Whew! What a year...

I can't believe we've closed out another year. Where does the time go? It seems like the older I get, the faster time goes. It's been a whirlwind of a year for sure, but we've been incredibly blessed.

Highlights (and lowlights) of 2009:

JANUARY
* Luke gets laid off from Dow

MARCH
* Luke finishes work with Dow
* Florida vacation


MAY
* New job in Chicago area
* Luke moves to Illinois


JUNE
* Emily moves to Illinois
* Emily's parents visit


JULY
* House in Houston sells!

AUGUST
* Luke's family visits
* Trip to Nauvoo with them


SEPTEMBER
* Closed on old home and new home!
* Emily gets new job
* 4th Wedding Anniversary

OCTOBER
* Never ending house projects

NOVEMBER
* Thanksgiving at Paul and Betsy's


DECEMBER
* Christmas in Idaho!
* Bethany gets back from her mission!






While everything has worked out beautifully this year, we're hoping for maybe a little less "excitement" -- at least in the department of moving... ;)
Happy New Year everyone! We hope it's a great one!

Giving Thanks

This year, Luke and I were able to travel to Luke's brother's house in Nebraska for Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful time with them and it really reminded us how thankful we are to have such wonderful families in our lives. As we've traveled and lived throughout the country we've met so many people who don't have good relationships with their families, or simply don't take the time out of their busy schedules to talk or visit regularly. I really can't imagine what kind of void I would feel if I didn't have such great people in my life -- and people who will always be there, no matter where we live, or what our circumstances are.

Thanks for your wonderful hospitality! We had a great time!

A, showing us her Thanksgiving turkey made out of Gumdrops:


E, a.k.a, Cinderella, super excited about the Thanksgiving dinner about to commence:


During the weekend, we were able to visit the Temple Visitor's Center. It is a very small one, but very touching. What a reminder on Thanksgiving of all the sacrifices the saints made during their exodus to the West. I'm constantly amazed at the strength they all had.



In the basement of the visitor's center, they had their annual Gingerbread Display, and it was pretty amazing! One ward did "Noah's Ark" out of gingerbread and it was so cool. They sculpted all the animals out of tootsie rolls and starbursts and whoever did them was very talented. There was also one that did "The Night Before Christmas" and they did a scene every few lines of the book. Very impressive.

We also went to the city Zoo for one of the days. I've been to quite a few zoo's around the country, but this was by far the best. Instead of dividing all the animals into different areas according to the type of animal, they organized it by habitat: so there was a "desert" habitat, a "jungle", etc. For example, in the "jungle", they had paths going through a real jungle that you could walk through and see all the birds, monkeys, etc. The more dangerous animals were kept in cages or behind glass, but for the most part, they were out in the open. There was one tiny little monkey that came so close to us, we could almost touch it. It was pretty amazing. There was an incident in the "Gorilla house" that the two girls and Luke will probably never forget, but other than that, it was a pretty cool experience.

We forgot our camera, but I wanted to try to find some pics of the Zoo:

This is the "desert habitat" that you walk into:


The jungle was the coolest:




This was the rope bridge that we got to walk across:


Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Defeated

Today Chicago lost the Olympic Bid for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games...so sad. I was really hoping they would get it -- not only because I absolutely LOVE the Olympics and it would so exciting to have them here -- but also for the economic benefits. If we got the bid it would benefit this whole area immensely.

But, I'm not surprised.

America is not the most popular nation right now, and Chicago is probably one of the most corrupt -- if not THE -- most corrupt city in the country. It's a fact here. Everybody knows it, and it is just accepted. That culture here is a little hard to get used to. ;)

Oh well, I'm just going to have to save up my pennies to go the Olympics somewhere else...

House Update

Luke and I have officially moved into our new home and it is so relieving. It was a mess to coordinate a sale and purchase on the same day (note to self: NEVER do that again)...but we're here!!

