Snow Flurries and Promises

It's snowing this morning! Not a lot... I don't think it's sticking... but it sure makes these frigid temps a little more tolerable! Z and I both want to see a blizzard after all this talk of how much snow Chicago gets in the winter. Here's hoping ;) I have a to-do list a mile long, but instead I'm sitting here, watching the snow {flurries} fall outside. It's making for a pretty unproductive morning! Quite peaceful, but unproductive ;) Speaking of peaceful, I came across this verse yesterday on one of my favorite blogs that definitely spoke peace to me- 

Exodus 14:14- The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still-

The blogger who shared it is recovering from brain surgery AND waiting to go get her little girl that she and her husband are adopting from the Congo. She talked about how everything seems so out of her control... but thank goodness because the Lord is fighting for her even when she can't fight for herself. Wow. Just thought I would share because it spoke so strongly to me! So as I sit here and watch the snow and add to my to-do list {making a list is the first step, right?!}, I'm thankful for my heavenly Father that is fighting for me, even in situations where I can't. Because He knows {and I know} my life would be such a mess if I were in control. So glad He is and I'm not! I hope you find comfort in the promise that the Lord is fighting for you today too!

Brrr!

Well, we survived the coldest weather I have ever experienced. I'm sure it can {and might} get worse. But 0 degrees with wind chills near -20 is cold enough for me!! We are now thankfully back in the teens. Never thought that would sound warm ;) But after the weather we had all weekend, the teens are unfortunately an improvement. So what do you do on a long weekend when wind chills are below zero?! You stay inside ;) We watched movies, football, Seinfeld marathons, ate soup, made chili, and pretty much avoided leaving the apartment!! We did brave the cold long enough Sunday for church and brunch at Yolk! I will say that we have been super spoiled with our heated garage... so when we did have to get out, we at least had a warm car waiting for us. I'm not looking forward to parking outside for the rest of the winter once we move! Speaking of moving, it looks like we're moving this Saturday!! I'm excited, a little sad, and ready for it to be over ;) So now I'm off to pack and clean...

Happy Friday!

So I have to admit that I'm a little bit *jealous* of the snow y'all got in Alabama! Ha! I'm pretty sure you guys got more than we've had up here!!! It's just COLD here... and really if it's going to be this cold, it should SNOW!! So I'm *kind of* wishing we were in Ttown yesterday to enjoy the snow day ;) Oh well... speaking of cold... I just saw a local news weather forecast for next week. Monday's low is zero. ZERO. What in the world?! That is not okay!! Here's hoping we make it through the winter! ;)

Yesterday I subbed for a first grade class at the little school right by our apartment.. loved it! I did, however, forget my gloves, scarf, and toboggan during recess duty... not my brightest moment {it was about 28 degrees}! Glad my coat has warm pockets and a hood ;) Oh and by the way, I still think it is *crazy* to have outside recess when it is so cold! We used to cancel outdoor play time if it dropped below 40, ha!

So glad it's Friday!! And even more excited that Z is off on Monday!!! We have NO plans this weekend, and I couldn't be happier about that!! {Although whatever we end up doing, I can almost guarantee it will be INDOORS!}

Oh yeah, so we're still trying to figure out all of the logistics with moving at the end of this month {when our current lease is up}... trusting that the Lord has it all in His hands! Here are a few verses that I came across yesterday that always are so comforting, even when things seem a little crazy!!

Luke 16:22,25,31

"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear...Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?...But seek first His kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well."

Have a great weekend friends!

A Random Monday Post

How is it already Monday?! The weekends seriously go by at warp speed!! Oh well... Friday's just around the corner ;) Seriously though, we had a good, somewhat productive weekend! I'm in a pretty random mood, so bullet points might be the best way to sum it up, ha!

• Friday night, Z had a business meeting/Christmas party {Christmas mid January?!} so Lolly and I decided to have a girls' night out! We have been dying to try RPM Italian {big Giuliana and Bill fans!!}, and we just have not been able to talk our guys into going... so it seemed like the perfect place for girls' night! We forgot to make reservations until Friday, so of course all they had available was 4:00... no thanks. We decided to wing it and hope for a table?! Turns out the bar area is first come, first serve, so we found two seats at the bar pretty fast! The prices didn't look that bad, the decor was pretty, and it definitely had that "see and be seen" vibe. But then our food came out... I ordered tortellini and Lolly ordered ravioli. We literally each got five pieces of pasta on a plate... five! That's it! We ate our very tiny portions of pasta, paid way too much for such a small meal, and then went and got some more food, ha! So needless to say, pretty disappointed in RPM :/
• Z and I are looking for a new apartment. We have literally been spending almost any time he is off work scouring the internet and racing to appointments. I'm so over it!! Ha! There are SO MANY apartments in this city. We've had the hardest time deciding even which part of Chicago we want to live in, much less which building, and which unit! And don't even get me started on how much it cost if you want to keep your car. I forgot how spoiled we are with the parking being included in our current rent. I really was starting to wonder if we would ever find the right one. We finally saw one last night that felt like home ;) Now we're praying it all works out before someone else snatches it up!!
• After a FULL day of looking at places on Saturday, we met our friends for dinner {always love dinner dates!}. We were wanting to try somewhere new, so we found a highly recommended pizza place in West Chicago, Coalfire Pizza. This was not your typical Chicago pizza. It was thin crust and SO delicious!!! Love finding new favorites!
• I think the Chicago winter has arrived. It was 13 degrees this morning when I walked to the school I sub at. 13 degrees. And the weather channel app said it felt like 3 degrees. And the children were playing outside when I arrived. There were literally icicles hanging from all of the cars, the school's gate, the trees. Ugh!! Too cold!!!
• Yesterday in church, the pastor used the Alabama national championship game in his message, so funny! I thought Z was going to stand up and let out a "roll tide!" Thankfully he resisted the urge ;)

