Grad for the Apache class, and I got to pin on his long awaited wings! I love him to pieces!

 Pinning the wings on!

 So proud 

More than 6 years of hard work went into getting those wings! 

"Flying High, Above the Best!"

After the wings were pinned, the Army Song sung, and pictures taken, things moved in a blur. Dave ran around getting out-processed from Fort Rucker, and the rest of us worked on packing our apartment and literally stuffing everything into two vehicles. It was only by the grace of God that we got everything to fit, and that the cloth top of the Jeep didn't explode. We couldn't have done it without Dave's parents. Dad Berry was on his feet all day fitting our things into cars like a big puzzle, and Mom Berry (who amazingly actually enjoys helping people move) helped me get our place looking even better than we found it! Our landlord was happy with the furniture we had to leave behind, and we got our full security deposit back ! Ka-ching! 

I literally "busted my butt" getting ready to move. The washing machine was spinning out of control and I got the bright idea that sitting on it would fix it. So I hopped right up and banged my tailbone, which sure made the 18 hour car ride comfortable... (my tailbone is actually still bothering me). 

Tired and sad to leave our first home

The car ride to PA went really well considering how tightly packed and loaded down the cars were. Dave's poor Jeep will need a new soft top. His driver side window actually came unstitched and he had to hold it closed with one hand until we could tape it all together again. We couldn't talk to each other because it was as loud as a hurricane driving on the interstate!  The highlight of our two day journey was seeing our good friends Lee and Amanda for breakfast after the best hotel stay ever at the Resident's Inn (seriously the most comfortable hotel I have ever stayed at). 

 See what I mean?

It's hard to believe a month and a half has gone by. I had forgotten how lovely the mountains of Pennsylvania are, and how wonderful it is to be around friends, family, and familiar places! I am also glad to be in a place where I don't have to hide in my bath tub when "severe" weather comes through! We have been super busy with job searches, Army stuff, Dave's brother's wedding, and going to MA to visit my family. 

We have been living at Dave's parents house until we find jobs. It has been a joy to be with family and to make up for lost time. We are a bit tight with all of our things piled in the basement and in our bedroom, but we couldn't be more thankful for a place to live and a home full of love. We are excited to find a place, especially when we see all of the unused wedding gifts that didn't come to Alabama with us. I am itching to get at my waffle maker and absolutely dying to use the bedspread we purchased over a year ago. Because we don't want to disturb our boxes till we have a place, we have been living out of the same overnight bag of clothes that we threw together for our move, so I am also psyched to wear something new! Dave and I bought a new mattress and a couch set that will not be delivered till we have an apartment. So basically, we have furniture and lots of stuff, but still need to work on finding a place to put it in!

 I've been interviewing for jobs left and right, with no luck so far. I know there are so many other college grads in my position, wondering if we will ever get a chance to use our expensive degrees. Someday when I am in charge of hiring new employees, I am going to remember how hard it was to be unemployed and not have people return phone calls, or let you know when they didn't choose you for a position. I'm considering babysitting for the summer so that we can have some money coming in. 

PennDot is seriously THE WORST. I went to get my PA license and it was a NIGHTMARE. Not only was the guy super rude to Dave, who happened to be uniform at the time, but he acted like I was some sort of criminal. I had my MA license, birth certificate, passport, marriage license, social security card,  military id, and affadavit from Dave saying I live with him, and that was not enough to prove that I live in PA! Apparently being married to a PA resident doesn't mean that I am living with him. So I had to go home and have friends write me letters to my new PA address. THEN,when I go back with all required documents, the guy tells me "I doubt this will go through. You are from MA which makes you a suspect". Me: "seriously?". Him: "Yes. And you will have to pass an FBI and CIA background check". (Me? A suspect?) Thankfully I passed and, to the disappointment of the employee helping me, was issued a license for the great state of Pennsylvania. They also made my life hard about getting plates for my car. 

We flew to Massachusetts for a brief visit with my family. We had a lovely time, and got to see my favorite ocean town on the East coast - Rockport. (Of course the South has turned me into an absolute beach snob, so I almost cried when I put my toes in the freezing cold Atlantic ocean). We got to see my brother get promoted after his time in boot camp. I am so proud of him! We did a camp fire up at Pineshore with friends - drinking Wachusett Summers at Wachusett, and eating the first S'mores of the season. The best part of being home was relaxing with family in my parents comfortable and welcoming house, and not having to think about wedding details like the last time I was home! We were sad to go!

 Even though my Moby the blue whale of a minivan has been more trouble than it is worth, I was so incredibly happy to be driving it again. We drove it home to PA and are enjoying having two vehicles again.

 A picture from Gus's promotion ceremony

 Rockport! Mary Poppins style!

Now we are back in PA, and Dave is at his two weeks of summer training. 

Comments

A few of you may have noticed that you are no longer able to comment on my blog.  Sorry guys, but this is one of those situations where the actions of a few mess things up for everyone else...

I keep this blog for friends and family who want to hear about my life, and also because I enjoy putting my thoughts and experiences out there. I like to pretend that I have avid readers who can't wait to hear about my next adventure (even if that is probably a bit of a stretch). :) I've taken a break from blogging this past month mostly because I have been incredibly busy, but also because I got a nasty round of comments that ruined blogging for me for a bit.

