It's true.

I've been avoiding my blog. 

Except this past week I keep thinking of things to blog about but then I feel like I have so much to catch up on and then I convince myself that most of the people who read this already follow me on Instagram or Facebook so they already know what's going on. But then again those are only snippets and it's not narrated. And Mark pointed out today that it's been awhile. So, I'll do my best.

First of all...I got married!!!!!!!!!!! In December. Now I'm a Sadie! (Sadie, Sadie Married Lady. Name that movie. Streisand! Anyone? Anyone?) And it was the most perfect day. There is not one thing I would change about the day. I know lots of friends who have said they wish they could go back and do things differently. I don't. It was exactly as I wanted it to be. It was cold, miserably cold (low teens and then got down to single digits in the afternoon), but beautiful and I didn't care because, hello!, I just got married and I was surrounded by dear, darling, wonderful friends and family. And it snowed!!! Perfection. 

Here are some of my favorite shots:

We got married in the LDS Boston Temple

My brother, Dane, is currently serving a mission for the LDS (Mormon) church in Australia and since he couldn't attend the wedding in real life and I wanted him to "be there," we had a life-size cardboard cut out of him. This is one of my favorite pictures! 

And since Mark and I are both avid baseball fans, we took pictures around Fenway Park, which was a blast! 

Three of my very best friends came for our wedding. My only regret is that I didn't have enough time to catch up with them and have more "girl time." And when we had our reception in Dallas in January, two more surprised me and showed up. I don't know how I got so lucky to have these INCREDIBLE friends!

Now you have to understand, I am a food snob at times and if you know nothing about me, I LOVE Regina's Pizza in Boston. Well as luck would have it, I knew they had opened up a shop near Fenway and our photographer, Jennifer White--who was *wonderful* and I HIGHLY recommend her--was cool enough to take some shots in the pizza place. 

Yes. We ate pizza after we took pictures. In our wedding get-up. We were starving! And cold! 

Now for the "reception," we opted to do more of an open house. I envisioned an intimate, fun setting. I wanted to greet and chat and hug every single person that came to celebrate with us because I want them to know it meant a lot and that I love them. I think it was a success. Even with snow storms in the forecast, I love my New Englanders who braved the looming storm to come. My mom made the desserts. Yes, all of them. Thirty-something cookies/brownies, etc., including our three-layered chocolate peanut butter with ganache wedding cake. 

As I said, it was perfect. Mark and I spent a few days in Boston on a "mini-honeymoon" and then the craziness began. I worked for 2 hectic days when we got to Myrtle Beach and wrapped things up. Gosh it was a whirlwind. We loaded my stuff in a U-haul and headed to Texas. (Fun fact about Gabe: I do not enjoy road trips. No I do not). We arrived in San Angelo on a Sunday, spent two days getting the keys for out apartment, me filling out paperwork for my new job and getting an official start day, and then we headed to Dallas for a few days for Christmas, and then headed back to San Angelo. Lots of time in a car...

San Angelo is...

I don't even know what to say. It's artsy, country, unique. It's isolated but a nice jumping point to Dallas, San Antonio, Austin and some smaller towns that have a lot to offer. My favorite town that we have visited (aside from Dallas because a) Mark's family is there and I love them and b) it has every shop I could think of to shop at INCLUDING the biggest Whole Foods I have ever seen!) so far has been Fredericksburg. THANK GOODNESS Texas has antique shops. I found a darling kitchen hutch in an antique store here in San Angelo a month ago that I fell in love with, had to have and is one of my favorite purchases ever. 

I wouldn't live here by choice but having someone (aka Mark) to do things with has made all of the difference. We have a list of things we want to do while we are living here. I've turned our apartment into a bit of a sanctuary. I love coming home to our apartment. It's cozy and our little haven. I love decorating and planning  and in the mean time, dreaming of our future home. We have several little projects that we are working on. We painted an accent wall in our living room (only one because we have to paint it back before me move) and I love it. We still need a few pieces of furniture but it's fun to hunt and wait to find the piece and then to see rooms come together. I'll post pictures in a little bit. Right now we have laundry to fold, it's gloomy, and Mark is studying so there are papers and binders askew. 