It is so nice to be in a house again, and although we have about a million projects to do to make this place into the vision we saw in our heads when we bought it, it is still great to be settled.
I've been covered in paint from the first weekend we moved in -- one room down, a billion to go -- but I keep reminding myself, "one step at a time."

I picked these roses from my garden, and I love them! I've always had a love affair with roses, so to be able to pick my own, is pretty cool. Now I need to do some reading up on how to take care of them. Unfortunately roses aren't the low-maintenance type. They're worth it though!



People have been bugging us to send them pictures of the house...and we will....as soon as we get our projects done! So, if you want to see it sooner, well, you might just have to come visit us! :)

It Just Keeps Getting Better

Four years ago today Luke and I were in Portland, OR celebrating our marriage for Eternity. While I couldn't comprehend it at the time, I can honestly say I am even more in love with my wonderful husband than on that perfect day. And it just seems to grow infinitely day by day, year by year.
Without being too sappy, I'll just say that my life has never been the same since I met Luke and I feel like the luckiest girl in the world.



Here's to 4 years -- and to 50 more!

Happy Birthday!

I love this guy!!!



While it wasn't the most festive birthday we've had together (Unfortunately we had to move that day), we still managed to celebrate my favorite guy's 27th birthday, complete with his favorite meal: Cheese Fondue. I also made a chocolate, chocolate, chocolate cake for his birthday celebration while his family was in town last week. We had a great time.

One year older and wiser too....



Unfortunately our cameras are packed, so the cake picture is the only one I have (courtesy of Gordon)...

Moving and House Hunting!

Luke and I made it -- 17 hour moving truck ride and all! When we first pulled out of our subdivision and started on our journey from Houston at 4:00 a.m., the truck cab was pretty uncomfortable and I was thinking "Oh man, this is going to be the longest day of my life..." But, it did get better and we actually had a pretty decent day. We got to our apartment in Illinois at about 9:00 p.m., and just crashed. Monday morning, the missionaries came by and helped us move most our stuff into the back bedroom of our little apartment. It is stuffed pretty much to the ceiling! (see picture below). We figured if we were going to buy a house soon, there was no point unpacking anything!

We had been looking around the area and a few areas up north for houses that we liked and we were really struggling with the decision of where to live. We weren't sure we were going to find something that we really liked in the town that Luke works, so we were exploring all the surrounding towns and wards and trying to figure out what we felt like we should do.
After we got somewhat settled, we went on another house-hunting trip with our realtor and we found the perfect house! We put an offer on it a few days later and it was accepted! So we have a house! Well, not officially until the end of the month, but pretty close. We are super excited and Luke is ecstatic that his commute is about 5 minutes. (I don't think we can call that a commute....). It is definitely an improvement from his previous commute, which was 50 minutes one way.
The house definitely needs some updates because the couple who owned the home are retiring to Florida and their taste in wallpaper and paint colors are definitely "from another time...," but we are really looking forward to the projects and making it "ours."

Our "storage unit":

Chicago -- And Some News!

I apologize that I have been neglecting my blog, but in my defense, I have been pretty busy and I've had a very testy internet connection. We're not really getting along, but right now we are trying to work out our issues.
We've been having a good time this last month, getting used to a new place and figuring out where we want to live. We also have some news (read the 2nd and 3rd post!) Don't assume too much -- no, I'm not pregnant. I know that's what you were thinking.... ;)

Luke and I have spent a couple weekends in Chicago since we moved up there...and we readily admit it is a lot more fun than Houston. Sorry Houston. There are a billion shops, restaurants, cool architecture, festivals, shows, Navy Pier, the beach, museums -- the list goes on and on. I don't think we'll run out of things to do up there anytime soon.

The weekend after I got up there, my parents came to visit on the way home from their second cross-country motorcycle tour (9000 miles in two months!!!) and we had a ton of fun with them.
We took an architectural tour which is cool because I love buildings, rode the famous Navy Pier ferris wheel that overlooks the entire city and Lake Michigan, and caught a cool show in town.

