Fall Recap

In lieu of getting a roaring fire going in the fireplace, softly playing Christmas music, eating hot soup, and dragging out the tree later today, I wanted to give you a quick view of what fall looked like around our house.

I should've set my table before I took pictures. Hindsight, my friends...

Highlights: 

• My antique blue heirloom pumpkin made me smile every time I looked at it. I refuse to put it in the trash, so I'm trying to figure out how I can re-purpose it for a little while longer. 
• I picked up a few sequenced pumpkins at Jo Ann's that really topped off the whole feeling of fall around the house. 
• Fall scented candles make a house feel like fall even if the house isn't filled with fall decor. They will continue to burn well into the Christmas season and possibly the New Year if I have any say about it.

Fails:

• My mum NEVER bloomed. Therefore, I've had a dead mum on my front porch since September. 
• I didn't buy a pumpkin until the week of Halloween. I put it next to my dead mum and never did another thing with it. My front porch lacked in fall festivity. I'll try harder next year. 
• For the second year in a row, I never got around to taking a picture of our beautiful maple tree in full bloom before all the leaves covered our yard. 

And So I'm Back

It's been more than 2 years.

Sorry.

Welcome back to my little corner of the world.

I think of two year spans of time in my life when I was, let's say, 15-17. Not much happened. Let's go even younger...6-8. Major change...I lost my two front teeth, and they grew back in crooked. Such is life before braces. Days crept by slower than Christmas.

Now, it feels like I just took down my tree three days ago.

Moments go by quickly now, and I've been told by wise souls that it doesn't get any slower.

I had just moved back to Greenville from Maine at my last post, and I was ELATED! I love Greenville and the friendships and connections I've made in a short period of time.

It's home. 

But don't be fooled. I've been busy:

I taught high school English for a year. I have new wrinkles and I'm sure some gray strands to prove it.

We bought our first house.

Worked on so many projects at home I can't even count them, and I'm constantly thinking of new ones.

Adopted a dog. Meet Wilbur.

Got an awesome job in real estate.

My sister had the most handsome little boy I ever did see.

Still loving life with this stud.

I can't wait to share my home with you.

I welcome you back again.

Diana

Eight Signs that I'm Back in the South

Since moving back to South Carolina from Maine last week, I've noticed a lot of differences. These things have been common occurrences my whole life, but I haven't really noticed them until they were gone. Boy, am I glad to be back in the South!

1. I have to change shirts after returning from my walk to the mailbox. 

2a. A local car dealership commercial says, "Come on down after Sunday service."
2b. The weatherman said that the rain would be gone by the end of most church services. 

3. I can't get out of Wal-Mart without seven people talking to me, and I don't even know any of them.

4. The waitress at a restaurant specifically asks if I want a sweet tea. Uh, yes please.

5. It's a total waste of time to straighten my hair (or do anything with it but wear it in a bun).

6. The thought of wearing jeans makes me sweat.

7. I can eat at Cracker Barrel or Chick-Fil-A anytime I want (except for Sundays of course).

8. AND my sister can actually drive down for a visit!

Life Lately

Life's been coming at me pretty fast lately.

Memorial Weekend: We had an incredible time exploring Maine with some great friends. 
+ Ben and Sarah - not pictured :(

Beautiful Camden

To anyone that knows Andy: Doesn't this picture just put a big smile on your face?

A week later: I flew to Nashville for one of my dearest, bestest friend's wedding. I never thought I would say this, but it was so nice to be back in the southern, humid, sultry heat. It definitely helped that I got to spend time with some of my best friends and help Kayla put the finishing touches on a beautiful wedding.

Wasn't she just gorgeous?

I'm so excited that I'll get to see my sweet friend in Chatt. soon!

A few days after that: I found out that I'll be teaching 9th grade English at the school I student taught at in the fall!!! This makes me even more excited to move back knowing that I get to work along side of the teachers I learned so much from last semester.

THEN a couple days later: Patrick and I celebrated our first anniversary, and my mother and father-in-law flew in for a long weekend. We had such an amazing time roaming and hiking around Acadia, driving up the coast, and taking a long bike ride around the national park. It was an amazing Maine experience for us all. Plus, an Acadia hike was a prefect anniversary trip to celebrate an awesome year with my love!

I'm truly blessed to have these two as my in-laws!

At the first place to see the sun in the U.S. We weren't quite up for getting to the top of this mountain at 4 a.m. to experience the sunset, but he view was definitely just as impressive at 4 p.m..

Currently: I'm finishing up my last week of work, preparing for the movers, and packing for a trip to Vermont this weekend. Oh! And since it's a given that I'll be teaching Romeo and Juliet, I started reading it for THE FIRST TIME EVER. Yeah, I know every high school freshman is suppose to read it, but my teacher decided to spend the entire semester  reading The Odyssey instead. (Good job preparing the young minds of the future!) I think it's definitely works out in my favor though because I appreciate the text and comprehend it much better than I ever would as a 14-year-old.

Our time here in Bangor is quickly coming to a close and as I think back on our experience I'm filled with a sense of relief that we survived such a rough winter, joy that I found a fun, rewarding job, a bit of sadness that we're leaving at the most beautiful time of year, and a ton of incredible memories that I'll be able to share with future Hortons many years from now. South Carolina: here we come! (Hopefully to stay.) :)

Year One

We've made it. The exciting, exhilarating, yet frustrating adjustment of the first year of marriage is over. And adjustment is exactly what it has been.

It only feels likes a few weeks ago when I was putting on the final touches for the big day. I had never been more excited, anxious, and happy in my life. The hours I put into making decorations, printing invitations, and organizing the details had me worried the it would all come together in a non-tacky, storybook kind of way. My amazing friends and family worked so very hard to set everything up the day of, and when I pulled up to the gardens, I was elated. It was better than I had ever imagined. It was undoubtedly my dream wedding (husband included).