I cook more, which I was scared of when I got married because I don't think I'm a good cook or even a cook and it seems daunting. Plus, Mark's mom is an aaaaamazing cook and now I have to feed her son? Umm...intimidating. I bake. I like sugar and flour and a vanilla and the myriad of ways I can manipulate a small bit of ingredients to produce delectable treats. It thrills me! But, thank you Pinterest, I am becoming a bit more confident with cooking and it's been quite fun. Also Mark likes to cook so when I don't want to or don't have the energy, he will! Or we just go for cereal. Can't beat it! I haven't burned or completely botched a recipe yet. Plus it makes it much more worthwhile when you have someone to cook for beside yourself. I actually do enjoy it and have a goal to cook at least 3 times/week (and then we have leftovers!).

 Last night I made buffalo chicken stuffed peppers with guacamole (well, Mark made the guac because he's the master). INCREDIBLE. Recipe here

San Angelo is barren, dry, and reminds me of Utah/Nevada/Arizona. Not my favorite geography (I'm sorry, the desert does nothing for me) so I've decided to create a "garden" of potted plants indoors and outdoors. I need greenery! Yesterday I planted pansies, pincushion flowers, and white knights. Our neighbors even commented on them! *smug face* I finally planted the grape hyacinth bulbs Mark's Mom got me. I'm scared I did it all wrong and that they will die but time will tell. I must have read several articles about how to pot grape hyacinths and what pot is the best, the best weather conditions, how wet the soil should be, how deep to plant them. etc. For the love. Please just let them bloom. And I got some succulents because I just think they look so cool!

So here's a day in the married life of Gabe (or close to it):

*Mark wakes up around 5:15-5:30am because he has to be on base around 6:15. I half consciously listen to him get ready, he leaves, calls me when he gets to base a little after 6am to make sure I get up because snoozing alarms is easy and talking to him wakes me up so that I will get out of bed and work out.

*I get up and work out. I never thought I'd be a morning exerciser but in the short amount of time I have been doing this, it has become a favorite part of my day. It's quiet and I get some time to myself. Exercising before work is also genius because then it's done and out of the way! 

*I go to work, where I work at a hospital in town. Ok pause. Let's talk about work. I don't mind San Angelo that much. I don't (also it helps to know that this is not a permanent situation. Also Mark is a wonderful husband--seriously, I really lucked out--and makes life blissful). I'd rather live in the Dallas area if I had to live in Texas but whatever, we didn't get to choose so here we are. I do, however, at times DESPISE San Angelo because my job often makes me want to cry and/or rip my hair out and/or seriously consider a new career. Truly. I try not to complain but, I'm often miserable at work. I even started covering our ICU unit, which was my goal/dream and one of the major reasons I worked for my CNSC, and even then, eh. I miss my old job. I desperately miss my partner in crime and fellow redhead Amy. Desperately. I walked into a very divided and tense department. It's a disaster. And why the heck did I chose a field predominantly female? Good gracious. WAY. WAY. WAAAAY too much estrogen for me. Plus you cram 6 females in an office the size of shoebox and that's enough to drive me mad. I think it's also a mix of being the new kid (I had WAY more freedom at my last job, a lot less people breathing down my neck, and among the defining characteristics that make me up, independent is most certainly one of them, and I feel suffocated), starting to get burned out clinically (I'd love a job that recognizes holidays), and the constant drain of working in a very dramatic, negative environment. I find myself trying to find more reasons to avoid the office and delight when I am so busy I only take breaks for lunch and then to drop my stuff off at the end of the day to go home. Culinary school looks better and better by the hour. I'd rather cook, bake, and create fun, yummy things that make people happy. I mean how can someone get upset over a cookie? Seriously! But hey at least I can wear scrubs to work. I have cool colleagues that help. I look forward to the day I can go part-time or not work at all and be a stay-at-home-mom. Alas, I endure.

