Pictures

Here are some pictures from last weekend. At first I took a few of our adorable little kitties, look how big they've gotten!! But then I kept taking pictures of the rest of the apartment because I don't think I've put any up since before we moved in. It's still pretty plain since we're not allowed to paint the walls or really even hang anything big up. So we just have a few things hanging on the walls and the only curtain we hung was one that used an expandable shower rod so we wouldn't put any holes in the walls. But overall, it's beginning to look slightly like a home.

Here's Huck chilling on our new end table

And here's Emma in her favorite spot

Look, I bought a plant!!

This is the whole kitchen/dining/living room in one photo

And this is the cat's corner

I finally did it

After being married for 7 months and 11 days, I finally went down to the Social Security office to change my name. Don't worry, it's not because I didn't want to change my name at all; I've been going by Kimberlee O'Malley and my business cards have that name on it, but my license and all official documents still say Kimberlee Ortiz. So, since today is the last day of recess until Memorial Day, and I'm not supposed to skip out on work when we're in session, it was either today or... never.

I've been putting this off because I hate the Social Security Administration, I hate lines and waiting rooms, I hate the Department of Licensing, I hate paperwork, and I hate government bureaucracies- except for the one that employs me. But yesterday I bought an airline ticket for Kimberlee O'Malley so I better get this taken care of in the next two months or else I won't be allowed to get on that plane.

I took the metro to the downtown office, got a number and waited for an hour until they called me. They were brutal there, if you weren't at the counter by the 3rd time they call your number, you have to get a new one and start all over. I witnessed this happen to a woman who was listening to her iPod and realized her number was called about 5 seconds too late. This almost happened to me since I had forgotten to fill out the paperwork while I was waiting, but luckily they let me fill it out while standing at the counter. At the end of it all, they promised me my new social security card would arrive in the mail within 2 weeks.

Then I get to venture into hell (the DC Department of Licensing) and do it all over again just to get a picture ID with my new name. But it will all be worth it when I'm not flagged on the terrorist watch list because I tried to board a plane in Washington, DC with the wrong ID. Also, I will no longer be asked repeatedly by Brandon, my parents, and my boss why I won't change my name.

So.Cute.

So Shauna and Jon got a new puppy last night... and I can't even remember the last time I've been this jealous of anybody. He's a beagle and his name is Oliver and he just might be the cutest puppy EVER. Shauna and Jon are going to be such good parents, this is one lucky dog!! I WANT ONE!!!!

I WANT ONE!!!!

I WANT ONE!!!!

I asked for a puppy for my birthday, but since Brandon hates dogs, I doubt I'll actually get one. *Sigh* So for now, I'll settle for my kittens, whom I love, but who could never make up for a dog.

Oh the Irony...

So today I went to the doctor's office because I've been sick since the first week of October. Yes, that's right, I said October. I went a couple of months ago too, but the antibiotic they gave me didn't work. It made me better for about 2 weeks and then my cold came right back. It hasn't been bad enough for me to call in sick to work or anything since about December, but it's just awfully annoying to be sick for 6 months straight.

Anyways, I went to the doctor finally and told them what was wrong and that I had had a cold that just wouldn't go away. The doctor did her little exam and then said, well it seems that you're just allergic. Did you recently move here? Yes, I said. Ah, well that explains it; you're just allergic to the climate here.

What?!?! I'm allergic to the Mid-Atlantic climate? I had to sit back and laugh at the irony of it all. Not only do I miss the West Coast terribly and want to move back home more than anything, but now I have actually developed an allergy to DC. If I hadn't heard it with my own ears, I wouldn't have believed it.

You know those movies where everything that possibly could go wrong does, like a long string of continuous misfortunes? And then it shows the main character just laughing hysterically at the situation... just because there's nothing else to do besides laugh? That's exactly how I feel right now.

