Update on Life

Things have been pretty normal around here. I'm getting settled in at my job at Hallmark and I am loving it! I'm sure the excitement of going to work will wear off a little, but I love the people I work with enjoy the job. I don't think that I have mentioned on this blog, that I have started another blog as well: Molly's Homemade Happiness. This blog is focused more on the health changes that we have been making with the foods we eat and the products we use.

Carson is working and getting ready to get really busy with his research now that students are back. The back to school activities at Clemson have also kept him busy with his photography business, which is something that he really enjoys. I used the camera when Carson wasn't home today and got some great pictures of Rylie being lazy in the grass.

The puppies are doing great and getting along better. It is so much fun having two puppies!! I don't always say that but at the moment they are being really cute:) Rylie and I visited Grammy last week in Alabama. My parents also came up and brought Rylie's brother, Baxter. It was fun to see them play together and Baxter was very sad when we left. Sorry that all we ever post are puppy pictures, but until we have kids, this is what you get.
We sent some pictures to their breeder and she said they used to lay like this before we got them. We'll never know if they remembered each other but I like to think that they did.


While we were in Alabama we did some shopping. My parents have both lost a lot of weight and mom is very close to wearing the same size as me! It was fun to shop in the same department together so we got a "twins" outfit. I think she was more embarassed about being twins than I was but I got a picture to capture the moment!

Turned Around

Things have really turned around here. Carson got "rehired" on a hourly basis doing the same work he was doing with his assistantship. At first we were disappointed because his assistantship meant that his tuition was covered. So we were happy for a job but it was less than he was making originally once you factored in the tuition cost. But God had the best plan in mind and knew what he was doing. Carson's "new" job is temporary, meaning that he can continue the job hunt and leave when he finds something. Until now, we had not even thought of Carson looking for a job in industry until he graduated. The even better news is that we had hoped to stay in this area after graduation and that is more of a possibility now. For the next few months, we can only look locally for jobs so that Carson would be able to finish his thesis work and graduate. We don't have to broaden our search radius until closer to graduation.

God still holds the whole plan in His hands and we have no idea where we might end up, but He has opened our eyes and showed us to begin the job hunt now.

Continuing with the good news, I just got hired for a job at Hallmark. I'll try not to spend all of my paychecks there :) It's just a small amount of time each week, but that is just what I wanted. It will be nice to get out of the house some, but I love being home to take care of things so that Carson can focus on his work, research, and job hunt.

Our week

Our week has had its ups and downs. First let's start with the ups with some pictures from our outings this week. We went blueberry picking again last weekend. It was probably our last trip for the summer but I think we have a well stocked freezer. The heat has really kicked in here and so we're spending as much time indoors as possible. (Except for every 15 minutes that I have to take the puppy out!)With the intense heat here we have been taking advantage of the little pool we got for the puppies. Carson has even found me sitting in it just to cool off.


Our garden is also doing well, and we have been having a lot of bruchetta with our basil and delicious red tomatoes. I also discovered how to make mint tea last week. It is so refreshing and will be a staple in our refrigerator now.

On Monday our friends, the Wylies, invited us over to enjoy some homemade ice cream. It was delcious and we had a wonderful evening. Their little almost-two-year-old Lydda Grace got to play with Rylie. It was funny that Rylie actually weighed more than she did. They had a great time playing together. Rylie also made another friend that evening; another puppy the same age. They must have played for over an hour. Needless to say Rylie slept very well that night.

Not to be too negative but our week went down hill from there. Carson found out the next day that his graduate assistantship will end next week. So come August first we have no jobs. I already had a couple applications out that I should hear back on soon. Carson jumped right in and has been contacting people about jobs in the area. He has gotten a few positive responses but nothing concrete yet. So that is our focus at the moment. Every spare moment is spent on a job search or working on the jeep but we know that God has a plan for us and He will reveal it in His perfect timing.

Poor Jeep

I have always heard people talk about taking the plunge and being a one car family but have never been brave enough to try it. We are blessed in that we have two cars and no car payments so we have never needed to do this. However, Monday we woke up to this:

So we're doing the one car family thing for now. We don't want to rush out and get a new hood in case his turns up at a scrap yard. It has been interesting to see how we can function as a one-car family. I really admire those that do it on a long term basis. We are thankful that more was not taken (it looks like they were planning to steal the front grill and radiator too) and thankful that we are at a place in our lives where we can deal with just one car. I am able to stay home and spend time with the puppies and focusing on getting the house in order.

Happy 4th!

Happy Independence Day everyone! We celebrated yesterday and had a great day. We spent the morning berry picking trying to stock up on the blackberries while they are still in season. I think we got 13 pounds yesterday and that wasn't our only trip! I have so many plans in store for these delicious berries. The ones that weren't frozen were turned into jam this afternoon along with some peaches that we got yesterday. I now have about 15 cups of jam in my freezer.


