2009!

If I updated my blog more often, maybe it wouldn't seem like such a daunting task to sit down and type an update! Here's a long-overdue post -- my first in 2009!

Let's see... we had an amazing Christmas. Seriously the best in quite a while. And mostly (all?) because of the opportunity we had to break Grammy out of her nursing home and take her to Christmas dinner. We took her to Wes's Nana's house (only about 15 minutes away from Morgantown in PA), along with my mom and Wes's family. Everyone had a blast! If you need proof, here are a couple pictures. For more, check out this album.





















































I love my grandmother so much, and it was an absolute joy to have her around the Crouser family. She adores them and had so much fun. See?














I wish that picture wasn't blurry!

Maybe I'll take better pictures with my new digital camera, courtesy of my mama! One of my favorite Christmas gifts.









Thanks, Mom. :) Another favorite Christmas gift was a brand-new Chi flat iron! My wonderful MIL surprised me with it and it just might be my favorite gift. It gets so hot and works so well... and I definitely wouldn't have purchased it for myself. Aren't those the best kind of gifts?









Wes got -- you guessed it -- books. Lots and LOTS of books. An Amazon wish-list FULL of books. To house them all, we had to buy bookshelves and put them in our closet.














They look full in this picture, but thankfully they're not... yet (they extend up and to the right). When they are full (i.e., after next semester), I'm not sure what our next move will be!

Speaking of the next semester, it hasn't started yet (Wes does have a J-term starting next Monday, though: Philosophical Methodological Issues In Theology, whatever that means), but you can still find him like this at any given moment:














That's my husband: thoroughly predictable (and handsome!). Gotta love it.

That's really about it. I am watching the first season of The West Wing as I type, a show I dearly love. Alicia got me hooked and I started on Season 2 (she didn't have Season 1 at the time) and I watched religiously to the end (and cried quite hard during the last episode of Season 7). Since then, Alicia obtained Season 1 and I'm "catching up" on the beginning. It's kind of funny to see how different the show was back then and how well the characters evolved throughout the seasons. I highly recommend the show if you've never seen it! (For some reason Wes doesn't like it; it's made me seriously question his character.)

I might start 24 next. Any thoughts?

Speaking of things that occupy quite a lot of my time, I'm enjoying my new job. After two months, I finally have a desk, and I assembled my office chair this morning. Now I'm just waiting on a computer, and it should arrive any day now. Pretty soon I'll be able to get some work done! :) Travis (new boss) has been great about buying things and redecorating, which is something the office needed. It's still looking a little overwhelmed with boxes and leftover Christmas decorations, but I promise to post some pictures soon.

Oh, and something I want to occupy quite a lot of my time this year: reading through the Old Testament. Sojourn (our church) is spending 2009 going through the OT together, and Wes and I have committed to following along at home. I'm excited about it; it's been a long time since I read the OT (and the Bible in general, if I'm honest). If the idea terrifies you, check this out. And if you'd like a copy of Sojourn's OT reading guide, email me and I'll send it to you!

That's about it for now. We're looking forward to a Martin Luther King, Jr. trip with our Community Group to Gatlinburg, TN. We'll arrive there on Friday night and leave on Monday morning. (Check out pictures of our cabin!) We're looking forward to quality time together (as couples and as a group) and spiritual renewal. Oh, and I'm looking forward to the hot tub. :)

Until then, we'll just be working like it's our job. Speaking of jobs, you can pray for Wes -- the economy crunch has caused Starbucks to reduce the amount of hours available in any given week. Not only does that mean he's not getting enough hours (only two shifts this week!), but it also means that the hours he does work are always incredibly stressful (there are never enough people working to handle the customer load). We're both praying and seeking wisdom about whether or not he should look for another job. We would hate to lose the health insurance, but God will provide.

If nothing else, it'll give me something to post in a couple weeks. :) But if you tire of the long wait between updates (you know, 'cause so many of you just sit around WAITING for me to update my blog!), I thought I'd leave you with a few links to some of my favorite blogs. (They're also linked in my side bar.) Enjoy!

This Young House - the home-makeover tales of John and Sherry Petersik, a classy, fun, young decorating duo. I absolutely love their blog. And it's great to know I'm not the only one with a deep appreciation for all things white. :)

How About Orange - while orange isn't one of my favorites, Jessica Jones is. Her blog is always inspiring. She's so talented!

Dooce - I'm not sure it's possible to be more different than someone yet appreciate them so much. Heather Armstrong's blog cracks me up. She's funny -- and she's a great photographer. I love reading her posts and checking out Chuck's latest photo. While I typically disagree with her ideologies, she's a must-read on my blog list.

Confessions of a Pioneer Woman - I recently stumbled upon this blog and was instantly sucked into Ree Drummond's true-life romance, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels. She's quite the writer! And she hosts some amazing giveaways, so be on the lookout!

Covetier - I love this blog by Lindsey and Julie, who "aspire to live in style and surround [themselves] with tasteful designs." You'll love it, too!

Making It Lovely - I basically dream of being Nicole Balch. Not only does she have a great eye for style, but she also owns her own business, Pink Loves Brown. It's my dream to own my own stationery line, and Nicole is such an inspiration to me.

To avoid making this blog longer than it already is, I'll stop there -- but there are lots of other great links to your right. Happy reading!