Okay I think that's all the randomness I have for today! I seriously need to clean this apartment... and start cleaning out/packing! I'll share more details about the apartment hunt/our potential new place soon! And maybe some pictures if we get the place we love!!!

Learning...

I feel like God is trying to teach me to have more discernment right now. And patience. I feel like I'm always trying to learn to have more patience! And to rely on Him... to fully rely on Him. Sometimes it's not so fun to learn, you know? But I know it is part of life... and it makes me stronger... and draws me closer to Him. It's like when you're a child and you are physically growing and you have growing pains. So not fun, but worth it since you know it means you're growing and maturing. I think when we spiritually grow, we have growing pains then too. Again, not very fun, but always worth going through. I really want to have a more teachable heart. And I know there is a reason for everything and that God has a perfect plan- so much greater than we can even imagine! I'm just thankful that He does have a plan... and I don't have to know all the details... and I CAN fully rely on Him to get us through each piece of the plan... and He loves me enough to teach me new things! Here's to being open and willing to learn and grow even more this year!

Isaiah 55:9- As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.

Romans 12:12- Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

2 Corinthians 4:16-17- Therefore, we do not lose heart; though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. {Love this verse!!! Such a great reminder that all the things we are faced with are in fact light and momentary troubles and that we are living for eternity with Him... Love!} 

One last post about 2012

I know, 2 posts in one day.. crazy. But I'm still playing catch up with the blog... so I thought I'd write one more post about 2012! I want to document all that God did in our lives throughout the year. He has blessed us in so many ways, and taught us SO much too. There have definitely been some hard times this year, but there are also some pretty great memories!!

-JANUARY-

Spent New Years Eve with some really great friends! Miss you all so much!

-FEBRUARY-

Trip to Orange Beach with almost the whole gang!!!

-MARCH-

Went to Charleston, SC and to Savannah, GA to visit our sweet friend!!

-APRIL-

Z took my to Chicago for the first time for my birthday! I turned 25 {red velvet waffles for birthday breakfast}! This trip was when we decided we were moving to Chicago for sure

-MAY-

{Somehow I could not fine any pictures from May... so sad!}

It was my last month teaching at ACA. Such a bittersweet time! I absolutely loved my job, my students, and all of the wonderful people I worked with!

-JUNE-

We made another trip to Chicago to find an apartment! This was definitely a trip of mixed emotions ;)

-JULY-

We moved to Chicago!! Z's family helped us move, and we got to show them around our new town! Also, my family came to visit... I was SO excited to see them!!!

-AUGUST-

Two of our best friends got married! We were both so honored to be in their wedding. And we had such a great time seeing our friends and families while we were in town! We also checked out the beach in Chicago!

-SEPTEMBER-

Z turned 26!! Football season began, and we cheered on the Tide froNovember-m Chicago! Fall was so beautiful here!! We enjoyed taking super long walks every weekend during the fall!

-OCTOBER-

One of my besties came to visit!! We celebrated our second anniversary! {And enjoyed that crazy big piece of cake!!} So thankful for Z and for two wonderful years of marriage!!

-NOVEMBER-

Thanksgiving with the families in T-town, a little tail-gating for the Iron Bowl, and Christmas festivities in Chicago!

-DECEMBER-

Celebrated the birth of our Savior with all of our family in Tuscaloosa! Also, my family came here for a visit!!

So fun to look back over all that happened last year!! We are looking forward to a wonderful 2013!! 

Family Visit!!

We had such a fun time while my family was in town... we always love showing family and friends around Chicago! Their trip just went by way too fast and now I miss them so much! This visit was a bit more low key... my brother ended up getting sick and the weather was pretty cold! We did some sight-seeing, a good bit of driving/seeing, and a whole lot of hanging out at home ;) loved every minute!!!