One of the views from the Navy Pier Ferris Wheel:


At the Italian Tapas restaurant we found just off Michigan Ave that was SO good:


One of the cool art installations/fountains dotting the city:


At the end of the Pier:


The new Chicago riverwalk (apparently, they are really working to revitalize this):


Kate: This one is for you. We found a moose right downtown Chicago! ;)


We figured out how to take the train into downtown, so now we can go more often and not have to worry about paying $30 for parking every time! Yay!

A new nephew

My sister was due to have her second baby down here in Houston on July 4th. My mom was flying from Chicago (after coming to visit us for the weekend) June 30th and on a last second whim, I decided to join her. (Priceline.com -- try it!)
We came down a few days before the baby was born and got Heather ready for the big day. He is such a cute little guy and the BEST baby ever. He is so good natured, and besides have his nights and days mixed up for the first week, is a little gem to take care of.

I was planning to fly back home July 14th, but plans changed (see my next post!) and I will be sticking around until the end of the month! I miss my Luke something terribly, but it is for the best and it will only be 1 1/2 weeks more.

Yesterday, Mom and I planned an at-home-spa day to give Heather some pampering and relaxation and it was really fun! Eva loved it too -- she loved it so much that she had a hard time going down for her nap because she knew she was missing out on a party -- even though we were taking a break because we all needed a nap!

Our House

IS SOLD!!!!!

Yes, folks the crazy real estate monster did not get the best of us. We've got a contract on our home and will close on August 26.

Luke is going to fly down here on July 24th and help me move all of our stuff out and then we'll make that awful drive just one more time with the moving truck. Oh well, it will be much more fun with my best friend along for the ride. (After 16 hours in the car by yourself, you even run out of things to think about). So I'm excited that Luke is able to take a day off of work and make the drive with me.

Oh, and we are super excited to get our stuff back!!! Yay, we'll have furniture again!

We're here!!!!

Well, we both made it. Luke left a few weeks earlier than I did because he had to start work, and I stayed behind waiting on an offer to come in on the house...which never did come...so I finally decided to surprise Luke and arrive a week earlier than planned. I showed up Thursday night and it was fun to see the surprise on my little bored bachelor's face.

We've been having a lot of fun here in the last few days. Friday we explored the area together and Saturday morning we got up early and went rollerblading through the trails at the local state park. The park has about 10 miles of paved trails winding along the river, and it is really serene and pretty. I'm getting a little better and the stopping thing...but I did take one crash down a little hill. (Note to self: ski-like traverses do not slow you down on rollerblades...it just makes you out of control and going really fast.) No injuries, besides my pride though...

Watching to see if I make it in one piece down the stairs with my rollerblades on:


The trail with a cute covered bridge:

On Saturday, we also made a trip up to Chicago and saw a White Sox game. There was a group going from Luke's work, so we decided it would be fun to see a game. It was pretty darn cold and rainy, but we had a good time and our streak is still alive...So far the home team has always won whenever we are in attendance. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

Wow...fast.

It's official. We are definitely moving to Chicago. We have a written offer in-hand and Luke is starting in 3 weeks! That's a bit quicker than we were anticipating, but they're anxious to get him up there.
Yikes! This has all happened so quickly, but we are very grateful that Luke has been given such a great opportunity.
Wish us luck!

DA BEARS...

So, we finally got some good news! FINALLY! It has all happened really fast. Luke had his first phone interview with this company about 1 1/2 weeks ago. A few days later, they called him up and asked him if he'd be willing to fly up there for a face-to-face interview. After six agonizingly long days of waiting (yes, I know it isn't that long, but it seemed like a month to us,) this morning, we got a job offer! 

The position is for a pharmaceutical company that specializes in research and manufacturing drugs for blood diseases, such as hemophilia and others. It is exactly the field that Luke has been wanting to get into since college, so we feel extremely blessed.

So where are we moving? The title should be a hint...

