Settling into North Carolina

      Things have been so crazy with life in the past months! We found out that Spencer would be getting out of active duty Army and that we were coming back to North Carolina. Spencer interviewed and accepted a position with a great company here in North Carolina. So, we packed our things up from Kansas, said our goodbyes, and at the end of August, we moved to Greensboro, North Carolina. Soon after moving in, we got a phone call that the job had fell through. We were devastated and honestly a little afraid. We luckily had savings and were prepared to go without a job for awhile in North Carolina. However, two people with no job and living in a new place is a scary situation to be in for anyone!

     After a couple weeks, Spencer took a job at a car dealership. He worked 14+ hour days and we hardly spoke or saw each other. It was hard to say the least. Luckily, he got on in a business position with a company in Stoneville, North Carolina. Although it is quite a drive (45-50 minutes), we were thankful for steady income, normal work hours, and opportunities to advance. He also goes to the National Guard in Virginia one weekend a month. I am thankful that my husband is such a hard worker!
 

    Job hunting for me was difficult! I was trying to find something that I would be happy in. However, I had not yet graduated with my degree. I won the jackpot when I responded to a Craigslist ad and went in for an interview. I am happily working in child care administration in a church setting! There is room for me to advance and even continue my education if I choose. We are so thankful to have found jobs and be happy where we are. Sometimes, God takes away something we thought we needed because he has better plans in store!

    We are living in Greensboro right now in a 2 bedroom apartment. It is very modern and has concrete floors which we love for the dogs. However, it is an apartment complex and we are already annoyed with the close proximity and loud neighbors. We are hoping to buy a house next year with land for our dogs to run around on!

    Time is flying by so quickly. Working at least 40 hours and juggling school work is becoming overwhelming. My graduation date is coming so fast, less than a month! Thanksgiving and Christmas are also around the corner. Spencer and I have a lot of exciting trips coming up. We have not had much time to travel over the last few months because we needed to get settled first. I think we will more than make up for that between now and January!

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4th of July Weekend in Texas

     Spencer and I have been spending our summer traveling, one of our favorite things to do! There are so many trips that I need to write and update on. I will start with our most recent, spending last weekend in Texas for the 4th of July. We knew that we wanted to do something for the 4th of July. We just weren't quite sure what or where. Some ideas we had were Colorado Springs and Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri. The week of the 4th we both decided we wanted to spontaneously go to the beach. To live in Kansas, that is quite the drive for a weekend trip. But, we were determined that we would make it happen.

    If you know anything about traveling near the beach for the 4th, you know that hotels can get ridiculously expensive very quickly. Originally, we wanted to stay on Galveston Island. However, hotels were around $400 a night and for this to have been such a last minute trip idea, we wanted to keep it more budget friendly. We decided we would stay in Houston and make a day trip down to Galveston while we were there. We booked a hotel at Aloft at the Galleria, in uptown Houston right next to the huge mall. It was pet friendly which made it great to bring our dogs along. There was also a pool. We love staying at Aloft hotels because they are always affordable, modern, and clean. We managed to score 2 nights for under $200 total!

     Our first day in Houston, we were exhausted. We ended up deciding to shop around at the mall next to the hotel and grabbed dinner at Hard Rock Cafe. Going to a Hard Rock Cafe when we are visiting a new city has become a tradition of ours.

     The next day was the 4th of July! We woke up early and packed a lunch in our cooler. We headed out for the beach and surprisingly did not run into any traffic at all! Galveston was amazing. They have parking off of the street right near the beach. It was nice to be able to see and walk to our car from our spot on the ocean when we needed to. The best part was that it was not hard to find a spot and only cost us $1 per hour. The water at Galveston was fairly brown but there were waves and it was the beach, so we were just thankful to be there. There was a pier with a lot of rides and plenty of cute seafood restaurants right by the water. If we were staying for longer, I would have loved to have tried those!

    After going to the beach, we decided to get dinner at Jersey Mike's Subs. I have heard about this place before but I never tried it until in Texas. I got a Philly Cheesesteak and was not disappointed. We decided to picnic at the Waterwall Park in Houston. It was located at the Gerald D. Hines Park. It was so interesting to see kids playing on the grass and running around here. Spencer and I are both from North Carolina and did not grow up in a large city area. We are both very used to having a back yard. These kids obviously lived in the apartments and condos in the middle of the city and came to this park to play. It was interesting to see the mix of tourism and locals here.