Jam. I love it. Not only do I love the taste of it and put way too much on my biscuits, but I love the memories that come with jam. My dad's mom always used to make strawberry jam for our family (well mostly for me because I consumed the majority of it - sometimes I would share with my dad.) She made wonderful strawberry jam. Even though she lived far away and we didn't see each other very often, I loved that we had that connection through strawberry jam. Fast-forward a few years when we were on our annual summer trip to Alabama. My mom and her mom decided that it would be fun to take the kids (me and my brother) berry picking. Well, I had plans of my own and decided it would be fun to make it the most miserable trip possible for them (I was a little terror child- just ask my family). While the berry picking wasn't enjoyable to me, I did enjoy going home that afternoon and making jams of all different flavors!

[Helpful Note: We got some pretty bad blackberry stains on our clothes while picking them. When I got home I began looking for the best natural way to get it out. I was worried when the first few things I read said that they were the hardest stains to get out. You'll never guess what worked: boiling water. Whoever said you need harsh chemical stain removers was wrong!!]

Last night we made our own pizzas and then went to see some fireworks at Clemson. Our friend Lynn joined us for the evening and she had just purchased her first Digital SLR camera so Carson was able to teach her a lot about her camera. It was a very fun and festive evening!

Catch up time

Okay, so y'all have missed a lot so settle in for a nice long chat :) What? You say it's my fault? I know. I am a horrible friend. I will try to be better.

Lets start with Carson. He is in the middle of his research right now, trying to get all his data collected. It's a little slow going because he has to have student participation and there aren't that many people willing to participate. So once he has found 75 participants he will be able to move on and finish his thesis and graduate. He has some great industry contacts which should help with the job hunt when it comes time. He has also started his own photography business which has been really exciting.

Me, well I have been home taking care of my husband, puppy, and house. I have been doing tons of research on how to improve the health of our family. We have cut processed foods from our diets, tried to buy organic or local when possible, used chemical free-homemade cleaners and have even changed the toiletry items that we use. I have been encouraged to start a healthy living blog and as soon as I can come up with a name for it I will begin posting to it (suggestions welcome). It would be a great way to share the information I am collecting and to keep me accountable. I have really enjoyed making this change and am excited about the long term effects that it will have on our family, as well as the health problems that our children will be able to avoid because of it.

Our most exciting news right now is that we have a new addition to our family! We got a 9 week old black lab recently so life has been anything but dull here. Her name is Rylie and she is just as precious as she can be! My parents got her brother, Baxter so it will be fun to get them together often. For more pictures of Rylie (Purple collar), Baxter (blue) and Ginny (pink), follow this link.
Well I guess that wasn't too bad. I will do my best to keep you updated from here!

Welcome to the family!

Meet the newest addition to our family!

Full Name: Genesis
Nickname: Ginny
Birthday: July 13, 2009

About Ginny: Carson and I decided to foster puppies from the local humane society. Ginny was the first dog that we fostered and we quickly fell in love with her so instead of returning her when she got better, we decided to adopt! She is a Border Collie/Lab/Retriever mix (but we have no idea where the ears came from!) She is very intelligent but some times her puppy excitement gets in the way of her good behavior. She brings so much joy and excitement to our home!

Activities: "The Magic Carpet Ride", playing with daddy when he gets home from work, attacking her treats, taking very long walks, dreaming, chasing her toys, exploring the woods, attacking her treats, being spoiled, nap time:

Favorite Places:

Her Pillow

At Molly's feet in the kitchen

Country Living

Most mornings I wake up and look out my window, patiently waiting to one day see a deer. Well this morning while putting the dishes away, I look out through my kitchen window and see this:






I was so excited to finally be enjoying one of the wonderful things about living out in the country!

Our new home

Office

Guest room turned photography studio (also known as Carson's playroom)

Living room mantle

Living room (plus our foster puppy)

Dining Room

Kitchen

Our First Christmas

Gosh, has it really been over a month since Christmas. Am I that far behind in keeping you guys updated? Well maybe now that we're getting settled into a schedule I'll be a little better at it.

Our first Christmas together was absolutely wonderful! Moving five days before Christmas isn't anything I would recommend but we were able to stop and enjoy the holiday. We had a wonderful and relaxing Christmas Eve dinner after church. Our dining room was lined with boxes but the table looked nice and we had our first "real" meal since the move. I was looking forward to a relaxing Christmas morning too but I didn't realize that all men turn back into little kids on Christmas morning! Carson was wide awake and ready to open presents while I was ready to sleep in a little more! My brother flew in Christmas night (his first visit to Clemson!!) so we spent the next few days having a great time with him.

I know it was hard on our families and we sure missed them, but I would not trade our first Christmas together for anything. A time to set our own traditions and to celebrate this holiday as a new family.

A little something to tide you over

Sorry it has been a while. There is so much to catch up on but I haven't been spending very much time in front of the computer while we've been unpacking and getting settled. I'll catch up very soon but for now check out this video of what we're up to right now!