Anyways, I am now on a daily dose of Claritin for the remainder of my life in DC... which hopefully won't be the remainder of my life period. And I will also frequently be shooting up nasal sprays. Hopefully, that will keep the allergies at bay and allow my nasal cavities to dry up. In the meantime, I will just be laughing to myself every time I sneeze because it will remind me of this incredibly ironic yet hopelessly funny situation that I now find myself in.

Stanley and Scarlett

Today Brandon's parents are moving all the way to Stanley, Idaho. Stanley is a itty bitty town in the middle of Idaho... about an hour north (I think) of Sun Valley. And when I say itty bitty I’m not kidding, it only has 100 people in it… as of tomorrow the population will be 102.

They sound really excited about this, especially Gary since he loves to hunt and fish and build stuff. I’m sure they’re very sad to leave their old life, Christ’s Church, and all of their friends in Washington though. And I’m also sure that Sari will deal with these losses far better than I have... I wish I could be more like her.

Here are some pictures of their new cabin:

The View

The Cabin
Look at those cute sage green cabinets!!

While talking about his Dad’s annual hunting trip

Brandon: Would it be ok with you if I went on a hunting trip some day?

Me: How long would I have to cook and eat Elk for?

Brandon: My dad always brought back like 800 pounds and it lasted all year.

Me: In that case, no.

I’m just kidding, of course he could go on a hunting trip. But, we better have a whole bunch of kids to eat that elk because I’m certainly not going to eat it everyday for a year. Also, I will not be the kind of supportive wife that Sari was who once accompanied Gary on a two-week hunting trip in the snowy mountains. I won’t sit and cry in a tent in the snow for two weeks waiting for Brandon to shoot an elk. No thank you. I prefer to be the kind of supportive wife waiting at home in my warm pink bathrobe with a cup of coffee and my HGTV. But again, props to Sari for being the outstanding wife of the year.

Most of the time I feel like Scarlett O’Hara who was a self-centered brat at heart but who always justified her bad behavior by thinking “Someday, I’ll be a great lady like my mother” or “Someday I will be selfless like Melanie.” Of course, she never became like her mother or Melanie at all and ended up miserable and alone.

Whenever Brandon and I are fighting, I usually think, “Well a good wife and a woman who loves the Lord more than herself would do such and such.” Then the sin in me wells up and I think, “Well it’s really all Brandon’s fault anyways. He’s the reason I’m acting the way I am. I’m going to get what I want or make my point any way I can and I won’t think of the way I should be acting. I can’t think about that now, I’ll think about that tomorrow. Someday, I’ll be a great wife... just not today.”

So the moral of the story is, I am Scarlett O’Hara...

and I really need God to make me into a Melanie Wilkes.

Free Money? Yes Please!

Today is my 6 month work anniversary. Normally, I wouldn’t care but, since this is my first real job with benefits I’m super excited for this milestone because... as of today, the government will start matching my TSP contributions dollar for dollar, up to 5% of my paycheck!! Whoop Whoop!! That is a lot of free money!
P.S. I don’t know what a TSP is, but Brandon says it’s a retirement account, like a 401k I guess.

My Love Affair...

...with HGTV has gotten out of control. I am OBSESSED with this channel. I could (and often do) watch HGTV for hours and hours on end soaking up all the home and garden knowledge that I can. I just can't help myself, every single show on that channel is absolutely fascinating.

I love the remodeling shows such as Deserving Design, Design on a Dime, Save My Bath, Spice up my Kitchen, Divine Design, Decorating Cents, Color Correction... I could go on and on. And I'm sure that Myles of Style will be my new favorite.