    To cap off the trip, we grabbed cookies from the mall and relaxed at our hotel pool. When it was time for fireworks that night, we went to the top level of our hotel and could see several firework shows in the distance. I have heard that Houston puts on an awesome show. If you are ever in the area, I would definitely recommend going to it! We were just too drained to face the crowds at that point. The next day we headed back to Kansas and the real world. We ended up spending a total of 30 hours in the car that weekend. But, to be at the beach and make new memories visiting a new state, I would say it was worth it!

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I'm Back!

     So, I have neglected my blog lately, but I can't blame it all on laziness or writer's block. Things have been more than crazy the last couple months. I decided to do an update so I can reflect back on this part of life though. So much has been happening lately. Last time I updated, Spencer was about to leave for a month long training. While he was gone, my dad and brother visited. It was so nice to spend some time with each of them. We saw movies, toured my college, went to a baseball game, and even just enjoyed time around the house talking and watching TV. When you move far away from your family, I feel like you really appreciate little moments and activities like these way more than when you are living close enough that you can still see them each week or even each month.

     So fast forward a couple more weeks and I am waiting on Spencer to get back. I am super proud of myself for staying productive and happy while he was away. I even managed to make going to the gym and staying on the elliptical a part of my daily routine. The night before he came back, I had a girls night with my friend Brittney, whose husband had also been away training with mine. 

We watched a Nicholas Sparks movie, and she even made us burned grilled cheeses. It was a fun time and a great way to keep the nerves down before seeing our husband's again. 

    The day Spencer came back was total torture. He was expected to be back in the morning. If you know anything about the military, you know that you never get a specific time. It's a lot of sitting around and waiting and then hurrying up towards the end. So, I tossed and turned all night and then ended up waiting til mid afternoon the next day until I finally got the call that he was on post and I could come pick him up.

     My heart skipped about 10 beats when I saw him again for the first time. It was almost like first date high school jitters again. We had some Subway for a mid afternoon snack, just so we could sit down and talk. Communication is never one of our relationship problems. Spencer and I have been together for four years and I can't really remember any times that we were at a loss for words. That night I cooked him his favorite dish I make, homemade lasagna. We spent the rest of the night relaxing and playing with our two dogs that Spencer had missed terribly. We planned on settling into our normal routine. But little did we know, normal wouldn't come again for quite some time. I'll update next on all of our travels in the last month!

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Springing Forward

As you know from a previous post, I absolutely love when the seasons change and shopping accordingly to decorate for it. Spring is coming!!! I am so excited. Spring brings so many things that are special to me. Easter, mine and Spencer's birthdays, our anniversary, not to mention warmer weather and summer is around the corner! This Spring is going to be a little tougher than normal for me though. Spencer is preparing to leave for a month long training that is far away. To add on to that, one of my new friends here who I have been spending a lot of time with is leaving too. I'm not anywhere close to most of my family and friends so times like these scare me. We won't be able to communicate and he will be missing Easter and some other special stuff. It's always hard when he leaves, no matter how long. But I have to admit, the extended training's with no phone can be even harder than the deployment he went on was for me. Yep you read that right. I think I feel this way because there is literally no communication for a good portion of it. 

I keep telling myself that as an Army wife I need to get used to handling these things on my own. But then when I really think about it, I never want there to come a time when I don't care when he leaves or don't miss him. I am just determined that I will do the best I can while he is gone to have fun, work hard, and make time pass quickly. On a brighter note, I have family coming to visit me for the first time in Kansas! Yay! We even set up a little guest room just in preparation for it. Kansas is a long ways away from North Carolina. We have just been visiting our family every chance we got. But, this month I won't be able to leave because of school and work so some of my family is coming to me! My dad will be coming and staying for a long weekend right after Spencer leaves and then my little brother is flying out a couple of weeks later for his Spring Break. There isn't a whole lot to do out here in Kansas but I am excited to show them around base, our home, and my college. I am even planning on attending my first K State athletic event with my dad, baseball! We are going to go to a K State game while he is here. I am super excited that we are supposed to be having warm weather for it.