My parents arrived Friday morning... my brother and I drove to the airport to pick them up {Z had to work a few hours that morning}. It snowed most of the day, but thankfully that didn't delay their flight or anything! After they arrived, we made a quick trip to the grocery store, hit up REI {an outdoor retail store}, and made a quick stop in Francesca's {a cute little boutique}. We also drove around Lincoln Park and stopped for some pictures since there was still some snow on the ground!

We were all pretty tired that night, {since Z drove 12 hours Thursday and their flight left at 6 am Friday} so we decided to eat at home. I made chicken tortilla soup, yummy! We also cozied up and watched a movie... so fun!

Saturday we decided to bundle up and do some sight-seeing. First we took a train to the financial district. Z just working at the Chicago Board of Trade, so we wanted to show them where his new office is! Plus, you have to ride the El when you're in Chicago!

 Then we walked over to State Street and did a little shopping... Garret Popcorn and City Target to be exact ;) Z's sister had never been to the Bean, so we walked over to Millenium Park {after we grabbed a Starbucks to warm up!!} It was fun because there is an adorable ice skating rink right there, so we enjoyed watching the skaters!!

Can you tell it was cold?! We hopped on a bus {again, any chance to warm up!} and headed to Lincoln Park Zoo! This might have been my favorite part of their trip!! The zoo is free, and they had Christmas lights everywhere... so fun!

For dinner that night, we went to Lou Malnati's. This is one of our favorites! Delicious pizza and such a cute Chicago atmosphere!!

That was enough for one day! We headed back to the apartment to thaw out and watch a movie ;)

We had planned to go to church Sunday morning followed by brunch at Yolk... but my brother woke up sick :/ so I ended up taking my parents to church and Z took my brother to the doctor... boo! We also decided to wait on Yolk and instead just picked up some food at Portillos. Sunday ended up being a lazy day, full of football, movies, and homemade Chex mix!! ;) {it was so yummy, Mom!!}

Thankfully my brother was feeling a little better by Monday, so we headed to Yolk for a New Year's Eve brunch!

We really wanted to go to the Shedd Aquarium {since it was indoors and all!}, but the wait time just to buy tickets was 45 minutes... outside... no thanks! We walked around Soldier Field instead and then headed to Navy Pier! We rode the ferris wheel {one of my favorites!} and checked out the WinterWonderland {which was super cute and a dream come true for all kids under the age of 12, ha! Not so much for us thought!}...

We ended up going to Jake Melnicks for an early New Year's dinner and then attempted to watch fireworks from our rooftop... we couldn't really see them and it was SO cold, but oh well!! I was just glad to ring in the New Year with my family here!!!

We had to take my parents to the airport Tuesday morning. It was pretty hard to tell them bye since we're not sure when our next trip to Alabama will be :/ but I'm sure I won't be able to wait too long, ha!

Z had to go back to work on Wednesday... so my brother, Lolly and I went to Waffles for breakfast lunch... and we drove over to Chinatown, ha! It was a fun day!

We were so glad that my brother got to stay for a few extra days! It was super hard to say goodbye to him too :/ But I'm so thankful for the time we did have and for the wonderful memories!!! And now I'm counting the days until I get to see them all again ;) Miss you all, thanks for coming to visit!!!

We can't wait for our next visitors!!! :)

 

Hello 2013!

Wow... I have not posted on the ol' blog in quite some time!!! We had a fabulous Christmas and a wonderful New Years... and I can.not.believe it's all already over! I will rewind a bit... 

I left Chi-town a week before Christmas to spend some time with my fam. I enjoyed every second!!! Shopping, watching movies, celebrating my dad's birthday, wrapping gifts, and just being lazy! Loved it! Z drove down a few days later, and then the whirlwind of family Christmas gatherings began ;) We spent some time with my dad's family at the beach, had "Christmas morning" a few days early with my family, drove to T-town in time to spend Christmas eve with some of Z's extended family, had Christmas morning at Z's parents' house, and then made the rounds to see both of our extended families on Christmas day! I wouldn't trade a crazy second of it all for anything though... we have the best families and it was so wonderful to spend some time with them all!!! 

We drove back on December 27th with my brother and Z's sister. We had a car FULL of luggage, ha! And there was so much snow through a good part of our drive. Thankfully the roads were completely clear, and we made it back safe and sound in a little over 12 hours! 

My parents flew in on December 28th to spend a few days with us here in Chicago... and we had such a great time {despite the COLD weather and my brother getting sick :/}!! And then my brother stayed with us until last Friday! It all went by way too fast and I'm missing all of my family something fierce today. But I am so thankful for the time that we got to spend together both here and there!!! Picture filled post of their visit here coming tomorrow ;)

One last random thing... We cannot wait until the big game tonight! The local news has been showing segments from Miami the last few days, interviewing Notre Dame players and fans. Also, Notre Dame flags, shirts, etc. are everywhere up here! Don't worry though... we are definitely representing the tide today ;)  

Roll Tide from Chicago!!!