Caught on Camera

I logged onto my facebook account the other day, and found a new picture posted with both Nick and I tagged. I couldn't help but laugh, and re-realize how much I love my husband, and his goofy personality. I look forward to him officially moving in this weekend, so we can truly start the beginning of the rest of our lives together.

Upgrades

Yesterday, we had our Fios internet installed, and already Nick has been completing his daily downloads. So nice to have faster internet, that makes my hubby happy. Thank you though, to whoever I have been borrowing internet service from for the last 2 weeks.

Bedroom furniture was also delivered yesterday! I'm happy :-) After sleeping on the guest bedroom mattress on the floor since we moved in, it was extra special to finally sleep on our mattress last night. I slept like a rock.

I think we've gone above and beyond our quota for upgrades this year, so while we're at this plateau, I'm going to bask in the great feeling of "newness."

Master bedroom before...

...and after.

Even Brasky is satisfied with the upgrades

Many Things to be Thankful For

This year has been full of many things we are thankful for; each other, friends and family and their love and support for our wedding; new jobs (Nick accepted an offer for the IT dept of a financial firm!), new house, our crazy animals...and the list continues.

On Thanksgiving, we trekked to the Poconos for our yearly turkey dinner at my Uncle's house. It's fun to see the same people you saw a year ago, and catch up on life, and see how people have changed or grown in the past year. I'm thankful my brother and sister-in-law were able to make the trip with their newborn Natalie.

Karen and Mom

Paige, Carley, and Lindsay

As a yearly tradition we always take a family portrait outside, in the same spot. After doing this for the past 6 years, its fun to look back on previous photos and see have we've changed.

Gatorade or H2O?

This year I was finally able to volunteer at the Philadelphia Marathon. My mom, brother and sister, have been volunteering together for the past 5 years, but I was never able to make it. What a great opportunity to spend time with my family and lend help for such a big event!

We arrived at our water stop location at 6:30am, the sun just starting to show itself.  We were greeted with donuts, pretzels, hot chocolate and coffee for breakfast. Once we filled our stomachs...and woke up, the fun and work began!

Chris and Lindsay

Todd and Danielle

Mom and I

The men unloaded the huge truck filled with tables, hundreds of gallons of water and Gatorade, and thousands of Dixie cups.

Once unloaded, everyone started setting up the tables and lining them with cups, then filling them with gatorade and water. With thousands of runners soon to need liquids, we had to work quickly and carefully.

While waiting, you could see the runners across the river, yet to reach our water stop.

Our water stop provided runners with hydration at two different points in the marathon. Once at 12.5 miles, and then at 24.5 miles.

When the crowds of runners would come together, it was busy! You can only hold so many cups in your hand before you have to run to the tables to get more. Each volunteer finds their own strategy for holding the cups for the runners to easily grab.

How awesome to be a part of such a world wide known event. Even though I don't have the personal ambition to complete this 26.2 mile event, I will be there to support and cheer you on, hopefully a tradition for the following years to come.

Becoming the Hinman Household

Each day that passes, I slowly attempt to add one decoration to a room or two so our house starts to feel a little more like home. Recently I have added few personalized gifts that we received for the wedding.

Hand made bench from my dad and Carrie; in the dining room

Cross stitch made by my grandma; hung in the dining room

Cross stitch made by  my mom, currently on the fireplace mantle...awaiting relocation

The Hinman Coat of Arms, passed down from Mom and Dad Hinman; hanging in the foyer

We are well on our way to becoming The Hinman Household.... we're just missing the main Hinman. (Come on Nick! Hurry up and get your bottom down here!)

Nick is currently awaiting a phone call about a job he had 3 interviews for. Keep your fingers crossed!

"Been Busy" is an Understatement

We finally did it! We closed on our new house November 5th. After closing, i returned to work for another hour to finish up. Nick and I picked up the new house, vacuumed and cleaned out cabinets and got ready for move in day on saturday.

Saturday morning came so quickly, after a night of driving back to Williamsport. We picked up the Uhaul at 7:30am an preceded to start loading. By 1pm, we were ready to make the drive back to Boothwyn, PA. Thank you to the friends and family that took time out of their day to help us with our big move.

Old house in Williamsport

Uhaul packed and ready to go

New house, Boothwyn, PA

Bet your booty we took a soak at the end of the day :-)

On Sunday, I didn't waste anytime. I was up at 7am to start painting the kitchen.

The yellow had to go

Welcome my favorite color!!

Since Sunday, I have painted an accent wall in the master bedroom, and painted the hallway bathroom. Pictures yet to come. With out any internet access, i've had ample time to not be distracted by emails and blog updates; but on the other hand, I have felt disconnected from the world. Thanks to my brother and sister-in-law who live 5 minutes away, i can access what i need when i'm there.

If You Need a Good Laugh...

One of my friends emailed this to me, and it totally made my day! I can relate to this, being the germaphobe that I am.

Women's Restroom

When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of
women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied

Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall..
You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has
been so long you are about to wet your pants! The dispenser for the modern 'seat covers' (invented by someone's Mom , no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door hook, if there was one, but there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, ( Mom would turn over in her grave if you put it on the FLOOR!), yank down your pants, and assume ' The Stance.'

In this position your aging, toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to wipe the seat or lay toilet paper on it, so you hold 'The Stance.'

To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you
discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, 'Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!' Your thighs shake more.

You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse. (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now, you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail

Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet. 'Occupied!' you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lose your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT .. It is wet of course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom has made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try. You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear, 'You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get.'

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so
confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose
against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that
covers your butt and runs down your legs and into your shoes. The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in too.

At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.

You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic
sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel and walk past the line of women still waiting.

You are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when youNEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, 'Here, you just might need this.'

As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks, 'What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?'

This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with a public restrooms (rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked questions about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse and hand you Kleenex under the door!