I could go on and on how perfect and beautiful of a day it was, but I will spare you of an obnoxious rant and share pictures instead because who wants to read a long, boring post when they can look at pictures, right? I'll just say that it was a wonderful kick-off to what has been one of the most life-changing, rewarding years of my life. From a move from TN to SC, then SC to ME, and soon to move from ME back to SC all in the first year of marriage has not been easy, but it's been an incredible journey so far. It's made us completely rely on each other for all of our needs, which has taught us far more about ourselves and one another than we ever could have learned otherwise. We've realized that marriage takes daily work. Whoever said you could live on love must have had a short marriage. Though the whole idea of a 'lovey dovie,' 'I get butterflies every time you walk in' kind of marriage is nice to daydream about when you're dating, it just isn't real life. There are days when I'm so frustrated that I just have to find some coupons to cut before I go off, and that's where love comes in. I'm exceptionally blessed to be living this awesome life God has given me with such a wonderful, funny, loving, crazy smart, easy-going man.

(Jessie Holloway truly is the best!)
           

    

          

Here's to many more...

Living Off the Land

It's been a rainy one. All week has been soggy, cloudy, and chilly. (Is it just me, or is soggy is a gross word?) And since the flowers and trees are just now blooming up here, that means allergies are finally catching up to me. I knew they were lurking around the corner, just waiting to attack. So, after their long awaited appearance, they've hit me on the rainiest week yet (which makes me feel even ickier). Yet, I'm not complaining. It's really been a great week with a long, exciting weekend vastly approaching.

So here's my tale for now:

A couple weekends ago, Patrick was asked to go fly fishing. I consider my husband as an outdoorsy guy, but not the fishing and hunting outdoorsy type. He's more of the hiking, camping, nature-lover kind of outdoorsy-man. Needless to say, he knows next to nothing about fishing, but being the adventurous sport that he is, he gladly accepted the invitation. He traveled about two hours north of here (which is straight-up wilderness) and jumped in a canoe on a cold, rainy Saturday to fly fish his little heart out.

And he didn't do so bad. He caught five brook trout (the biggest one jumped back in the water...so he says), which I would consider a success for his first fly fishing trip.

Don't you think the shirt is fitting? We wore our seat belts to a hockey game and got these XXL t-shirts. It goes nicely with our collection.

His friend was nice enough to gut the fish before he brought them home, but it was still a gross job on my end. After a short Google search, I figured out how to cook fresh fish (I only buy the cheap frozen kind when it's on sale).

I mixed up a little flour batter, buttered the pan, and fried it right up. Besides painstakingly picking out the spine and pin bones, I've come to conclude that fresh is definitely better than frozen.

Not only did I learn how to batter up a fresh brook trout, I learned that if we ever get lost in the cold, moose-filled wilderness of Maine, thanks to my huntsman of a husband, the Horton's could certainly live off the land.

Saturday Happiness

I've been thinking. Thinking about things that make me happy. Thinking about things that help me relax. Thinking about things that fill me up (foods and non-foods included). So, I've compiled a list. Kind of. The list is scattered in my mind at the moment. Some things may come up as I write. Thoughts scattered. List in no particular order. Sentence fragments allowed...just this once.

1. Newest addiction.

Cinnamon Life has been my go-to cereal for some time now, but when I saw the big box of Life Maple & Brown Sugar on sale at Wal-Mart I had to give it a try. Boy-oh-boy, pancakes in cereal form. Sound good? Well, it is. I'm constantly grabbing at handful and just eating it dry. I can't get enough of this stuff; therefore, it makes me oh-so-very happy.

2. The smell of rain on a warm day. I could just lay on the asphalt and sniff it for hours after a spring shower. I haven't personally done this yet, but if I could find a road where I know no one would see me or run over me, I would be all over this.

3. Snuggling on the couch with hubs and Walter after an exhausting day at work...or just anytime.

I love these guys.

4. Going to the new laundromat.

The laundromat I've been going to moved to a new location, and it was such a pleasurable experience...well, as pleasurable as a laundromat can be. It's super close to the apartment. It smells fresh and new. The machines are bigger and better, which means it takes fewer quarters to clean and dry. I felt safe the entire time. They have complimentary coffee and T.V.s.
You have no idea how happy my trip to the laundromat made me today. It's the small things, y'all.

5. Finding great deals.

I went to Goodwill yesterday and bought a few outfits and a large bulletin board that's in great shape all for the price of one pair of jeans or a meal for two at Olive Garden or a movie date including popcorn. It's good deal, folks. I'm planning on re-vamping the board, so check back later for the before and after. (Give me a few weeks. I tend to procrastinate.)

6. The fact that we just found a place in Greenville for when we move back in July!

We are enjoying our time in Maine, but we're anxiously counting down the days until we get back down south. We miss our family, friends, Chick-Fil-A, sweet tea, and the southern way of life. I never thought much of this laid-back, slow-paced, friendly, southern drawl way of life until I moved away. Then I realized it's the only life for me. Patrick and I love Greenville, and we're extremely excited to settle down there for a while.

View from a hike near Greenville.

7. Skyping with my sister.

She's my greatest friend, and talking to her makes me feel at home.

8. And what fills me up the most tonight is thinking about my awesome mom. I wish I could zap myself home to spend Mother's Day with her and the rest of my family tomorrow, but it doesn't look like that's going to be a possibility this year. She's such a kind-hearted, incredibly funny woman. Y'all should meet her sometime. :)

I love you Mom!

Okay, I guess that should do it for now. But come to think of it, compiling a list of what makes me happy makes me happy, so consider the closing number nine.


Until next time.


Diana