Some other things I am planning for the months of March and April are getting my house decorated for Spring! Of course, I already have quite a few ideas on Pinterest. I just love making wreaths for every season.

Aside from that, my goals are to stay in the gym! I have made it a habit the last couple of weeks and I plan to go even harder all through March and April. Nothing like the thought of putting on a bikini in a few months to motivate me to get my lazy tail off of the couch! Lastly, I want to continue trying new and healthier recipes. For a long time, I was working 2 jobs and going to school full time. I realized that was not doing me or my marriage any good. Thankfully, I was in a position to let some hours go from one of those jobs and take a lot of online classes this semester. So far it has resulted in me trying over 20 new recipes and shopping healthier. I love having enough time to relax, study harder to make better grades, and even fix better meals for my husband and I. So far, I am loving the sounds of Spring and can't wait to see how far I get with these goals!


XOXO,

Carlee

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What do YOU Want to do?

   

    I feel like today we live in a culture and society that is incredibly worried about money and stability. The way the economy was when I was growing up definitely scared my community, family, teachers, and pretty much all adults around me. I wish I could count how many times growing up that I heard, "Go into the medical field. There's jobs everywhere and it's the only stable thing you will be able to do." Another popular one was, "Get as much education as you can. Your high school diploma, associate's, and even your bachelor's in this day and age won't get you where you want to be." I feel like every community has ideals like these. Whether it's the medical field or something else, everyone should strive to conform to these unrealistic expectations and career paths.

     Those are some serious words and thoughts for an 18 year old to be processing. Let's face it, when you're 18, a lot of people don't know what they want to do every single day for the rest of their life. I got enough grief for marrying at a young age. But, somehow we expect high school students to make the decision of choosing a career that they may not like or see themselves doing?

     When I was a senior in high school, I realized that I had no clue what I wanted to do in the medical field. So, I made myself sign up for a Health Occupations course. I spent all semester trying to formulate a career that I could handle that would still be considered in the medical field. At the end of the semester the idea I had come up with was speech therapy. I was also convinced that I wanted to work with children in the elementary schools. This is about as far away from being in the medical field that I could get and still be in the safe zone where some people in this profession were affiliated with hospitals and nursing homes. But still I felt happy because I was choosing something that everyone else thought was smart.

     All this time, I was ignoring the talents I already had and the interests I already held that were important to me. I have loved to write since I was in elementary school. I used to keep notebooks full of stories that I had written and hide them under my bed. I won the DARE essay in the 5th grade and got to read my paper to the parents and students of my school. I think that was the proudest I was of my writing for a very long time.

     Then college came around and I found myself in a class in my junior year where grades were composed mainly on essays and writing. I was struggling to maintain a decent grade in my science and math based courses and was breezing by in the course that was focused on writing. It didn't make any sense. I haven't even taken many writing classes or learned the ins and outs of the field. It was never something I felt like I could pursue as a profession so I never spent the money on tuition for it. I didn't think much of it until the last day of class. We had to write a 2 page paper on a topic of the professor's choice off of the top of our heads in about 30 minutes. My professor was the head of Communication at the university I attend. I'm sure you can guess, it was a lot of pressure.

    After I turned in my essay he pulled me aside. At first I was terrified that I hadn't done something right. However, he used this time as a chance to tell me how much he enjoyed reading everything that I had written. He then went on to ask when exactly I was graduating and to tell me about some positions they were hiring for at the university that he was helping fill. I was floored. I haven't even taken many writing classes. In a lot of cases, I know that my grammar is incorrect and my thoughts are at times all over the place. But just to hear that someone with so much experience and education in a field that I had loved for so long, thought that highly about my ability, opened my eyes a lot more than I think he will ever realize.

     I started to think outside of the box. Do I really enjoy taking math and science courses or studying anatomy? Not so much. There are so many different people out there. We are all made unique by God for a reason. What fun would it be if every person we knew was a nurse or a lawyer or doctor? None. It wouldn't even be desired then. So, if you are like me, not necessarily a medical field type, don't feel bad. Don't feel pressured or confused at your other gifts. You are worth something. Don't let the average starting salary for the career you really desire, your family or teacher's comments, or even the thoughts that have been programmed into your minds for so long, hold you back from doing what you really want to do. Take it from someone who is knee deep in college debt and graduating with their first degree in a field that they aren't even thrilled with; do what YOU want.