*After work I usually run errands (usually to the post office, the library, or the grocery store) and either meet Mark on base to work out, or go home and work out at the gym in our apartment complex. 

*Then we have dinner and Mark usually studies and I read, clean, do laundry, Pinterest recipes, plan menus, online "window" shop (usually for furniture, and more recently clothes since I feel isolated and there are maybe 2 good clothing stores here), and then sometimes we may watch Gilmore Girls (I've got Mark hooked! HA!) 

*Usually we're in bed by 10-11pm (I forgot how wonderful it is to go to bed before midnight and actually get more than 5-6 hours of sleep!)

Fridays are date nights. Saturdays we usually sleep in (until a whopping 8am, but I'm actually ok with that. Can't waste a precious day!) and then we have something planned, be it projects, a day trip somewhere, a trip downtown for antiquing and lunch, etc. Lately we've started visiting Petsmart Saturday mornings to look at puppies because I am not baby hungry (far from it actually; the thought of having a child right now is frightening. I'm not ready. I am so not ready), I'm puppy hungry! So we agreed that if Mark's next assignment doesn't bring us overseas, we're getting a puppy. HAPPY DAY! I'm been looking at miniature schnauzer puppies for weeks. So cute! 

So, that's that. Being married rocks. I was nervous the transition would be challenging since our entire courtship was long distance, but I think in a weird way, it made the transition very easy. And it helps when your husband is so wonderful, super easy-going and extraordinarily patient with his, at times, high-strung, impatient wife. And I am madly in love with him. I lucked out, majorly.

Pictures of the apartment to come soon!

P.S. Dude! Did you hear? Jimmer is going to the Bulls! Maybe now his career will finally take off. Yesssss! Give him a chance! He's got such potential, I just want to see a bit of the BYU Jimmer in the NBA. He's so talented! Hopefully this is better than the stupid Sacramento Kings. And...baseball season is just around the corner! 

Now off to bake cookies while Mark studies...

Holy blogging slacker

Bad Gabe, bad! Bad blogger. 

In my defense...wedding planning does take a bit of time. And I'm studying for a huge exam. Just sayin'. But holy catscans I haven't blogged since June. Geez Louise. Where did the time go?? Prepare for another picture overload.

July. Mark came to New England. I have only be waiting for this for forever. Finally I got to show him my turf, my heaven on earth, my happy place!!!!!

Scotty slept with me during my visit. It was sweet to cuddle with this furball again. I miss him. 

 Now try as I might, friends, I just cannot plan a leisurely visit to New England. It's impossible. I love this place too much and there is FAR too much to see and experience. I tried to go easy on Mark, but alas, I failed. I surely tired him out! But there was many a good time had by all. 

Directly from the airport I took him to one of my favorite eateries on the coast: Petey's. This is one of my family's favorite seafood places. It's also one of the first places when went out to eat when we moved to New England. It's all about the tuna melts. Mark got crab cakes and wished he would have gotten a tuna melt with me. Told ya...

Mark went on his first (debatable...does the BART count? I saw no but DR says yes)train ride into my favorite city ever, my beloved Boston

 

Naturally we had to see as much of the city as possible. From Mass Ave and Fenway to Copley Square, Boston Commons, Beacon Hill, Government Center,Quincy Market, and the North End. He saw it all. Too briefly, but he saw it.

I personally have never taken the Fenway Tour, and being that we are both avid baseball fans, I thought it would be a blast to experience it together. Oh it was!!! I love Fenway. And I love Mark. So it was grand! 

A very happy Mark. I love this picture. 

Also you should know, and of course this would happen to me, it was one of the hottest days of the summer on the day we went to Boston. Ah well. It didn't stop us! 

 

And since I've only been talking up Regina's since we met, we had to go. It was deeeelicious! 

And, of course, he had to have a fresh lobstah. He did well! Very little coaching needed. 

We also went candlepin bowling with the family. I think this is mostly a northeast/New England thing, as I've never seen it anywhere else.

My darling friend Becca came over for cookies, meet and greets with Mark, and to chat. It's always a delight to be with Becca!

