Casa Legate

David and I moved into our new place three weeks ago. I really can't believe it has been that long already. We had a few hurdles to jump over right from the get go, as the tenant who lived in our apartment before us didn't move out until the Sunday before we arrived. So needless to say, the place was NOT ready for us when we got there. But we had to return our U-Haul the next morning, so we had unload all of our stuff. 

The kitchen. Oh the kitchen.

This is what it looked like when we walked in for the first time. YIKES.

The living room, not quite as scary as the kitchen

Our bedroom

The guest bedroom

A week and DAYS of bleach scrubbing with Mama Malone later, we finally spent our first night in our new home. We were so blessed to have my parents only 20 minutes away to crash with until our place was livable. This is what our house currently looks like. We still have a few more little projects that we want to tackle. But that will come with time (and paychecks) :).

The kitchen. Oh hey, Sug. 

The living room

Ps. Does anyone have any tricks for getting those shelves that stick straight out of the wall to sit flush against the wall? Call me crazy, but I don't think little pieces of cardboard hanging out from under the shelf screams cottage chic.

Our bedroom

This is where you'll sleep if you come to visit us. It's comfy - I promise :)

And finally, our itty bitty bathroom

So, like I said. Still a work in progress. But it is becoming home :) We love visitors so come visit us!!!

Mexican Honeymoon

Whew! What a number of weeks. Forgive me for not posting anything in a long time, but I was busy. Ya know, getting married and all :). 

David and I got married on May 29th, 2010. It was a beautiful day with beautiful memories! We couldn't have asked for it to go any better than it did. It was perfect! I'll explain details and post pictures when I get them back from our oober fabulous photographer, Rebekah Hood. My sister has a few on her blog to hold you over until I post. I know you just can't wait :). 

Let me tell you about our honeymoon. David and I went to Playa Del Carmen, which is just south of Cancun in Mexico. We stayed for a week and had an amazing time. It was so relaxing to lay on the beach for a week.

Here we are on the plane. 

And our fantastic room, compliments of my parents time share :). Thanks Mom and Dad!!

David is never as happy as he is when he is lounging on the beach - "La Playa." (David and I spoke spanglish to each other all week)

The next morning started with one of our favorite things on our honeymoon - BREAKFAST TIME. One of the buffet restaurants in the resort had a killer breakfast buffet. The coffee was to die for and we enjoyed sitting and chatting over our delish meal everyday :)

After breakfast everyday, we went to back to our room to change and then hit the beach....

...or the pool.

The next few are pictures of some random, some not so random animals that roamed the resort. 

Yep, thats a donkey...

...and a cat cafe...

Mexican restaurant

 Asian restaurant

Spa pool. These jets were so strong you had to grab on to those metal seats or else the jets would knock you off. Relaxing...kinda :)

What David looked like about 85% of the time while we were on the beach.

Drinks after dinner

These are our married hands :)

Where we lived for 7 days

Like I said, David read and I played with my camera.......and tried to get his attention. I wasn't too successful 

If you decide to get married on a beach in Mexico, you will have a beautiful wedding.....

...you will also have the topless sunbathers in attendance at your wedding ceremony...

Our favorite bar in the resort. The view behind the camera here is the beach. Gorgeous!

Our walk down the beach

Dinner on our last night. Brazilian Steak House. YUMMM.

Good Bye Mexico. Thanks for the amazing honeymoon!!!

A Time For Change

I woke up, rolled over, and I saw Sugar fast asleep in her "house." I suddenly became overwhelmed with this feeling of sadness for her that she will be moving next week from her sweet, sweet Tallahassee. But then I thought to myself, you won't be long after her Meg.

As we all know, David and I are moving to Fort Lauderdale after we get married (in 28 days!). I've known this for a few months but it hasn't really hit me until the past few days. Sure, I've thought about it. But I haven't really felt the reality of it until the other day when I became sad that Sugar was moving.

I never thought, six years ago when I moved here, that this place would become home to me. But it has. I was trying to think about when Tallahassee became my home instead of Fort Lauderdale the other day. I think it was around the time that I started working here. Suddenly I was contributing to this community. It was no longer just a college town where I went to school and then went home whenever I didn't have class. I no longer only hung out with only my twenty-something friends. I made new friends at work, at church. I grew up. And I think that when you finally grow up, the place where you do it becomes very special to you. 

This morning I was driving through town after I got off work. I drove down Monroe street. Past the Breuggers that I used to go to. Past Lake Ella, where I ran with my big brother the first couple years of college and where Sugar saw her first duck. Park Avenue where they have festivals and where my college ministry used to meet. It was the first time I truly felt heartache about leaving this town. Such sweet memories here that I pray I will never forget. 

But. Life changes. I hate change. It terrifies me. I guess I'm afraid that the wonderful times that I'm leaving will somehow be lost. But I need not to live in the past and old memories. I need to be excited for the new people God will introduce into my life. The new memories David and I will make as a family. To see the plan that God has for us unfold. How exciting!! Why should I be afraid of that? God has been faithful before when I've gone through big life changes, and he will be faithful again. 

May the fun times, and happy memories of Tallahassee never be forgotten and may I be excited to see what is in store for the next chapter of my life (as a Legate!!)

Breakfast, God, and the internet

I love my mornings. I wake up. Sugar and I take a stroll around the lake while we hunt for lizards. Sugar gets her milkbone and breakfast and I get my coffee (equivalently as exciting to Sugar's milkbone) and breakfast and I spend some time in the word. Afterwards I play on the internet for a while. 

So relaxing. I love mornings! 

This morning I made a bagel sandwhich with eggs, spinach, sundried tomatoes, and cheddar cheese on an everything bagel. yuuuuuummmmm!!

Do you remember those forts you used to make when you were a kid?

You know, the ones in the living room that you made our of sheets and towels and chairs? I used to love making those forts and then just sitting in them for hours playing anything. A babysitter was instantly cool if she suggested that we make a fort. 

ANYWAY. On our trip down to Fort Lauderdale last week, we made a fort for Sugar. The past handful of times we have taken a road trip with little Sug she has been beside herself. Panting, sitting as close as she can to the front seats, occasionally launching herself over the top of the front seat into the lap of whomever is sitting on the passenger side (mind you - she is 70 lbs!!). We've been thinking that maybe it is because she sees the giant trucks behind us and gets scared (??). Whatever the reason may be, the problem was solved with her fort.....and she looked pretty cute in it too. 

Ps. Little update. We almost signed a lease for a teeny tiny apartment in downtown Fort Lauderdale, but decided that it wasn't where we are supposed to live at the last minute. Still trusting that God will provide a place for us at the perfect time :)

Happy Monday!!