     So whether I will ever wind up writing a book, having a successful blog, or even working in one of those big fancy high rise buildings for a newspaper or important company, I'm not sure. There is definitely nothing wrong with working in the medical field. There is also no guarantee of what field I will end up continuing my education and career in. One thing is for sure though. From now on, I am exploring the talents I have and the things I love. No more making decisions for my life based on the ideals I feel like others around me desire or expect. When I look back on my life and my career 40 years from now, I want to know that I have made a difference and been successful. I want to have inspired, changed lives, helped create new ideas, and left the places I have been a little different than when I came.

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A Romantic Valentine's Day in Kansas City

 

     My husband and I love to travel. We knew that he would be having a 4 day weekend off from the Army and had been trying to think of some quick travel plans to make the most of the holiday. We thought about everything from North Carolina to see family to Texas to experience Sea World for the first time. Considering that we are in the middle of Kansas, those were pretty far distances to travel by car for a few days. The spontaneous part of me wanted to make the drive but the responsible side knew that I would be tired and grumpy when it came time for work and class when we got back. So, I returned home from class on Friday expecting to do a few chores around the house and settle in for a relaxing weekend at home.

    Spencer had different plans though. When I walked in the door, he told me we were going shopping for a new sweater for me. I kept bugging him and insisting on knowing why. He explained that he had a surprise planned and that we would be going to Kansas City for the weekend. I was thrilled. Kansas City is roughly 2 hours away from where we live and would make for a great weekend away no matter what he had up his sleeve.

     We ended up checking into the Chase Suites in Kansas City. We stayed here once before for Thanksgiving and absolutely loved it. We have two puppies that we adore who always travel with us when possible. These suites are made like condos for extended stays. They are very spread out and have a lot of grassy spots surrounding them which make them perfect for bringing our dogs along. They come complete with a king size bed, bathroom, fireplace, living area, and full kitchen. If you're ever in the area, they are a great deal if you are looking for a place to stay!

     After checking into the hotel, we went to the downtown Country Club Plaza area. We grabbed some dinner and did some window shopping in the stores. Just as a note, the plaza is packed on Friday nights. It took over 45 minutes to find parking! We didn't let that spoil our night though. It was so pretty to walk around and see all of the Cinderella style horse drawn carriages trotting along the sidewalks and the lights of the city around us. Love was definitely in the air with romantic music on violins playing, rose petals everywhere, and couples lined up out the doors for the restaurants.

    The most exciting part of the trip came next when we drove to a small local airport. When we got out, we entered a fancy lobby area on the side of the airport. A man took our names and then escorted us right out to the runway. We got on our own red helicopter and flew off above the city lights. It was so beautiful to look at my husband beside me with a smile that matched my own from ear to ear. It was definitely one of the most romantic dates that I have ever been on and an experience that I will always cherish! When we got off the helicopter, we were already planning the next time we wanted to go.

     Saturday morning we woke up early to go out for lunch before check out. We headed back to the plaza and had a delicious Valentine's lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. I had never ate there before. Spencer ordered the chicken alfredo and I had the chicken parmesan. We got our cheesecake to go since we were in a rush. Spencer had the traditional strawberry cheesecake and I tried the chocolate tuxedo mouse cheesecake. They were both heavenly.

     Once we returned to the hotel, we packed up quickly and checked out to make the drive back home. That night, we exchanged corny traditional Valentine's gifts and watched movies and relaxed on the couch. I have to say this weekend definitely made me have a new appreciation for my husband and it is a trip that I will never forget! Happy Valentine's!

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Erin Condren Life Planner

       With all that has been going on in my life lately, I decided that I needed a new way to organize my thoughts and plans. My sister mentioned to me that she had just bought a new planner that was $50. When I heard the cost of it, I laughed and told her she was crazy. She started sending me links of Facebook groups out there dedicated to planning their lives in these planners and sharing cute ideas of where to shop for the pens, stickers, tape, and more that is necessary for this commitment.

     I was very hesitant to dish out this kind of money on something like a planner. I already had a planner for school and tried to just decorate the one I already had. No matter what I attempted, it just didn't look organized or cute. There wasn't enough space for me to include both my school plans and my personal life plans. What I did attempt looked like a jumbled mess.