And then the horrid day came where Mark had to leave. So afterward, my mom and I sought out Shake Shack and indulged. 

FABULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Can't wait to go back!

Next. The Redheads (Amy and Gabe) had a long overdue day trip. We went to Charleston to get gelato, hit up Whole Foods and Trader Joes. 

I've come to the conclusion that gelato and homemade New England ice cream are my favorite treats in the world. Don't faint when I say...I'm a little over froyo. Now that it's "the thing" and there's a blasted fro yo shop every 2 miles, I'm kind of over it. It's good. I still eat it. But the magic is gone. But put hazelnut and chocolate gelato near me and watch out...

Amy and I stopped and had a splendid light lunch at a place called Five Loaves. Quaint and yummy. 

 My loot from the trip. Carbs. Bread, cheese, pasta, cookies, and a dessert. Yup, sounds about right!

I just had to share this because my heart melted and I almost teared up one Sunday morning, when during church Heath and Emma sent this to me. What an adorable pup. I miss him but I'm so happy that he is happy in New England with HEmma. 

Yesterday I was walking to yoga and I bubble with pure happiness when I saw this! I am SO very ready FALL. SO READY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm done with summer. Yes. I am. Summer and I do not see eye to eye. It's too hot and humid. I crave cool temps, sweaters, hot chocolate, fall colors, leaves, and that smell, you what I am talking about? The smell of fall. Oh gosh I love it. Now it's not as pronounced here in SC...but I manage. Lots of Gilmore Girls, cups of Ghirardelli hot chocolate, and crunching every leaf I can! 

Today.

Here's the deal. I am not a retail shopper. I don't have the stamina. Shopping is a work out in and of itself, mentally and physically, and sometimes emotionally. All that walking, sorting through clothes, every designer/brand fits differently, trying them on, being horrified/discouraged and sometimes pleased, carrying bags, over and over and over. Gosh it's exhausting. I prefer to go in with an item in mind, find it or don't, and be gone. In and out. Plus. You know what, I don't know what happened, if the amount of cotton/rayon/polyester/silk available on the planet is in short supply but all of the clothes these days are SEE THROUGH. Excuse me. First of all, I don't feel the need to have everyone see my bra. Trash was never in style and I don't intend to encourage it. Yeah I went there. *scowl* Second, I HATE layering. I HATE wearing camisoles under shirts. It's bulky and uncomfortable and annoying. Either I have to tuck it in or keep pulling and adjusting. NO! No. I want a shirt that requires just that, itself. When did upscale stores start selling clothes as cheaply made as Forever 21? NOT. A. FAN. I was so angry today. I found tons of cute shirts, only to pick it up and realize I could see my hand. Through the back. And then the price was $58. Ridiculous. 

BUT. I did have a shopping success. I had reached the end of my shopping stamina and decided I'd pop into Belk real quick and then leave. Seeing nothing good clothing wise, I headed over to the shoe section, which was a MAD HOUSE. Back up. When I went home in June, my mom had these cute wedges that were SUPER comfortable. I found them online...and they were ridiculously priced. Well never mind that. I was so sad. Well. In Belk, I immediately recognized the style of several pairs of wedges sitting on the clearance table. Could it be?!??? So I scurried closer and to my delight, the wedges were there!!! The price said $40, so I greedily snatched them up, marched over to the cashier and bought them. The final price? $26. HA! SUCCESS! I WIN! Cute shoes and for a fraction of the price. Man, I love a good bargain. And goodness they are so comfortable. 

 

And (my original intention for going to the mall in the first place) I bought a Yankee Candle. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you I lamented over which candle to buy for about 15 minutes. The fall candles are my faaaaavorite (shocker). They didn't have the Pear Spice one (yet??) so I was trying to choose between 2 or 3. But you know, after you sniff 8 candles about 3 dozen times, they all begin to smell the same. Thank goodness for coffee beans. I finally decided on this one, and it's yummmy!  

And now I want to bake something. I really am craving banana bread but I only have on banana right now and that really won't do. Drats. Time to thumb through my cookbooks. YAY!