Not only does HGTV have all of those fabulous design shows, but they also have real estate shows. My favorite is Hidden Potential which follows people who are in the market for a new home around as they are shown houses well below their price range and then completely revamped -sometimes changed beyond recognition - until they are inhabitable. This is such a good idea!! It shows you how to buy a house that won't stretch your budget and then make your own renovations which not only are customized to your own personal taste but also costs a lot less than if you let the seller do it. I fully intend to be on this show when Brandon and I are in the market for a house.
My other favorite show is My House is Worth What? which shows you the values of homes all over the country. It gives you a good sense of what kind of upgrades and renovations will increase the value of your home. For instance, renovating kitchens and bathrooms are always a good bet (as long as you don't go overboard) but pools probably won't even get you a return on your investment. There are literally hundreds of things you could spruce up in your home that would exponentially increase in value once they're finished. I think it would be awesome to buy a fixer-upper in a nice neighborhood and then completely renovate it. Then it would be customized the way Brandon and I would want it but we'd also make a huge profit once we sold it.

I also enjoy Curb Appeal, Designed to Sell, Get it Sold, Property Virgins and House Hunters. I told you, I would watch literally anything on HGTV. Anything. I'm particularly excited about the first ever HGTV Green Home. Just like the Dream Home that they've been doing for years, HGTV viewers can enter to win this year's Green Home and one lucky person will actually get it!! That person is totally going to be ME!!!

I WANT A HOUSE!!!

Happy Palm Sunday Everyone!!

Let us all be thankful for a savior who purposefully gave his life for us. He rode into Jerusalem knowing that he would be crucified only a few days later.

I am going to try to spend Holy Week thinking about how Christ, the perfect Son of God, laid down his life and took my sin upon himself so that I wouldn't have to bear the consequences of it. Because of his sacrifice on my behalf, I will enjoy eternal life in heaven with my Savior.

I've taken all of this for granted, especially in the past few months. I spend way too much time feeling sorry for myself and wishing certain things were different. But whenever I'm tempted to dwell on the things I don't like about my life, I will try to re-direct my thoughts to Christ and his ultimate sacrifice for me. I really am an ungrateful wretch most of the time, so please pray that God will change my heart and cause me to dwell on Christ and everything that this Easter week symbolizes.

Jesus paid it all
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain
He washed it white as snow

The Best Blog EVER

Shauna emailed this link to me last week and I was instantly hooked. I have never felt so white... and I'm only half white.


http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/


Enjoy!!

P.S. The comments from people who are offended by the blog or who don't get the satire of it are almost as funny as the blog itself.

OK

...Clearly, I suck at this whole blogging thing. Time to try again.

As of Monday, I became one of “those girls”… yes that’s right, I am now officially a calorie-counter. Don’t worry, I’m not trying to lose a lot of weight, only 10 pounds. I’d just like to get back to my pre-wedding weight. And, eventually, I hope to gain all that weight back in muscle. But for now, (and until I begin working out regularly… which I don’t plan on starting anytime soon) I’m on a 1300 calorie a day diet. And it’s not that hard… I found this great website (www.thedailyplate.com) that has a database of literally every kind of food, restaurant, and brand that you can imagine and tracks your calories for you. This is perfect for me since I sit in front of a computer all day and can instantly record every single thing I put in my mouth. Fantastic!! How did I not discover this before???

And, last weekend Brandon and I went to Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. We were celebrating our 6 month anniversary, a belated-Valentine’s Day, and the 1 year anniversary of our engagement. We stayed at a bed & breakfast on Friday night and spent Saturday exploring the town. It’s really cute and has a lot of Civil War history. It’s also situated right on the point where the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers meet. I would like to go back in the summertime since I’ve heard that it’s incredibly beautiful that time of year. Still no camera, but the weather wasn’t very nice anyways. If we go back in the spring or summer, then I will take pictures to show you how pretty the place is. For now, I found some online, which are better than ones I could have taken anyways. We also drove to the Antietam battlefield which was only a few miles away. If anybody likes Civil War history, PLEASE COME VISIT ME!!! You will get to enjoy history, and I will get to enjoy you!!

Renee and Shauna were here visiting the week before that, but I’ll wait until I have pictures before I post about that fabulous weekend. It was definitely the highlight of the past couple of months. I miss you girls already!!