     A few nights later, I got a package in the mail. I am always so excited to get mail. For a long time, it was the primary way that my husband and I had to communicate when he was away training. Also, now that I live far away from home, mail normally means something sweet from someone in my family back in North Carolina. I tore open the package and found a ton of supplies from my sister to plan with. She had included everything I needed to get started. There were colored pens, stickers for different themes, washi tape, print outs of files of things to include in my planner, and more. I'll attach a picture below.

     Seeing that she was so willing to help me out, made me realize I should really splurge and get one of these new planners so I could put my supplies to use. I headed over to the Erin Condren website and purchased a life planner. I chose the quick ship planner instead of having one customized. I'm a pretty impatient person and I really wanted to get to planning as soon as possible! There's always the option to customize a new cover later on. The quote on the front says "The Best is Yet to Come." I think that's what everyone hopes for in life and it certainly is nice to see when I am planning an upcoming week.

     I have only planned out one week thus far (this one) but I am already addicted! I decided to go with a girly Valentine's theme that would be fitting for the holiday this weekend. I was surprised at just what I could fit in this planner. I have my hydrate reminders for each day, a to-do list, pay day, trash day, my small group meetings, workouts, school assignments, and even nightly dinners planned out for each day. It did take over an hour to work through on Saturday night, aka a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy on Netflix. However, I have already found it to make my week a thousand times less stressful. I don't have to wonder when I need to get something done or if I was forgetting something for the week. Every reminder I could possibly need is right in front of me. It is even separated into morning, day, and night portions for each day. It keeps me accountable throughout the week! In some ways, planning in this Life Planner is like a way of scrapbooking or journaling. If you are creative, you will love it!

     So, if you are a student, a stay at home mom, working, or just someone who likes to plan as much as I do, this planner is probably for you! I even have a $10 coupon you could use to offset some of the costs. You can check it out at https://www.erincondren.com/referral/invite/carleepadgett0519

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Heads North Carolina Tails Kansas

     I get asked ALL the time, when are you coming to visit? How long is your husband in the Army? Will you be here on this date for this function? Being an Army Wife, you have to learn how to adapt to your situation and accept that you never really know when you will be able to do anything for certain.

      To some people, this might sound miserable but I have come to learn to deal with it. Everything from my original wedding to a nice dinner out with my husband has been cancelled for his duties with the Army. If you’re affiliated with the military you kind of realize that’s just how it goes.

     2015 is going to be a big year for us as there are some major changes that are going to happen in our lives, one way or another. I am currently a student at Kansas State University and I will be graduating with my bachelor’s degree this December. I have worked so hard and the finish line is so close! I have already completed most of my classes and am just finishing up my last courses online.

     I also work at our church’s Preschool Academy teaching little 3&4 year olds during the week. It is an awesome job and their smiles make the tough days worth it. Aside from studying and working, the rest of my days are filled with: photography, traveling, and trying out new crafts and recipes in my spare time.

     My husband, Spencer is getting out of the Army this year. Yikes? Hooray? Not really sure which of those it is at this point. Regardless, we have some major decisions to make.

     Lately, the name of the game is job searching. My husband has applied for a really great company and made it through several rounds of interviews thus far towards an excellent position. This could mean a chance to move within an hour away from a lot of our family and is an awesome opportunity for Spencer. However, the thoughts are still in our minds. What if this doesn’t work out?

     It’s a scary thought to start back at square one. Would we continue to search for more jobs in North Carolina? Do we just make the decision to stay put for longer than expected? Does he want to re-enlist and possibly live in another location that we would never have picked out for ourselves? None of those options sound so appealing.

     If you are anything like me at all, you love to have a plan. Whether it’s a five year plan, or just knowing an overview of what the next month is going to look like for you, you have it all planned out. Moving across the country is A LOT to plan. Houses, jobs, new friends, new churches, new everything. It is so exciting but so terrifying all at once. This is especially true when you aren’t quite sure where you will be going.

     So, I have decided to blog about this journey, and the ones to follow. I love writing and it will be a great way to look back on how I felt and how far I have come in the future. So, I’ll leave y'all with some pictures. Feel free to stick around if we share some of the same interests, or even if you just want to see how this journey all pans out.

XOXO,

Carlee

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