I got several nasty comments this spring that honestly left me in tears. There was one in particular that ripped Dave and I to pieces and left me shocked. I spent several days obsessed with looking through my Facebook friends and trying to figure out who would write those kind of things, because, yes, whoever did was cowardly and left his or her thoughts anonymously. (Really people? Can't you own up to your words if that's what you really think?)  My hope is that those several comments were actually just incredibly bored strangers that stumbled upon my blog and decided to ruin my day. 

So here's the deal: No more comments on my blog, but feel free to contact me personally if you want to chat about a post. Also, if you don't like me, or if you don't like hearing what is going on in my life, please feel free to stop reading my blog!

Okay, enough of that serious stuff. Thank you to all of my friends and family who read and support my blog, I hope you continue to enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it! 

Rest In Peace

Just wanted to take a moment to honor two men that lost their lives today in Afghanistan. Both men were Apache pilot's from Dave's unit in PA. I pray that the families of both of those men find comfort in such a difficult time.

I honestly can't imagine how devastating this lost must be for the wives of these men, but it sure hits close to home.

Here is the news story:
http://www.abc27.com/story/21932242/2-pa-national-guard-soldiers-killed-in-afghanistand

Proud Wife

As we near graduation from flight school, Dave is require to return his training equipment, including the  helmet that he used from his first Apache flight, to his final check ride. I think it's a bit like saying goodbye to an old friend, even knowing that he will be issued a new one at his unit when we get to Pennsylvania.

I'm so proud of my guy. Becoming an Apache pilot has been his dream for years -  it took 6 long years of paying his dues to get to flight school, and then an incredible amount of dedication to make it through the program. In three weeks, I will have the huge honor of pinning wings on his chest - the symbol of an Army Aviator. I couldn't be more proud if I tried. 

We recently discovered two cool date correlations that made us smile:

* Dave's first flight of flight school was March 26th 2012, and his last flight was March 26th 2013 - exactly one year apart! 

* The date Dave got his civilian helicopter license was May 2nd, and the date of his flight school graduation, earning his wings, and becoming an Army helicopter pilot will also be May 2nd. 

Making these discoveries felt like a little confirmation that this has all been part of a greater plan for Dave's life. 

I can't wait to pin those wings! 

Here's a picture of the painting we just bought a copy of and had framed as an early graduation gift: 

This painting is called "Deliverance" by Dru Blair. It is one of Dave's favorites. 

Summer Jams

Down here in Alabama, Spring has sprung and Summer is on its way!

Monday I went on a walk with a friend and then sat out in the sun to start working on my tan. I got burnt on both shoulders, but I welcomed the color and celebrated my first tan lines of the season! Next weekend is the Toadlick Music Festival in Dothan, AL - three days of country music!! I can't wait to put on my cowgirl boots and jam to some country tunes!

 I'm a country girl at heart, so here is my playlist for this summer.

Summer 2013 Country Playlist  

Cruise - Florida Georgia Line
Summer Jam -  Jake Owen
Pontoon - Little Big Town
Drunk on You - Luke Bryan
I Can Take it From There - Chris Young
Put a Girl In It - Brooks & Dunn
Somethin' Bout a Truck - Kip Moore
Beer Money - Kip Moore
All Over the Road - Easton Corbin
Georgia Peaches - Lauren Alaina
Get Your Shine On - Florida Georgia Line
Time is Love - Josh Turner
Jump Right In - Zac Brown Band
Don't Rush - Kelly Clarkson
Point At You - Justin Moore
Long Hot Summer - Keith Urban

A Time to Read

A time for every season... this is my season to read....

Before September, I couldn't have told you the last time I read a book for fun. The end of high school, and four years of college were jam packed with textbook assignments or required reading. Many of those books I hope to read again for fun, when I can fully enjoy them.

I was that child that sat next to the nightlight late into the night trying to finish a book before school. I couldn't stand having to wait a whole day to get back to the story and it's characters.

After moving to Alabama and temporarily becoming a stay at home wife, I finally had the time to get back into one of my favorite past times - devouring books like it's my job. Its not uncommon for me to read one to two books per day, especially if they are part of a series and I want to know the ending. 

Thankfully, I have a mother in law who faithfully kept me in books. She has a large Christian romance/ Amish/historical fiction collection, of which I'm sure I have read almost all of them by now. My favorite author is now Beverly Lewis, whose Amish fiction I adore. I can hardly wait to get back to Amish Country and do some exploring!

Here's a picture of the books I am currently borrowing. There are many more not pictured that I have already sent back.

Funny Moments

It's good to be able to laugh at yourself! Here are two funny "Kendall Moments" that might make you smile:

1. Dave's parents bought us a CD at a concert they went to. Tonight, I popped it into my computer, downloaded it to iTunes, and couldn't wait to listen to it. So, I'm be-bopping around the apartment with the instrumental music playing in the background, and I keep thinking to myself "Wow, all of these songs sound very similar". Two hours later, I finally check my computer, and notice that I had been listening to the same song on repeat 29 times!! NO WONDER!

2. On Valentine's Day, I finally made that age-old mistake of washing reds with whites. I've never had an issue with my laundry colors bleeding into each other, but I got a good laugh when I pulled out a dish cloth that is now a nice shade of pink. I decided to think of  it as my washing machine sending me a Valentine's Day smile :)