We are moving to...


CHICAGO!

More to come soon.

Have I told you I like spontaneity?

When Luke's last day came on the 28th, I decided that we needed a little celebration. Well, I'm not sure if celebration is the right word, but something to kick off our new adventures -- whatever they might be. I was wracking my brain that morning and trying to come up with something special; some sort of surprise that would make the day a memorable one, and I had a brilliant idea! Granted, a little bit complicated idea, but with a little bit of reshuffling, it could work. I remembered that a friend had offered her beach condo in Florida to anyone who would like to use it. Since Luke didn't have to be back for anything the next week and my work schedule was flexible, I decided to give her a call and see if it was available. It was! As the ball got rolling, I rescheduled any prior engagements we had and made the necessary arrangements to head off to sunny Florida for a week (or however long we decided to stay!)
When I told Luke we were heading off to Florida for a week ('right now, so jump in the car!'), he looked at me like I was crazy...but, with a little bit of explaining he was onboard and we had a lovely week on one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen!
It was just what we both needed. A little spontaneous vacation to relax, regroup and leave our worries behind for a while. The weather was a little chilly when we first arrived, but we used those days to explore the surrounding towns and relax in our sweatshirts on the beach with our books. ;) The weekend, however, was really nice and Luke even got some boogie boarding in. (I was a wimp and couldn't hack the so-cold-your-feet-freeze-in-10-seconds water.)
Hooray for road-trips and wonderful, generous friends that let us have such a memorable week!

Truly the best-kept secret of Florida:


Isn't the water and sand beautiful? The sand was so white it almost looked like snow.




We ate a few meals at this place just down the beach from the condo, and they started having some pretty lively volleyball tournaments at the very end of our stay:


The sun was a little bright -- which explains why I can't open my eyes:


Poor Luke had to go boogie-boarding by himself because his wife wouldn't get in past her knees (in my defense, the water was freezing! -- what do you expect in early March?)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Luke and I had a low-key Valentine's Day at home -- getting into a restaurant around here is crazy on a holiday -- but we had a fun time and some great food, if I may say so myself. My gift to Luke was to make him a gourmet meal with his favorite foods -- cheese, bacon and chocolate.
I posted my recipes on our food blog, but we had:

Cheese Fondue:


Pancetta and Fennel Salad:


Roast Beef with Spicy Parsley Tomato Sauce:


Pot de Creme au Chocolat:


Chocolate Dipped Strawberries:


YUM! Anyway, hope you all had a great holiday!

Okay, so they're good

I generally pride myself on eating healthy and avoiding processed, unnatural food most of the time. Luke on the other hand, has a sweet tooth to rival pretty much anyone I've ever known or met. I was hoping in the 3+ years we've been married that my eating habits would have rubbed off more -- but alas, I think it has resulted in the opposite. :) Yes, I'm living with a bad influence. But, I don't mind.

However, I was horrified when Luke brought these home to eat for breakfast:

That's not a proper breakfast! It is pure sugar and little else. Luke conceded that it was indeed a sugar bomb, but that even I would think these little pellets were delicious. I had no intention of trying them -- I'm not much for sweets at 7:00 a.m., but this morning I was running late for work and, on a whim, I decided to try them.
I hate to admit this, but they were really, really good! Even at 7:00 a.m. Dang it! Luke's sweet tooth really is rubbing off!

Christmas in Portland

Luke and I flew up to Portland to be with his family for Christmas this year. For the first time in almost two years, we had the entire family together. We've had a great time together and enjoyed the chaos.

Making gingerbread houses -- a great Werrett tradition:


Christmas dinner featured with my sister-in-law Betsy and my cute nieces Alex and Elizabeth.


Christmas morning mayhem:






My new skis -- I'm a lot more excited about them than it appears... :)


Luke's new toy:

We had so much fun catching up with everyone, staying up late playing games and eating all sorts of yummy food and treats. A very merry Christmas it was.